Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 20th February 2023
Abbot Paul • February 20, 2023
The mornings are getting lighter much earlier and there’s a lot of noise and activity when I go out with Toby for our early morning walk. For a reason unknown to me, he seems to attract the attention of a good number of robins. They sing loudly, and I should say beautifully, as he approaches and then try to engage him in some sort of fight. Yesterday morning, I stopped for a moment and looked on bemused as three of them appeared to highjack him, preventing him going further to the spot he was innocently making for. As he turned back disappointed, they sang some kind of victory cantata and the song was taken up an army of blackbirds and others whose songs I couldn’t make out in the cacophony of exhilaration. The whole performance was entertaining, to say the least.
​Our Gospel passage from Mark is quite a long one, (Mk 9: 14-29). I’m always surprised how in a Gospel as short as Mark’s we frequently find these long passages. As Jesus comes down from the mountain of the Transfiguration with Peter, James and John, they come across a large crowd arguing with some scribes. When they see Jesus, they turn and run towards him in amazement. Jesus asks why they are arguing. “A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’” We note the detail in the man’s description of his son’s condition and the fact that the disciples are unable to cure the boy. Jesus appears to be angry, but he is not. “‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth.” Who is Jesus addressing? It's not the boy’s father, surely. Is it the crowd or even his disciples?
​Jesus asks for more details. Not every healing is simple and straightforward. “Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’” The poor man is desperate to see his son healed. He doesn’t doubt Jesus’ ability to heal the boy, but says quite naturally and politely, ‘If there is anything you can do…’ Jesus replies as he often does when speaking of faith. “Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’” How often have we said words such as these. We do have faith. We are men and women of faith, and yet, at times, our faith appears to be lacking, at least to ourselves. God probably sees things differently. Jesus, seeing the man’s faith, heals the boy. “And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand.”
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
Pope Francis RIP Pope 2013-2025 Born 1936, Died 2025 We are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis. As the successor of St Peter he has been a spiritual father and shepherd to the church in our day, challenging us, and calling as to reach out to those on the peripheries. He was the first Jesuit Pope, but took the name Francis after the Poor Man of Assisi who modelled for him a closeness to the poor, a concern for those on the margins of society and a care for all of creation In his preaching Pope Francis always spoke of the joy of the Gospel and encouraged us to reflect the joy of our faith in our lives. He showed the compassion of Jesus to everyone. He worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and travelled even to non-Christian countries promoting a message of peace. He has left a great legacy. With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio with the community over Easter we were able to express our closeness to the Holy Father in his final suffering. There will be a special Mass at Belmont this Thursday 24th April at 11am to pray for Pope Francis as he makes his final journey to the house of the Father. On the day of his funeral, the Office of the Dead will be sung, and Mass that day will be a Requiem. May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs receive him at his arrival and lead him to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive him and with Lazarus, the poor man grant him eternal rest." (The In Paradisum, words from the Funeral Liturgy)
We were were honoured and delighted to be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to celebrate Easter. His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía is the representative of the Holy See in Great Britain, and therefore of the Holy Father. His presence on Easter Sunday morning brought us more consciously in communion with Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as we heard the Gospel story of Peter running to the tomb. His patron saint is St Michael, so afterwards, at a festive lunch we were able to present him with some Belmont cufflinks with the monastery coat of arms - very similar to his as Archbishop. We were able to pray for him and his work in this country.
