Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 21st November 2022
Abbot Paul • November 21, 2022
Today the Catholic and Orthodox Churches celebrate the feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, the Mother of God, in the Temple. It is a feast based not so much upon the Scriptures as on the Protoevangelium of James, which scholars date before the year 200, and ancient Coptic Christian tradition. A very Eastern feast that spread into the West, it was celebrated in monasteries in southern Italy by the 9th century and gradually spread north and became popular in the Papal court at Avignon. It was introduced into the Roman Missal in 1472 and is undoubtedly one of the loveliest feasts of Our Lady that reflects the Presentation of her Divine Son.
​Today, for us English Benedictines, it is the Dies Memorabilis, the special day on which, in the year 1607, the old English Benedictine Congregation, suppressed by Henry VIII, was restored through the person of Dom Sigbert Buckley, the last surviving monk of St Peter’s Abbey, Westminster. For us who live in Herefordshire, it’s interesting to note that the last abbot of Our Lady’s Monastery, Abbey Dore, became a Benedictine monk of Westminster at its restoration by Queen Mary Tudor in 1556.
​The Gospel reading for the feast comes from Matthew, (Mt 12: 46-50).
“Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’”
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​Jesus does not criticise his mother in any way. Rather, he would wish that all his disciples could be as obedient as Mary to the word of God and his will expressed in that word. At the Incarnation, she uttered the words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.” She is the first and the very model of one who, ”does the will of my Father in heaven.”
I attach a photograph of Adoration in the abbey church yesterday, feast of Christ the King.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully on 9th May. He served this community well for many years, not least Abbot of the Community and before that Headmaster of the School. He was then asked to serve the wider church as Bishop of Menevia. May he know eternal happiness with God whom he served. Please pray for the eternal happiness of Rt. Rev. Dom Mark Jabalé 10th Bishop of Menevia 10th Abbot of Belmont who died 9th May 2025 in the 92nd year of his age, the 73rd year of his monastic life and the 67th year of his priesthood. May he rest in peace
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.
