Message of Abbot Paul - Monday - 22nd April 2024
Abbot Paul • April 22, 2024
Yesterday, being Sunday, was a very busy day, which left me so exhausted that I fell asleep during Vespers. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful day in so many ways, but there was no free moment just to put my feet up from getting up at 3am until now that I’ve sat down in an armchair just before supper to jot these words down. What were the highlights? Well, during the Conventual Mass, a husband and wife became oblate novices, while our organist made his promises as a fully fledged oblate. Oblates are lay associates of a monastery and live in the world following the Rule of St Benedict. A number of my old servers from Tambogrande were also at the Mass, so it was a delight to speak with them afterwards and catch up with all the news. One of them, son of the mayor of Tambogrande who welcomed Fr Luke, Fr David and myself in August 1981, I’d not seen for over 30 years, but the warmth and the love were stronger than ever. Sadly, both his parents have passed away. Then at lunchtime, another old friend, Lima born and bred, came to have lunch with me and then go for a long walk together in the heat of the afternoon, as we shared our experiences of life, faith, politics, our respective governments and our hopes for a better world. As Christians, we can only live in hope. We returned just before Vespers and Adoration, at which I presided and fell asleep. All the same, it really has been a wonderful day.
Our Gospel reading finds us at the beginning of John, chapter 10, the parable of the Gate of the Sheepfold. In comparison with thieves and brigands, who do not enter the sheepfold by the gate, “the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.” He then goes ahead of his flock and his sheep follow him, “because they know his voice.” Sheep run away from strangers, as they don’t recognise their voice. Jesus, of course, lived in a very different world to the one we now live in. Flocks were small and cared for individually by their own shepherd. I can remember so well seeing this in northern Greece when I was a student there in the mid 60s and in northern Peru, when l first went out there in the late 70s.
As they failed to understand the parable, Jesus had another go, saying, “I am the gate of the sheepfold.” He repeats himself saying, “l am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe; he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.” He concludes with one of his most famous and important sayings, “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full,” meaning more abundantly. We have no less than four important uses of the name of God in this section of John, three I AMs and a simple I to conclude with, “I have come that…..” God himself in Christ is the gate of the sheepfold, who comes to bring us eternal life, more abundant life, life in the Spirit.
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.
