Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 26th June 2023
Abbot Paul • June 25, 2023
It’s five days since the longest day and now the days have begun their journey back to winter and the shortest day. The hot weather is still with us, and in Herefordshire an uncomfortable humidity. I wonder how Toby manages with his thick coat. Still, we have fans on the go and keep our curtains and blinds closed when the sun tries to look in through our windows. As you know, I love taking photographs of flowers, roses and orchids in particular, and, of course, wild flowers. I think it was the Covid lockdowns that helped me appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, often in unexpected places and forms.
​Today’s Gospel reading continues in the Sermon on the Mount, (Mt 7: 1-5).
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.’” Jesus does not want us to judge others, for who are we to judge them? Worse still, he does not want us to criticise them, for criticism is often destructive and serves no purpose. What is more, we are probably much worse than those in whom we find defects. Jesus uses the graphic language of the splinter and plank in the eye to bring his point home. May we listen to the teaching of Jesus and pay heed to what he teaches us.
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.
