Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 28th August 2023
Abbot Paul • August 28, 2023
Yesterday was my last Sunday serving as parish priest of Belmont. It was lovely to celebrate the three parish Masses and a Baptism before joining parishioners at the annual parish BBQ. The food was delicious and the company great fun. The Lord was good to us and, after a doubtful beginning, the wind blew the clouds away and the sun came out. Everything was beautifully organised, as Belmont events always are by an amazing team, and I was delighted to receive two magnificent orchids, which I shall treasure, together with the written greetings of many parishioners. Do pray for Fr Augustine as he takes over, that he will be blessed is everyway as Belmont’s new parish priest. I will continue to write these daily messages, as best I can. The content is bound to vary as soon I shall take on the pastoral care of the parishes of Bromyard and Leominster and get to know the northern half of the county. Life is full of surprises and I look forward to that continuing.
​Our Gospel for today, taken from Matthew, (Mt 23: 13-22), sees Jesus criticising the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and lack of integrity. They are the very antithesis of Jesus and what he has come on earth to do. Whereas in Christ God has stretched out his hand to his children and to the whole of creation, offering forgiveness and salvation through his sacrifice on the cross, laying down his own life and shedding his own blood in our stead, what do the scribes and Pharisees offer to help those who have no alternative than to follow them? This is what Jesus says, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.”
His words get even stronger. “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.” The reading continues, but I’ll stop here. It’s important for the Church and those who follow in the footsteps of Christ as his ministers always to remember these words of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees, lest we become like them! We have been called by Jesus to help others, indeed to save them, not by making things more difficult for them, but by helping to carry their burdens and encouraging them to turn to God for help. We are here to save souls, as we used to say, not to lose them.
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.
