Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 4th December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 3, 2023
What a joy it was yesterday to celebrate Advent Sunday and so begin a fresh journey with Jesus, his Virgin Mother and beloved disciples. Each day, accompanied by his word, we walk with Jesus as he walks with us. There are times when we grow weary of the journey and times when we are tempted to give up, but Jesus is here at our side and his Spirit lives deep within us. What is more, as disciples we do not journey alone, for we have travelling companions with whom we share all things, especially our faith. This is what the Church is, a communion of faith, centred on Jesus and guided by his Spirit.
​Today our Gospel passage comes from Matthew, (Mt 8: 5-11), for on Advent weekdays these can be chosen from all four Gospels. It tells of the healing of the centurion’s servant. Let us hear what Matthew says.
“When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him,’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’”
We are struck by the humility of the centurion that Jesus will call faith, an interesting fact in itself. Christian faith is not so much belief as trust, trust in a loving God made visible in Jesus. Now the centurion, a pagan, was an important official in the imperial administration and yet he breaks through the barriers of rank and race to ask Jesus to heal his servant. That he comes begging not for himself but for his servant tells us much about the character of the man. When Jesus offers to go to his house immediately to cure him, the centurion declares himself unworthy to receive Jesus into his home. So deeply did his words mark early Christian communities that many of them introduced his words, only slightly modified, into the celebration of the Eucharist. What strikes us most is the reaction of Jesus, who is astonished at the faith of the centurion, for his is a true model of Christian prayer, marked as it should be with humility and trust.
​Lord, grant us the humble faith of that centurion and teach us to pray as he did. Amen.
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.
