Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 11th June
Abbot Paul • June 10, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 11th June 2022
The days of the month are creeping relentlessly towards the Summer Equinox and soon the days will shorten and the nights begin to draw in. As our organist, Jonathon, said to me yesterday, we’re on the road to Advent, only six months to Christmas. One can’t help but wonder what Summer, Autumn and Winter hold in store for us, what with the war in Ukraine showing no signs of coming to an end and prices continuing to rise, often to double, from day to day. I see that quite clearly as I help my mother to do her shopping online and we discuss price hikes in gas and electricity. I must put a word in here asking readers to support our local food banks, as more families feel the pinch and the breech between rich and poor grows ever wider, a sad indictment for a country like the UK.
Today, we keep the feast of St Barnabas, a native of Cyprus and a Levite, who became one of the leading members of the Christian community at Antioch, having been sent there from Jerusalem, and a companion of St Paul in his first missionary journeys. He is called an apostle, but was not one of the Twelve. He was at the Council of Jerusalem together with Paul, which took the far-reaching decision to allow Gentiles to become Christian without having to observe the entireJewish Law. I never cease to be amazed at the daring of the early Church in taking enormous and unexpected leaps in faith in order to preach the Gospel to non-Jews and bring all peoples to salvation in Christ. Barnabas was instrumental in this.
In our short Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 5: 33-37), Jesus emphasises to his disciples the importance of always telling the truth, so being people who can be trusted. There is no need to be making oaths all the time. If people know that you always speak the truth, then you will be trusted without recourse to oaths, swearing by this or by that. If you can’t keep an oath, or a promise for that matter, then don’t make one. That is the sensible, practical advice that Jesus gives us. Now it’s up to us to act on his word.
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.
