Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 12th August 2023
Abbot Paul • August 11, 2023
Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 12th August 2023
These past few days my messages have been on the long side, so today I’ll be brief for a change, mainly because I’m dead tired. It’s hard to believe that I went over to Italy for the weekend a fortnight ago: it’s beginning to feel like a lifetime. While I was there, I slept eight hours each night and had time to relax and read. Since I returned, there have been nights when I’ve barely managed four hours’ sleep, my usual quota being around four and a half. I’m not complaining, it’s simply a fact. I wish it were different. I can sense what it was like for Jesus and his disciples,
In today’s Gospel, (Mt 17: 14-20), Jesus is confronted by a father whose son was possessed by an unclean spirit, although his father calls him a lunatic. Nevertheless, he loves the boy and approaches Jesus on his knees, pleading for mercy and compassion. “Lord, take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.” Jesus appears angered by his disciples’ inability to cure the boy. On the other hand, it could also be the lack of faith of those who ask for a cure. He says, “Faithless and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”
Matthew tells us that Jesus alone can cure the boy. “When Jesus rebuked it, the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment.” We hear no more of the boy or of his father, for the focus of the story is on the inability of the disciples to cure the boy.
“Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’” The disciples can’t understand why they were unable to heal the boy and Jesus explains that it’s their lack of faith, combined with a lack of prayer. Some spirits, most spirits I would say, can only be cast out by faith and prayer. If one or the other is missing, then we are powerless to heal. Faith the size of a mustard seed would suffice. No one wants to move mountains, but we would like to help those in need. So let us pray, Lord, increase our faith, so that we can help others. 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.
