Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 18th March 2023
Abbot Paul • March 17, 2023
I returned from Peru early on Friday morning. I’m most grateful to the kind parishioner who met me at Birmingham Airport and brought me back to Belmont. It was a surprise to be woken up by the loud cries of the jackdaw colony, a much larger choir of singers than that of the monks. In Peru we have a colony of “mirlos” related to the British blackbird. They belong to the thrush family. These birds accompany the monks as they sing the daylight offices and Mass. They also knock at the stained-glass windows to attract attention. However, they are much, much louder, sing amazingly well and have perfect pitch. I’ve tried to do an ordinary day’s work on my first day back, but I’m beginning to fall asleep as I write these few words. It was good to collect Toby and bring him home to Belmont. The first thing he wanted to do was pay a visit to the cemetery and tuck into the long grass among the graves, primroses and daffodils. He knows what he wants.
​Out Gospel passage this Saturday comes from Luke, (Lk 18: 9-14), the reaction of Jesus to those, ”who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else.” Jesus does so by means of a parable, one of his most famous and here it is:
“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, ’I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.’ The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.”
​Poor Pharisee, he was a good man, but sadly over-conscious of his goodness and his obeying God’s commandments to the letter. There are many Christians like that, proud of their obedience to the commandments of God and of the Church. The problem with pride is that it tends to despise others, who on the surface aren’t so good. But God looks not so much on our many good works as on our humility and spirit of repentance. All the Pharisee could say to God was, “Look how good I am.” The tax-collector, on the other hand, was conscious of being a sinner and simply knelt before God and said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” It’s hardly surprising, is it, that he went home forgiven and justified, while all the Pharisee could do was wallow in his pride.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully last night. He served this community well for many years, not least Abbot of the Community and before that Headmaster of the School. He was then asked to serve the wider church as Bishop of Menevia. May he know eternal happiness with God whom he served. Please pray for the eternal happiness of Rt. Rev. Dom Mark Jabalé 10th Bishop of Menevia 10th Abbot of Belmont who died 9th May 2025 in the 92nd year of his age, the 73rd year of his monastic life and the 67th year of his priesthood. May he rest in peace
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.
