Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 18th November 2023
Abbot Paul • November 17, 2023
Yesterday I drove back from Ampleforth to Belmont. In order to avoid heavy traffic, I decided to leave at 6.30am, first making a short detour to Stanbrook Abbey at Wass to deliver a box of books. It was wonderful to enjoy the first light of dawn from Stanbrook and to see the unusual church coming towards me like Noah’s ark floating on the flood of night. I found the drive back much easier than the drive up on Tuesday. Traffic was light and there were no hold ups. I stopped once for something to eat and a short rest. I think it was near Chesterfield. The problem with motorways is that you can never tell where you are. The lives of our Benedictine nuns are dedicated in a very special and intensive way to contemplative prayer and we thank God for their vocation.
Connected with that thought is today’s Gospel reading from Luke (Lk 18: 1-8), which begins: “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart.” How important this teaching is and it comes from Jesus himself. We have a real need to pray continually and, in that prayer, never to lose heart. Interestingly enough, the parable is about an unjust judge and a widow. “There was a judge in a certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, ‘I want justice from you against my enemy!’ For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, ‘Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
God, however, is not an unjust judge, so it’s best not to look too closely at the details. The point is that perseverance in prayer will always be rewarded, even if you have to wait a long time. But what does Jesus say? Luke tells us. “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” God might delay at times in answering our prayer and his answer might not be the one we’re expecting, but God will see justice done. It can be dangerous, of course, to pray: God often gives us what we’ve asked for when we no longer want it. A good maxim is not to pray for something unless you really want it. Jesus’ final thought is unexpectedly shocking, “When the Son of Man comes will he find any faith on earth?” What can he mean? Why does he say that? What do you think?
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.
