Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 1st July 2023
Abbot Paul • June 30, 2023
I wonder if the Post Office or perhaps just the postmen are on strike. You probably know better than I do. We appear to have received post only twice this past week and very important letters sent today, but put in the post room yesterday, still had not been collected by 7.30pm last night. I must confess to getting really upset when a letter or an important document I have promised someone for the next day hasn’t even been collected, let alone started its journey. Although I know I’m not to blame for this, nevertheless my natural sense of duty and efficiency causes sleepless nights and nasty bouts of stress. I turn to the Lord, asking that he help me calm down, rather than intervene in the workings of the Post Office.
​The second miracle in the series of ten that we read in the section of Matthew following on from the Sermon on the Mount, is the healing of the centurion’s servant, one of the best known and loved of Jesus’ miracles, (Mt 8: 5-17). It also sees us back in Capernaum with Jesus and his disciples. This miracle is followed by the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. It’s good to know that the Prince of the Apostles had a mother-in-law. I wonder if he got on with her! But let’s go back to the healing of the centurion’s servant.
“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; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.” As I don’t have much time at my disposal, I’ll just mention some points of interest. Although it is the servant who is ill and is healed, the miracle really concerns the faith of the centurion, who was not a Jew but probably a God-fearing Roman. A centurion was the commander of a hundred men and the Romans were considered to be oppressors. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had taught his disciples to love their enemies and to pray for those who hated them. The servant was probably a Jew, but the man of faith was the centurion, and not only faith, but faith with humility. His are the words we repeat at Mass each time we prepare to receive Holy Communion. “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
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.
