Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 23rd July
Abbot Paul • July 23, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 23rd July 2022
What a busy weekend this is turning out to be with so much to do and in such difficult climatic circumstances. Herefordshire suffers from the misfortune of being a large bowl crisscrossed by rivers and surrounded by hills, which we tend to call mountains. The humidity is high, so the atmosphere is muggy and debilitating, especially if you have a lot to do and you’re racing against the clock to get it all done. It all feels particularly heavy, having just returned from Buckfast Abbey and the more agreeable Devon climate. What I miss most of all this the delicious breeze that made even the hottest days agreeable. At least we humans don’t have to cope with a thick woolly coat like Toby and his friends. He tells me he needs another visit to his groomer. I’d better do what he says.
Today we keep the feast of St Bridget of Sweden, one of the many patron saints of Europe. It’s interesting to note that one of the communities of Benedictine nuns that came into the English Congregation at General Chapter was Mariavall in Sweden, a truly delightful and observant community. Bridget born in 1303, was married to Ulf, a nobleman with whom she had eight children. In 1330, she was invited to the royal court to be lady-in-waiting to the Queen, but had no stomach for the indecent life of the royal court. On a pilgrimage to St James at Compostela, she and Ulf decided that they would both spend the rest of the lives in prayer and contemplation in a monastery. He died in 1344, but Bridget lived on for another thirty years and founded many monasteries that came to form the Order that took her name, Bridgettine. Often these were double monasteries. In 1350 she travelled to Rome for the Holy Year, and spent the rest of her life there caring for the poor and the sick, denouncing the excesses of the aristocracy, and, like St Catherine of Siena, robustly telling the Pope to return to Rome from Avignon. She had many mystical visions, which alarmed her because she feared that they might be the work of the Devil; but a learned Cistercian monk reassured her, and she subsequently dictated and published the revelations she received, which were partially devotional and partly prophetic. These can still be read to our spiritual advantage today. Exhausted by her labours and the toll taken on her by her visions, she died in the year 1373. May she pray for us today.
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.
