Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 24th September 2022
Abbot Paul • September 24, 2022
Today we celebrate Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of Ransom in England and in Peru the same feast of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. We ask Our Lady’s protection on our families, communities and countries, wherever we might be.
On Thursday evening, Abbot Benito of Las Condes, Santiago, Chile, arrived to accompany me in the Canonical Visitation of our monastery in Peru. The traffic was so bad, it took us three hours to cover the 25 or so miles to the airport. Yesterday, we spent the day organising ourselves for the Visitation with the help of Br Mario, our archivist, and we begin this morning, so we all ask for your prayers that it will be a grace-filled opportunity for our brethren to grow in number and in holiness in the next stage in the life of the community at Lurin. The next four or five days are going to be hard work, but undoubtedly worthwhile.
Our Gospel passage for today comes from Luke, (Lk 9: 43-45), in which Jesus warns is his disciples that he will be taken, will suffer and be put to death, thus fulfilling his work as Messiah and Christ. This was at a time when Jesus was the cause of admiration for all the good he was doing, so it is little wonder that they failed to grasp the meaning of his words. Not only was this hidden from them, but they were afraid to ask. May this encourage us never to be afraid of questioning Jesus and asking him to explain and make clear his teaching. Jesus didn’t come into the world to keep us in the dark, but to shed his light on our lives and help us grow in faith.
Br Meinrad and Br Gildas attend a special service with the Benedictine community of St Paul's Outside the Walls with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Honesty and Love Before God: Pharisee and Tax Collector; Pope and King - a homily by Abbot Brendan for the 30th Sunday of the Year.
We are sad to announce that Fr Stephen died on Monday 21st October 2055. He was 94. He died peacefully in hospital, having recently fractured his shoulder. He was a beloved member of the monastic community, who had settled back at Belmont after many years on Belmont parishes, including in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford and Weobley. He will be much missed. His Requiem Mass will be at Belmont on Wednesday, 5th November at 11.30am followed by burial in the monastic cemetery. The Reception of his Body into the Abbey Church will take place on Tuesday, 4th November, at 5.45pm.
With honoured guests we were delighted to open our doors again of our new guesthouse and conference centre: The Chapterhouse.
"A hymn to the human body." Abbot Brendan's Homily at the annual Mass celebrated at Rotherwas Chapel in Hereford that dates from the 1580s on the feast of the Assumption.
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
