Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 25th February 2023
Abbot Paul • February 25, 2023
Each one of us who is a disciple of Jesus has heard him say, “Follow me,” and like Levi in today’s Gospel passage, we have left everything and followed him. Now by everything, I don’t mean our families and loved ones or even our work, friends and homes. What we have left behind are other gods, spiritual guides and ways of life. We have followed Jesus by entering into a personal relationship with him through prayer and meditating on his word, receiving his sacraments and putting his teaching into practice though love and obedience, faith hope and charity.
Here is the passage from Luke, (Lk 5: 27-32).
“Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.
In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’”
Levi was a tax collector, employed by the Roman state, and so considered to be a traitor to Israel and the Jewish religion. I’ve often wondered what the scribes and Pharisees were doing in Levi’s house at a great reception in honour of Jesus and no doubt sitting at table with Jesus and his disciples, when all they could do was criticise Jesus for mixing with sinners. What were they doing? Even so, the reply of Jesus has become proverbial, even if people no longer understand what his meaning is. The virtuous and the good have no need of Jesus, for by their own efforts they can enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has come, like a physician, to help the weak, those who need the doctor, and sinners to repentance. Are we conscious of being those sinners and that Jesus, in calling us to follow him, has called us to repentance? Lent is a good time to remember that we are sinners called to repentance as well as to discipleship by Jesus.
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.
