Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday - 4th May 2024
Abbot Paul • May 3, 2024
Today the Church in England keeps the feast of All the Martyrs of England, referring to the Catholic martyrs of the Reformation. In Wales the feast of the Six Martyrs of Wales and their Companions is kept on 25th October. The Benedictine Calendar, which we keep at Belmont, refers to All the Martyrs of England and Wales. Now these do not include such famous English and Welsh martyrs as Alban, Julius and Aaron, Tydful, Issui, Cadoc, Ethelbert of Hereford, Edmund and so on, but only the martyrs of the Reformation, all of whom also have their own feast day which is kept locally, such as St John Kemble and Blessed Richard Cadwallador in Herefordshire and St David Lewis in Monmouthshire, or St Thomas More and St John Fisher nationally. It strikes me as being rather confusing. Even so, it’s good to celebrate our saints and martyrs and turn to them for their intercession, praying for the grace to follow their example of fidelity to Christ and his Church.
We come to the end of another week and so get closer to the solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord, which we will celebrate this coming Thursday. The liturgy over the next few days builds up towards that great feast day and this includes the readings at Mass. Our Gospel today follows on from that part of the farewell discourse which we read yesterday, (Jn 15: 18-21). Jesus is preparing his disciples for what lies ahead. He has assured them of the Father’s love and has asked them to remain as close to him as branches are to a vine. If they wish to bear fruit to the glory of the Father, then they must remain part of the true vine, Jesus himself. Being a disciple is far from lying on a bed of roses! It means going against the current of popular thought and fashion. It means remaining true to Christ and his Gospel and obedient to his commandments, Jesus tells his disciples, and let us not forget that he is speaking to us too. The Gospel is not just some historic text. It is the living word of God speaking to us now.
“If the world hates you,
remember that it hated me before you.
If you belonged to the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
because my choice withdrew you from the world,
therefore the world hates you.”
We should not be surprised if we are hated, disliked or mistrusted. Our decision, our fundamental option to follow Christ has put us on a collision course with the world, with those who do not share our faith and commitment. Because we are branches of the true vine, our world view will often be different to that of those around us. The same goes for our moral and ethical choices. There is much in the world today that contradicts the teaching of the Scriptures and the Moral Theology of the Church. The fact is that we have been chosen by Christ to be his disciples and we must be true to that calling.
Jesus then reminds us that, “A servant is not greater than his master.” He asks us to remember that always, for whatever his enemies do to him, they will also do to us. Christianity isn’t a free ride, but, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains in his outstanding book The Cost of Discipleship, grace, though a gift, does not come cheap.
“If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too;
if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.
But it will be on my account that they will do all this,
because they do not know the one who sent me.”
Christianity thrives under persecution, for suffering ups the quality of our commitment to Christ and his Gospel. We need only look at the millions of Christian martyrs through the centuries. We should be prepared to suffer on account of our faith, of our allegiance to Jesus and his Church. In the light of Easter and the glory of the Resurrection and in the shadow of the Cross, all suffering is put into perspective, for the servant is no greater than his master. No matter where we have to walk, Jesus goes before us to lead the way and guide us from darkness into light, from sorrow into joy, from suffering to glory and from death to life. He is truly the Way, the Truth and the Life.
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.
