Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 5th November 2022
Abbot Paul • November 5, 2022
When I was a boy, Guy Fawkes Night was such an important celebration and for weeks before we would go round the streets, especially on a Saturday when people were doing their shopping, or of an early evening going from door to door, begging, “A penny for the guy.” We’d proudly carry around with us a guy we had made at home with the help of our parents. The objective was to save up enough money to buy a box of fireworks to use on 5th November. Usually, a group of friends would band together to have a better display. Life was much simpler then, no rules and regulations to restrict us and I suppose, looking back, most of us were quite poor, so we shared what we had. Sadly, I get the impression that life is very different now. I can’t remember the last time I saw a homemade guy or was asked by a child for “A penny for the guy.” Fireworks have become ubiquitous, unbelievably expensive and used at all the wrong times: New Year’s Eve, birthdays, weddings and celebrations in general. The magic has gone out of life. I hope you disagree!
​Our Gospel passage from Luke, (Lk 16: 9-15), continues on from yesterday’s reading on the general theme of money and how is can become enslaving and corrupting. Jesus is speaking with his disciples, “I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?” Money has its uses but should be treated with care. It’s dangerous when used and loved for its own sake. It is a tainted thing. In the midst of this outcry from Jesus there’s a little gem of a proverb – “The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great.” Let us take heed and practise this in our daily lives. Jesus then goes on to speak of those with a divided heart. “No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” Again, we pray that we might not have a divided heart. Wealth can become an obsession, for poor as well as for rich, perhaps even more for those who have less and struggle to survive. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’” The Pharisees might laugh at Jesus, but we do not, we listen carefully and follow his teaching. God alone knows what is in our hearts
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.
