Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 18th June 2023
Abbot Paul • June 18, 2023
It’s hard to believe that we are already well into the second half of June and that in Just 3 days’ time, the days will begin to get shorter and we will be heading towards Winter and Christmas. Time flies is what they say and it certainly does. Our Summer Fete was highly successful yesterday afternoon and all the good folk I spoke with were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Even old schoolfriends came up from South Wales for the day. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and the good ladies who organised it and did so much of the work and the gentlemen who assisted, did a wonderful job and are to be congratulated and thanked. May the Lord bless them all abundantly.
We are now back in Ordinary Time and we are in the 11th Week, so just 23 weeks to go before Advent begins! Our Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 9: 36 – 10: 8), see Jesus speaking with his disciples about the mission they have ahead of them, how they are to undertake it and the need there is for more labourers in the harvest. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’” We note the compassion of Jesus towards those who have no one to lead them. Today he is asking us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers to his harvest. We are told the names of the Twelve apostles. “These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him.” We might find it hard to accept that among the Twelve there is included the one who was to betray Jesus, thus securing his crucifixion and death. Jesus then tells the Twelve how they are to carry out the mission to which they are called. Although Jesus himself will mix easily with Samaritans, at this stage he prefers his disciples not to do so, but to dedicate their mission to the twelve tribes of Israel. The rules of the game are serious and must be obeyed. “Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.” Their preaching is to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is very close at hand. In fact it will come with Jesus.
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
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.
