Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 1st January 2023
Abbot Paul • December 31, 2022
We were all saddened to hear the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, though it was a sadness tinged with thanksgiving for all that God had accomplished in him and through him. He must surely have been one of the greatest Christian theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries and one of the Church’s deepest thinkers, a great intellectual called to serve the Church he loved in the twofold task of teaching and administration. He was highly cultured, yet his life was simplicity itself. He was a cat-lover and throughout his life enjoyed the company of cats. Above all, he was a man of prayer, a mystic, a man of humility and of fidelity to Christ’s mission to bring all people to the knowledge of the truth. He was an infinitely lovable man, a gentleman and, if I may be permitted to say so, a saint. I hope that, like other recent popes, he will be canonised very soon. May he rest in peace. Amen.
​So much will be said about him in the next few days, that I’d rather he spoke for himself. I always found him so open about everything, willing to listen and engage, and always so helpful. He invariably struck a chord. Only recently he said, “Looking back on my long life, I can have great reason for fear and trembling. I am nonetheless of good cheer, for I trust firmly that the Lord is not only the just judge, but also the friend and brother who himself has already suffered for my shortcomings, and is thus also my advocate, my “Paraclete.” In light of the hour of judgement, the grace of being a Christian becomes all the more clear to me. It grants me knowledge, and indeed friendship, with the judge of my life, and thus allows me to pass confidently through the dark door of death.”
​Today, 1st January, the Octave of Christmas, we keep the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, focussing on what Luke wrote about her at the Nativity of her Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. “The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.”
Mary treasures all she sees and hears about her child and she ponders them in her heart. She invites us to do the same. At the same time, the Gospel passage, (Lk 2:16-21), reminds us that originally this feast was known as the Circumcision of Jesus, the day on which he was given his Most Holy Name. It is the day on which his Passion begins with an initial shedding of blood for our redemption. The Gospel reads, “When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.”
The whole of Christ’s life was sacrificial: he was born to make us holy, born to save us from sin and death, born to reconcile us with our heavenly Father and with each other, born to be our Saviour and our brother.
​I have just realised that I have not wished you a Happy New Year. There is so much to pray for, peace especially.
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.
