Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 24th December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 24, 2023
​I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of another year in my life when I have felt less Christmassy. I’m also surprised at the number of people who have told me that they feel exactly the same. I think that the horrific war in the Holy Land has much to do with it, the daily reporting of ceaseless massacre and destruction. There is certainly a very dark cloud over our world at present, especially the Christian world. And yet, Christmas is the feast of Christ our light, who shines in the darkness, a light that cannot be overcome by darkness, a hope that cannot be snuffed out by the barbarism of the forces of evil, faith in life that perseveres no matter what, death that leads to resurrection and new life. Christ is born to die, but dies to live again, and whose kingdom is not of this world.
Today we keep the Fourth and last Sunday in Advent as well as Christmas Eve. We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Nativity tonight. Our Gospel reading comes from Luke (Lk 1: 26-38) and recounts the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of her divine Son’s conception, that in her womb the Word would be made flesh and dwell among us, to paraphrase the Prologue to John’s Gospel. We know the story by heart, it’s so central to our Christian faith. Let’s just read it again, slowly and allowing the words and phrases to penetrate deep down into the very core of our being.
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.”
Although Mary is the model of Christian obedience, listening closely for God’s will to be revealed, hers is no blind obedience. She is deeply disturbed by the angel Gabriel’s greeting, asking herself what it can mean. She questions the angel, “How can this be?” Only when God’s will is fully explained, does she give her assent, her “Fiat: let it be done to me.” Many Church Fathers and theologians have written eloquently of the moment of that decision, saying that God’s plan of salvation depended on the Virgin’s, “Yes.” It was a solid reply, for Our Lady accepted and lived out all the consequences of that decision to do God’s will. We pray today that, through her intercession, we too may do God’s will with faith and courage and so play our part in God’s plan of salvation for the whole of creation.
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.
