Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 25th June 2023
Abbot Paul • June 24, 2023
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​In our Gospel passage this Sunday which comes from Matthew, (Mt 10: 26-33), Jesus assures his disciples that God knows us through and through: there is nothing he does not know. It’s hard for us to know another person through and through and, let’s be honest, we don’t really know ourselves. We remain a great mystery, unfathomable and impenetrable. Jesus says, “Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted.” There is nothing that God does not know. He, the Creator, knows us intimately. Because of this, we have nothing to fear. As Jesus says, “There is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.”
​A phrase that appears three times in this short passage is “Do not be afraid,” or in traditional English, “Fear not.” In this basic form, it appears 103 times in the Bible, although if you expand your search for similar sayings then as many as 500 times. Whenever God appears, or the Angel of the Lord, or Jesus, then he greets the person he is visiting and has a message for with this greeting. It is an invitation to trust in God and to place our hope and confidence in him. Since we are held in God’s embrace, there is no need for fear, only love and trust, the comfort of being held safely in God’s arms.
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.
