Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday - 28th April 2024
Abbot Paul • April 27, 2024
​It’s good to be back at Belmont, but after the warmth of Peru, this cold, damp weather leaves a lot to be desired. I was blessed in having friends meet me at the airport yesterday and taking me home so that I could have a good rest before coming back to the monastery and a rather heavy weekend when suffering from jetlag. Apart from waking up to drink water and take my medication, I rested in bed until gone 1pm, something quite unheard of for me and impossible in the monastery. The journey home was tiring and I’d had little rest in Peru with a full programme most days. I give thanks to God for the warmth and love of the Peruvian people, both in the monastery and outside. I apologise for not writing a proper message yesterday.
​​Whereas the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, contain parables that often begin like this, “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to….”, John‘s Gospel is not graced in the same way with parables. In John. we find a simpler, more direct way of saying things, as in today’s Gospel passage, (Jn 15: 1-8), where Jesus begins by saying, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more.” This is a metaphor, the simple way in which Jesus says complex and complicated things. He doesn’t say I am like a vine, but I am the true vine. This is yet another one of the famous I AM sayings in John. Jesus talks of his relationship with the Father and with his disciples or followers. Jesus is the vine, while the Father’s task is to tend the vine, cutting off branches that bear no fruit and pruning those that do. Either way, for the vine and for the branches, it is a painful process. You could say that Christ’s Passion and Death are that cutting away and pruning. If we, as the branches, are to bear much fruit, then we must accept a regular pruning, and if we bear no fruit, then we should expect to be cut away. However, we will be given chance after chance. Hence the importance of what he says next. “Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” Abide in me, remain in me, stay with me, be with me always, be united to me. As a branch alone cannot survive without the vine, neither can we have life and bear fruit if we are not one with Jesus. Just as he and the Father are one, so must we be one with him. This is more than a plea for unity, it’s a statement of what must be, if God’s will is to be fulfilled.
​​To hammer home his point, Jesus continues by saying, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt.” Jesus’ words are kind and inviting. He promises us an abundance of fruit, if we remain with him and abide in him. However, he never beats around the bush. The alternative is grim indeed and, sadly, many choose it. He is telling us straight: either you are with me or you can’t be part of me, you’re against me, but the choice is yours. You choose your own fate. He ends on a positive note, because both he and the Father want us to be true disciples and to bear much fruit. He says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.” First of all, we are given the assurance that whatever we ask for in prayer will be given us, provided we abide in Jesus and keep his commandments, thereby syntonising with the will of God. Secondly, by the fruits we bear, we will give glory to God and become more truly Christ’s disciples. This is more than we can understand or believe. Not even in our wildest dreams could we believe this to be true, and yet they are the words of Jesus spoken at the Last Supper, that most solemn moment of his life here on earth with his disciples. If we take these words of Jesus to heart and live by them, then God will be with us always, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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.
