Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 2nd October 2022
Abbot Paul • October 1, 2022
I do apologise for not writing a short message for yesterday, but I was so exhausted when I returned to Belmont from Peru on Friday evening, that the moment I got to my room, I lay down on Toby’s sofa (he was still in kennels), fell fast asleep and didn’t wake up until 7.30 on Saturday morning, by which time it was too late. All I can say is that I enjoyed the rest and needed it. I’ve also come to realise that I’m getting older and don’t have the energy I had before Covid and lockdown. Peru is still very strict about Covid restrictions. I had to laugh one day when Fr Alex and I popped into a downtown supermarket to collect a few things for the community. We were stopped by an armed guard and asked to show proof of vaccination in order to be allowed in. I didn’t quite understand what the man was saying, so I showed him my passport. He said to Alex, “This gentleman is of the “Third Age”, so he must have been vaccinated. Now I know I’m of the “Third Age”!
In our Gospel passage today, (Lk 17: 5-10), the Apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. His reply is somewhat unexpected. All Jesus says is, “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” What is he implying? In the first place, that there are no easy answers, no easy solutions to their request, “Lord, increase our faith.” Rather, it is a question of faith and of trust in God. Were our faith the size of a mustard seed, (How small can you get?), then that would be enough, because God would do the rest. Faith is a question of trusting in God and believing that he can do what we can’t.
Jesus then goes on to talk about duty, doing our duty before God, and gives the example of a servant and his master. He concludes by saying, “When you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.’” In other words, faith is also a question of obedience and duty. If we have faith, no matter how little, we listen to God and obey his voice, simply doing our duty before him and our fellow human beings, trusting that it gives him joy and that he will reward us appropriately. It all sounds rather simple and straightforward when Jesus speaks with his disciples. God has given us so many gifts and talents. How can we not please him by doing what he asks of us?
Abbot Brendan Reflects on Pope Leo's words to the Benedictines worldwide
July and August 2026: 3 workshops let by Fr Alex Echeandia, Prior of the Monastery of Lurin
9th to 11th January 2026 A weekend for young men to experience the monastic life and join in the prayer and life of the community.
28th November at 6.45pm You are welcome to join an informal service for healing prayer on the last Friday of November. No need to book.
Sat 13th December, 10.00am-12.30am We are delighted that the acclaimed Cistercian writer, Fr Michael Casey will be with us in December.
Monday 1st to Thursday 4th December 2025. Our first Advent retreat in our newly opened guesthouse
Good Shepherd, Good Priest “I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed; I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” Those words, spoken by the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel, describe the heart of God, the Good Shepherd — but they also describe the life and ministry of a good monk and priest. They could well be written of Fr Stephen’s years of service as a pastor in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford, and Weobley. In each of those places, he shared in the Shepherd’s work: seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, strengthening the weary, and leading God’s people with quiet faithfulness. And like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came close to his people, Fr Stephen did not serve from a distance. He knew his people; he was among them. He shared their sorrows and their joys, their hopes and their disappointments. He bore their burdens with prayer and patience he brought the joy of the Gospel and the grace of the Sacraments. His mission amongst us is complete. He has served God’s good purpose. So today we ask Christ the Good Shepherd to take Stephen on his sacred shoulders and carry him home to the house of the Father. Bind up his wounds, give him eternal rest and lead him at last to the green pastures and still waters of eternal life.
Br Meinrad and Br Gildas attend a special service with the Benedictine community of St Paul's Outside the Walls with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Honesty and Love Before God: Pharisee and Tax Collector; Pope and King - a homily by Abbot Brendan for the 30th Sunday of the Year.