Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 3rd December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 2, 2023
Last night we had the most wonderfully uplifting Advent Carol Service in the abbey church led by the Academia Musica. The singing and organ playing was spectacular in every respect, and yet it was not a performance or a concert but clearly an act of prayer and devotion. Likewise, the scripture readings were conducive to deepening our understanding of and love for Advent, not only as a period of preparation and penance for the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord, but of hope and longing for his Second Coming. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus, come! Every aspect of the service was quite exquisite, but I was particularly impressed and moved by the perfect rendering of the ancient Latin O antiphon. We are truly grateful to have been blessed with the presence of Academia Musica, a Hereford choir, many of whose singers are young students at the Sixth Form College.
​Thank God it’s Advent Sunday, for Christians a New Year, a new beginning, not that we leave last year behind, but we can look forward to what lies ahead with joy and longing, and I don’t just mean Christmas. The celebration of Advent points beyond Christmas and Epiphany to Lent, Easter and Pentecost, but, above all, to the Second Coming for which we earnestly pray when we say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” If you look closely at the words of the wonderful Advent hymns and carols, you discover that all of them look forward not just to the birth of the Christ Child, but above all to his return in glory at the end of time. A fine example is the magnificent Advent hymn written by Charles Wesley, Lo! He comes with clouds descending. Another is the majestic hymn, translated from the German, Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling, based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins or Bridesmaids. A third example is the ancient Latin hymn, Vox clara ecce intonat, translated as Hark a herald voice is calling. These and many others speak of the Second Coming, because in Advent we look forward rather than back into history, for how can you look forward to what has already happened?
​Our Gospel passage today comes from Mark (Mk 13: 33-37), as this year we read Mark’s Gospel each Sunday; it is the Year of Mark. This is a much shorter Gospel than the others, yet it contains an amazing amount of detail. Jesus tells his disciples, “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come.” He is talking here of the last day. Recently we have read similar texts in Matthew and Luke. Jesus compares that day with a man setting out on a journey. “It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake.” While the servants are working, the doorkeeper is to keep watch: they just don’t know when the master of the house is going to return. Based on what he has said, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!” I’ve always found it odd that he isn’t likely to come during the day, but at night or just before dawn. In this short passage, Jesus repeats, “Stay awake” no less than four times. Can it be that he doesn’t want his disciples ever to rest or sleep? Obviously, he’s talking about something else. Jesus wants his disciples to carry on doing what they should be doing, their ordinary tasks, their duties, but always focused on his return, on him. He wants them, he wants us to be ready, to be prepared to enter into his kingdom and enjoy the fulness of heaven and eternal life.
​Advent is a time of watching and waiting, a time of vigil, as we focus on the Lord’s return, just as we remember and give thanks for his coming in time in the humility and frailty of human flesh in the stable at Bethlehem.
Let our prayer this Advent be, “Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.”
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
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.
