Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday - 11th January 2024
Abbot Paul • January 10, 2024
​Today, Fr Michael and I rejoice to celebrate the 49th anniversary of our priestly ordination, a day of thanksgiving and happy memories. The good Lord has been infinitely generous to both of us, allowing us to serve him in an amazing variety of ministries, totally unexpected and undreamt of when we were ordained by Bishop Daniel Mullins on this day in 1975, a Holy Year decreed by Pope St Paul VI, of happy memory. In fact, Fr Dyfrig and I were staying at St Paul outside the Walls on the night of 6th August 1978, when Pope Paul passed to his eternal reward. We were in the garden chatting after supper when news came of his death. It was the end of an era. We prayed for the repose of his soul with thanksgiving in our hearts for having experienced this universal pastor’s wisdom and love.
​Our Gospel reading today continues from yesterday’s section of Mark, (Mk 1: 40-45). It recounts the healing of a leper, who pleads on his knees, “If you want to, you can cure me.” Jesus is filled with compassion for the man, stretches out his hand and touches him, saying, “Of course, I want to! Be cured!” In Jesus’ day the word leprosy was used for a number of skin conditions and diseases and was usually seen as a punishment for sin. Such people were considered as unclean and so unfit for human society. They were outcasts, untouchables. By touching the leper, Jesus himself becomes unclean. He is already taking upon himself the sufferings and sins of the world. The man is healed and at once the leprosy leaves him, but what happens next is not quite what we’d expect.
​“Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.” We hear no reaction from the man himself, no immediate word of thanks, as that’s not what Jesus wants. Jesus always points to the Father and so it’s to the priest that the man must show himself and make the prescribed offering to God as laid down in the Law of Moses. Although Jesus doesn’t want publicity and fame, that’s exactly what he receives as a result of the man telling everyone he meets how he’s been healed by a man named Jesus. Inevitably, crowds search after Jesus and follow him around in the hope of a miracle, always a sign of God’s mercy and love. Today we pray for healing for all those who are sick in any way. May the Lord have compassion on them and make them whole again. Above all, may he give them the gift of faith which will lead them to salvation, the ultimate gift of healing.
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.
