Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 16th February 2023
Abbot Paul • February 16, 2023
In today’s Gospel we read Mark’s version, (Mk 8: 27-33), of that pivotal moment in the life and ministry of Jesus when his disciples declare their faith in him, spoken through Peter, to be the Messiah and Son of God incarnate. It took place at Caesarea Philippi and also marks the halfway point in the Gospel story. “Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ And they told him. ‘John the Baptist,’ they said ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he asked ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter spoke up and said to him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.” Before asking who they think he is, Jesus asks his disciples what others have to say about him. We have become accustomed to the list: John the Baptist, Elijah or another of the prophets come back to life. It is then that Jesus asks them about their own position on the question of his identity. As we know, Peter, in the name of the Twelve, speaks up, “You are the Christ.” In other Gospels this is expanded to say, “the Son of the living God.” This comes together with the constatation of Jesus that their faith is the result of divine revelation, but in Mark, Peter simply says, “You are the Christ“. Jesus does no more than to tell them to keep silent on the matter.
Jesus then goes on to speak of his forthcoming passion, death and resurrection. This is not quite the Messiah they were hoping for and believed him to be, a Messiah “to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again.” Yet Jesus says all this quite openly, even so it’s obvious that the disciples have difficulty understanding this and Peter remonstrates against what Jesus teaches, forcing Jesus to rebuke Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” Comparing this with our own fluctuating faith, it’s easy to imagine how one moment Peter is declaring his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the next, Jesus is accusing him of being like Satan. We, too, can fluctuate between extremes.
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.
We are sad to announce that Fr Stephen died on Monday 21st October 2055. He was 94. He died peacefully in hospital, having recently fractured his shoulder. He was a beloved member of the monastic community, who had settled back at Belmont after many years on Belmont parishes, including in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford and Weobley. He will be much missed. His Requiem Mass will be at Belmont on Wednesday, 5th November at 11.30am followed by burial in the monastic cemetery. The Reception of his Body into the Abbey Church will take place on Tuesday, 4th November, at 5.45pm.
With honoured guests we were delighted to open our doors again of our new guesthouse and conference centre: The Chapterhouse.
"A hymn to the human body." Abbot Brendan's Homily at the annual Mass celebrated at Rotherwas Chapel in Hereford that dates from the 1580s on the feast of the Assumption.
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
