Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 1st June 2023
Abbot Paul • May 31, 2023
Yesterday was the day I traveled from Belmont to Thessaloniki. It was a wonderfully relaxing day with enjoyable flights, easy passage through airports, especially Frankfurt and Thessaloniki, and the joy of seeing old friends, friends I have known for almost 60 years. Now comes the prospect of a whole week with no specific commitments, time to rest, time to read and the perfect quiet of Mount Chortiartis, where my friends live, way above Thessaloniki, looking out towards the Thermaic Gulf. It’s perfectly quiet here apart from the birdsong, ideal for rest, reading and a little prayer. I plan to take things easy and rest.
It’s four years since I was here and in that time my dear friend has slipped firmly into the grips of Alzheimer’s, so I can see that in some ways it’s going to be a difficult visit. It’s a great blessing to be together again and I thank God who has made this visit possible. We have so many happy memories. It’s good to be in Greece again and to have the opportunity of worshiping in the local Orthodox churches, a form of worship so centred on God and the union of heaven and earth in Christ.
I’ll try to get back to the usual format tomorrow. In the meantime, be assured of my prayers.
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.
