Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 21st July
Abbot Paul • July 21, 2022
Today is the final day of General Chapter and I hope to return to Belmont in time for Vespers. It’s been a good, positive time for all those taking part and it was a joy to welcome three communities of nuns into our Congregation. It was good to meet with such a fine body of monks and nuns and I was rather amused to find myself the oldest participant but one! Today I’ll attach a few photographs of Exeter Cathedral, which I also visited on Sunday. What a marvellous day out that was!
Our Gospel reading comes from Matthew, (Mt 13: 10-17), which involves a short discussion between Jesus and his disciples on the use of parables. They ask Jesus, “Why do to talk to them in parables?” referring to the crowds. Jesus replies, “Because the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but not to them….. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.” He then quotes the prophet Isaiah. It seems to me that these words of Jesus speak to us as much of the times in which we live as to when Jesus walked this earth. People, in general, have such little knowledge of the Christian faith, that we have to speak with them in parables. We talk glibly about evangelisation, but how do you even begin to speak of Jesus, the Gospel and the faith, unless it is by taking a leaf out of Jesus’ own book?
Nevertheless, he says to his disciples, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! Many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.” We should count ourselves as truly blessed by God for what we see, hear and understand. Truly blessed and truly grateful.
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.
