Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 27th July 2023
Abbot Paul • July 26, 2023
There are many strange coincidences in the Mass Lectionary. The Gospel reading proper to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, that we celebrated yesterday are, in fact, the last two verses of today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 13: 10-17), in which Jesus talks with his disciples about the use of parables. They ask him, “Why do you talk to them in parables?” Why does Jesus use parables when talking with the crowds? Jesus gives them the simple answer, but then goes on to explain. “Because the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them.” He goes a step further, saying, “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.” By using parables, perhaps the crowds will come to understand better than if he speaks in a way that loses their attention and leads them into confusion. The parables are vivid and interesting examples from everyday life that will draw their attention and cause them to work out what Jesus is teaching.
​Jesus then delves back into the Old Testament, to the prophet Isaiah to show that people have always been deaf to God’s word. Isaiah condemned the people of Israel with these words:
“You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.”
Ultimately, the purpose and intention of God’s word is to is to be assimilated and understood in the hope of leading people to repentance, conversion, healing and union with God. In the New Testament this is brought about in Christ, who is the incarnate Word of God and Saviour of the world. What people are now experiencing in Jesus is what the prophets longed to see and hear, the Messiah’s invitation to be forgiven and saved in the Blood of the Lamb and the power of his Holy Spirit. “But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.” Yesterday these words were applied to Saints Joachim and Anne. Today we apply them to ourselves.
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.
