Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 3rd August 2023
Abbot Paul • August 2, 2023
Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 3rd August 2023
I really enjoyed watching some of the World Youth Day events from Lisbon yesterday, including the arrival of the Holy Father from Rome and the first celebrations in which he has taken part. Most impressive, of course, are the young people themselves: the enthusiastic expression of their faith is contagious and brings tears to the eyes, reminding us oldies of what the faith meant to us when we were young. With this generation of young Catholics, there is much hope for the world. We thank God for them and pray that their faith be strengthened and nurtured by the love of Jesus in the experience of Lisbon.
With today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 13: 47-33), we come to the end of this section of parables with the Parable of the Dragnet, which we have already read and discussed in recent days. This year we’ve had a double dose, so to speak, because we have been reading Mathew both on Sundays as well as during the week. Jesus is not suggesting that fishermen use dragnets as a preferred method of fishing, far from it. It is merely an example of what will happen at the end of the world, when good and bad will be called before the Lord on Judgement Day and all are judged. Yet another interpretation of the parable could be that the fish and other forms of marine life that are of no use are thrown away. Is it possible that they are thrown back into the sea, where they are given another chance to become useful and good? There’s a thought for us: we all would like a second chance, even of this life. Sadly, at the end of time there won’t be a second chance, but I firmly believe in Purgatory, where there might well be flames and weeping, but only for the purpose of purification and expiation. If we can get but a toenail into Purgatory, we will have made it. God, in his mercy, will do the rest for us through the saving merits of the Cross of Jesus,
At last, the disciples say they understand. Had they had enough of parables by this stage and took the easy way out to get Jesus to stop? We won’t ponder on that possibility. Jesus does express the hope that his disciples, and we with them, will be “like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.”
Let us pray for the gift of being able to teach by way of parables taken from our own world and that of our hearers, as we share our faith with others today.
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.
