Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 7th July
Abbot Paul • July 7, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 7th July 2022
This is not the place to comment on the political situation this country is going through at present. As citizens, who expect and deserve a high standard of moral integrity and truthfulness from our leaders, whom we have elected to serve our country to the very best of their ability, it saddens us deeply to see what has become of our hopes and our rights. I worry about the impact this will have on our young people, who surely deserve a better example from those who govern the country. The United Kingdom, that was renowned and respected for its democratic traditions and institutions, has become the laughing stock of the whole world. As women and men of faith, the most important thing we can do right now is pray that trust may be restored in our political system and institutions and that people of true integrity, as many already are, may be called to highest office.
Our Gospel passage today comes from Matthew, (Mt 10: 7-15), the instruction that Jesus gave to the Twelve as he sent them out to proclaim the truth of the Gospel and the coming of Jesus as Saviour. He said to them, “As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’”
If you remember last Sunday’s Gospel from Luke, there he sent our seventy-two disciples with similar words to these. Here Jesus is sending out the Twelve to share in his mission of proclaiming not simply the coming of the kingdom but that “the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” The kingdom, of course, is Jesus himself and where Jesus is, there is the kingdom. He asks the Twelve to focus on what is really important, which is the message, the proclamation of salvation in the Gospel of Jesus, and not their own needs and interests. It would be good for politicians, who are called and elected to serve the people, were to remember the words of Jesus to his Apostles: think of why you are here and not of yourself and your own interests. We, too, should always be aware of the teaching of Jesus and keep it in our daily lives.
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.
