Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 14th March 2023
Abbot Paul • March 14, 2023
The days are rushing by quickly and the nights seem shorter than ever. I usually wake around 3am and spend time in personal prayer and sorting out emails before going down the church for Vigils. Today is my last full day in Peru, as, God willing, I will be leaving Lima on Wednesday evening. Yesterday our bishop was coming to see me, but at the last minute he was summoned to the Bishops’ Conference for an emergency meeting on the current political problems in Peru and the flood disaster in the north of the country. I was asked to visit a friend of the monastery and her son to pray with them. It was a delightful visit and, as you know by now, Peruvians take prayer very seriously, so it was also hard work. The lady has a wonderful collection of orchids, a particular passion of mine, so I hope to include a few photographs. I was so exhausted by the form of prayer, that also includes exorcism, that I slept all the way back to the monastery, a 90 minute journey.
Our Gospel today comes from Matthew, (Mt 18: 21-32), and is about forgiveness, which is not only one of the great themes of Lent, but one of the main tenets of the Christian faith. When Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive a brother who wrongs him, suggesting that seven times might be the right number, Jesus tells him, “Not seven, but seventy seven times.” This number can also be translated as “seventy times seven.” In other words, a disciple, a Christian, should be disposed always to forgive, even before he has been wronged. There is only one way for a Christian and that is to forgive “from the heart.”
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.
