Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 17th October 2023
Abbot Paul • October 16, 2023
Yesterday was a very special day for the Belmont Community, as Bishop Mark celebrated his 90th birthday and we also gave thanks to God for the 70th anniversary of his Monastic Profession, which took place on 29th September 1953. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, a close friend of Bishop Mark, our own Archbishop Mark O’Toole, retired Archbishop George Stack, the successor to Bishop Mark at Menevia, Bishop Tom Burns, Abbot Nicholas Wetz, and a number of Bishop Mark’s friends came together with oblates and parishioners for the festal Mass of Thanksgiving. It was a wonderfully uplifting celebration, one to remember, and we thank God for the precious gift he has given our community and the Church in this land in the person of Bishop Mark.
Today we keep the feast of one of the most attractive saints in the Church’s calendar, St Ignatius of Antioch, the 2nd century bishop and martyr, who wrote a series of letters to various churches as he journeyed through Asia Minor towards Greece and Rome, where he was martyred for his faith. He is an important link between the age of the Apostles and the Early Church. The content of his letters cannot be underestimated nor his importance as a witness to subapostolic Church life and belief. He is also a saint that all Christians recognise and accept to be a Father of the Faith.
Today’s short Gospel passage from Luke (Lk 11: 37-41) provides a good example of what needs to change radically in our world. “A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal.” Jesus did this on purpose for he knew how the Pharisee would react. It wasn’t hygiene that the Pharisee was interested in, but adherence to the Law, to custom or tradition, we might say. Jesus explains, “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.” Appearances, hypocrisy and corruption are prevalent in our world, even in our own society. “Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too?” says Jesus. None of the world’s problems will be solved unless human beings experience a radical conversion and change of heart and mind, but you have to want that to start with, otherwise things will stay the same or get much worse. Humanity is at the crossroads of life and death. The Covid pandemic, climate change and the wars in Ukraine and in the Holy Land have made that dramatically clear. Will it really have any effect on the way we think or on the way we live? Pope Francis said of the pandemic, and his words are worth repeating, “The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realisation of our own limitations, brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organisation of our societies, and, above all, the meaning of our existence.”
Abbot Brendan Reflects on Pope Leo's words to the Benedictines worldwide
July and August 2026: 3 workshops let by Fr Alex Echeandia, Prior of the Monastery of Lurin
9th to 11th January 2026 A weekend for young men to experience the monastic life and join in the prayer and life of the community.
28th November at 6.45pm You are welcome to join an informal service for healing prayer on the last Friday of November. No need to book.
Sat 13th December, 10.00am-12.30am We are delighted that the acclaimed Cistercian writer, Fr Michael Casey will be with us in December.
Monday 1st to Thursday 4th December 2025. Our first Advent retreat in our newly opened guesthouse
Good Shepherd, Good Priest “I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed; I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” Those words, spoken by the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel, describe the heart of God, the Good Shepherd — but they also describe the life and ministry of a good monk and priest. They could well be written of Fr Stephen’s years of service as a pastor in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford, and Weobley. In each of those places, he shared in the Shepherd’s work: seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, strengthening the weary, and leading God’s people with quiet faithfulness. And like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came close to his people, Fr Stephen did not serve from a distance. He knew his people; he was among them. He shared their sorrows and their joys, their hopes and their disappointments. He bore their burdens with prayer and patience he brought the joy of the Gospel and the grace of the Sacraments. His mission amongst us is complete. He has served God’s good purpose. So today we ask Christ the Good Shepherd to take Stephen on his sacred shoulders and carry him home to the house of the Father. Bind up his wounds, give him eternal rest and lead him at last to the green pastures and still waters of eternal life.
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.