Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 21st June
Abbot Paul • June 21, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 21st June 2022
Yet again I find myself sitting down late at night to write this daily message and after a very long day. In the morning, I was overjoyed to collect my mother from the nursing home where she had enjoyed three days’ respite care and took her home to continue convalescing in the peace and quiet of her own home and garden. I hope and pray that she won’t be tempted to overdo things too soon. The next week is so busy that I can’t see myself being free to visit her. Still help is at hand should she need it, but for that she will have to lay aside some of her pride and independent spirit, not an easy task.
After a simple lunch, I drove back to Belmont just in time to change and collect a few things from the sacristy to set off, driven this time by one of the brethren, to Kidderminster to preside at a Mass of Thanksgiving for the 40th anniversary of the priestly ordination of the parish priest, Fr Douglas Lamb, a friend of Belmont. It was a wonderful celebration, the church was packed, there were many concelebrants, the singing was beautiful and a sumptuous buffet followed. We then drove back via Tenbury Wells and Bromyard and arrived at Belmont at 10.30, still enjoying the warm light of the longest evening of the year.
Our short Gospel passage for today still finds us with Matthew, (Mt 7: 6, 12-14), in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus speaks to his disciples about the treatment of others. “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” His words speak for themselves and need no explanation. Our prayer is that we be given the grace always to do what he asks of us, to treat others with the greatest respect in a spirit of charity, rectitude and truthfulness. He continues by saying, “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Whereas the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious and so easily found and taken, the road that leads to life, to God himself, is hard and narrow and demands an exhaustive search in order to be found. Few bother looking for it and so fail to find it, having no alternative than to take the other road, that leads sadly to perdition. We are invited by Jesus to search for God, as St Benedict describes the very purpose of life. That is why we are here, why we have been given the gift of live, to search for God and, by his mercy and love, to find him and, in him, to find life.
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.
