Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 25th July 2023
Abbot Paul • July 25, 2023
I had the great privilege, about 15 years’ ago, to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela on pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint James the Apostle. On my many visits to northern Spain, I have also covered a good number of the sections of the famous Camino, which is so rich in historic churches, castles, towns and villages. It’s a part of the world, unique for its beauty, history and spirituality. Today, 25th July, the universal Church celebrates the feast of Saint James the Apostle, one of the sons of Zebedee. He is not to be confused with the leader of the early Church in Jerusalem, ‘James the brother of the Lord.’ (Ἰάκωβος ὁ Ἀδελφόθεος), possibly a son of Joseph by an earlier marriage and thought to have been martyred around the year 69. Today’s Gospel is about an incident related in the Gospels concerning James and his brother John, but it's their mother who speaks up for them, not their father!
We read from Matthew, (Mt 20: 20-28).
“The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
When the other ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Mothers can be embarrassing, especially when they come asking favours for their sons as did “the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” Jesus tells her straight, “You do not know what you are asking.” She must be out of her mind to ask such a favour. We hear no more of their mother, for Jesus now addresses her sons. When they say that they are prepared to drink the chalice that he is about to drink, the chalice of martyrdom and death, he tells them that drink it they can and they will, but seats at his right hand and left in the kingdom are not his to give. This privilege belongs to his Father alone. The other ten might well have been indignant, but would not their mothers have asked the same? What mother doesn’t want the best opportunities in life for her children? In response, Jesus has sound teaching for all twelve apostles. “Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave.” The lesson is one of humility and service. Such attitudes and forms of behaviour will lead to places of honour, as it were, in the kingdom of heaven, yet in heaven we will all be equally close to God and no one will be far from his heart and loving embrace. The punch line comes when Jesus speaks of himself. They must become like him, for “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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.
