Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 26th July
Abbot Paul • July 26, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 26th July 2022
On both websites you can read a full report on the official reopening of the Abbey Bookshop, admirably organised by Fr James, that took place yesterday afternoon. The children’s author, Madeleine Carroll, was the guest of honour and she was accompanied by her husband Connor and delightful six children. We congratulate Fr James and our shop volunteers for the admirable work they are doing to help those searching for books, cards and a vast selection of objects of piety, that will help them and others grow in faith. You can also purchase some of these items online.
Today is the feast of the grandparents of Jesus and parents of Our Lady, St Joachim and St Anne. It’s also my mother’s name’s day as she is called Anna Maria, still a very popular name in Italy even today. They won’t be found in the Gospels, but rather in the Apocryphal Gospel of James. Devotion to both these saints is early in the East as in the West, bur grew in the Middle Ages, especially when interest in the historic Jesus and Mary increased with Franciscan spirituality. Children in all cultures adore their grandparents; how could Jesus not love his own, and Mary her parents? The Gospel passage for the feast is brief indeed, just one of the sayings of Jesus, as found in Matthew, (Mt 13: 16-17), which Jesus addresses to his disciples.
“Blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.” We address these words to Joachim and Anne, who were blessed indeed to see and hear what the prophets had longed to see and hear. By extension, we are blessed like them, for though faith we believe that we see Jesus in the Eucharist and in all the sacraments, and in the love that Christians have for one another. We believe that we hear his voice in the scriptures and in the teaching of the Church, as well as in prayer, where Jesus speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.
Today we pray for our grandparents living and dead and thank the Lord for the witness of faith they gave us.
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.
