Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 5th December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 4, 2023
Yesterday and today the Belmont Community is holding its Annual Conventual Chapter, when together the monks review the year’s work and its daily life, whether at Belmont, in Peru or on our parishes. We also look at important aspects of our life such as safeguarding, pastoral outreach and finances. When you read this short message, we’ll probably be looking at last year’s accounts with our auditors or perhaps studying our investment policy to see whether it follows the Church’s teaching in the recent document to come from Rome, Mensuram Bonam. No doubt there will be a number of monks with headaches in the room after the morning’s session.
Today’s Gospel passage comes from Luke (Lk 10: 21-24). It begins with a prayer of thanksgiving that Jesus addresses to his heavenly Father. Luke tells us that Jesus is, “filled with joy by the Holy Spirit.” In this short phrase, we find two central themes of Luke’s Gospel, joy and the Holy Spirit, who is the source of our joy. “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do.” Jesus always begins his prayers to the Father with blessing and thanksgiving, a model of prayer for us. The mysteries of the kingdom are revealed in Jesus to those who follow him and open their hearts to God’s grace. We are those “mere children” and in Jesus we can see and know the living God.
​​In private, Jesus says to his disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.” We, like the disciples, see and hear what the prophets and kings of Israel longed to see and hear. We can see this clearly in the Prophet Isaiah, whose writings we read in Advent. Today’s Mass is no exception. If you have a Daily Missal, then do read carefully Isaiah 11: 1-10. You will recognise the text, it’s so beautiful and well-known. It begins, “A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
​​Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we thank you for revealing yourself to us in your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. May we come to know and love you more deeply and more surely this Advent. Amen
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
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.
