Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 7th March 2023
Abbot Paul • March 7, 2023
Yesterday was a good day and just what I needed. The community here have a monthly retreat day on the first Monday of each month. It’s a day of complete silence apart from morning and evening prayer and Mass. Meals and mealtimes are optional and the short daytime offices said privately. There’s a short conference at 9am and a priest comes in from outside, so the monks can go to confession. It’s a peaceful and relaxed day when people can just rest in the Lord. I wish we had something similar at Belmont. I often long for more silence and the opportunity for extended periods of prayer.
Our Gospel passage today comes from Matthew, (Mt 23: 1-12), but not from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus, addressing the people as well as his disciples, criticises the scribes and Pharisees for being unfaithful to their own strict teaching with which they burden ordinary folk. Jesus says, “Do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.” He criticises their hypocrisy and unwillingness to reduce the unnecessary burden of the Law on ordinary, faithful Jews. He also comments on their pride and love of recognition and adulation. He tells his disciples not to affect titles and honours, but rather to act humbly and with integrity. We need to take these words to heart today, recognising God to be our only Father and Christ our only teacher and master.
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.
