Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 17th May 2023
Abbot Paul • May 16, 2023
Meetings, meetings, meetings! I’ve never been a meetings man, so any meeting is a taste of purgatory for me. Now I accept they can be important and that necessary decisions have to be made that affect our lives as well as the lives of others, but I just wish I didn’t have to take part in the meetings myself. Monday night it was Churches Together, last night the Parish Council and tonight the Fete Committee. Still, following on from last night’s meeting, and after speaking with my mother, I did have the joy of walking with Toby and Fr Alex in the cemetery and the monastery garden. I’ll attach a few photographs.
Our short Gospel passage for the eve of the Ascension completes the text we were reading from John yesterday, (Jn 16: 12-15).
“I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.”
Jesus is aware that his time with the disciples is coming to an end. Now the interesting thing about the Farewell Discourse is that, although given at the Last Supper before his Passion, Death and Resurrection, it could equally have been given in preparation for his Ascension and return to the Father. There is only so much the disciples can take in and understand, just like ourselves, but when they receive the Spirit of truth, the Spirit will lead them into the complete truth and they will understand at last what Jesus has been telling them. Just as Christ and the Father are one, so Christ and the Spirit are one and what the Spirit teaches will be the words and teaching of Christ himself. The Spirit of truth will speak for the Father and the Son, for God is One and his teaching is one.
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.
