Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday - 22nd May 2024
Abbot Paul • May 21, 2024
​Tomorrow I will be travelling to Thessaloniki, Greece, to visit old friends for a few days. As a student in the mid 1960s I studied at the university in that wonderful city and have never lost the love I have both for the city and its people. I will endeavour to send a message each day, as I have done in the past, but that will depend on circumstances and commitments. Be assured of my prayers for you as I follow in the footsteps of St Paul.​
​Our short Gospel passage today comes from Mark, (Mk 9: 38-40), in which John tells Jesus about something the disciples saw during the mission they had been sent on. “John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us, we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’” He talks of a “man who was not one of us”, but who was this man and who had given him the power of healing in the name of Jesus? There is no indication of his identity, but there is evidence in the Gospels that Jesus had many disciples, some of them cryptic disciples for fear of the Jewish or Roman authorities. Cleopas and his companion, for example, are only mentioned in the account of that Easter encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. The disciples are vexed to find others casting out devils in Jesus’ name, but Jesus himself is much more relaxed about it. He replies that anyone who is an enemy would hardly be casting out demons in his name or speaking ill of him. He concludes with the maxim, “Anyone who is not against us is for us.” Perhaps we could remember that when we meet Christians of other traditions and learn to accept those who preach or heal in the name of Jesus, although they might not be of our particular denomination. Sometimes there is rivalry and worse even among those who are of the same ecclesial body. Today’s Gospel invites us to pray for unity and charity among Christians of the same Church as well as between Christians of different communions.
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.
