Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 5th October 2022
Abbot Paul • October 5, 2022
One of the things that fascinated the disciples about Jesus was his personal prayer life or inner life of prayer. It’s difficult to know how exactly to describe it. All four Evangelists tell us that he would seek places and periods of quiet solitude when he would pray, communicating with his heavenly Father in silent contemplation. Luke tells us, (Lk 11: 1-4), that it was after one such moment of prayer, which at times could last all night, that the disciples approached Jesus to ask a question. “Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” They could see him praying and were so acutely aware of the benefits he derived from such prayer, that they too wanted to pray as he did, but not only as he did. “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” This is the first we hear of John the Baptist teaching his disciples to pray. I wonder how John and his disciples did pray!
Jesus replies, making no allusion to John’s method of prayer, by teaching them a simple prayer, the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. You will notice that the form of it found in Luke differs somewhat and is shorter than that found in Matthew, where it occurs in the Sermon on the Mount. This is what we read in Luke.
“Father, may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”
Although shorter than Matthew’s Our Father that became the official version for the Church’s Liturgy and the personal devotion of all Christians, nevertheless it contains all that Matthew’s version contains. It remains in the plural form (we/us), yet God is the Father of all that exists and not just of believing Jews or Christians. We pray for the coming of the kingdom or reign of God, for all our needs, symbolised in the bread of life, and for forgiveness of sin, provided we forgive those who have sinned against us. And we ask not to be put to the test, we request deliverance from temptation that can cripple or destroy the soul. It might take extra effort, but why not learn this version of the Lord’s Prayer by heart and use it to pray with as an alternative to the better known one?
The photographs I attach today are of our monks in Peru restoring the Stations of the Cross from a Lima parish church in their restoration workshop.
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.
