WELCOME TO BELMONT ABBEY


It gives us great joy to welcome you to our website, as it would to our monastery.
We are a community of about 30 monks whose home is at Belmont, just outside Hereford  on the borders of England and Wales.
 Following the 6th century Rule of St Benedict, and under the guidance of the Abbot, we seek to live the ancient wisdom of the monastic life in a contemporary way so that as St Benedict says, "in all things, God may be glorified." The rhythm of each day is shaped  by the liturgy, our daily cycle of prayer and praise. Our work in the monastery includes the welcome of many guests and visitors, but our reach is much wider through our monks working in parishes and chaplaincies in Herefordshire and beyond, and as far away as Peru, our monastery at Lurin outside Lima. Through this website we hope to share with you something of the spirit of our monastic life and to remain in contact with our friends and supporters scattered throughout the world.

Sadly, Hedley Lodge, our guesthouse, is currently closed and will hopefully reopen after refurbishment in Summer 2024.

News & Events

News from Belmont Abbey


By Abbot Paul 28 Mar, 2024
​I apologise if this message is a little late today, but last night, rather like St Benedict, my twin sister St Scholastica prayed that heavy rain should detain me and Toby in Bromyard. In fact, it turned torrential, and the thought of driving back on flooded roads frightened us both. As a result, we passed the night in spiritual conversation with our hosts and returned safely this morning in daylight. “It was before the festival of Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.” St John begins his account of the Passion, which takes up a third of his gospel, with the washing of the disciples’ feet. It’s a living parable, in which Jesus demonstrates the true meaning of his life. Like all parables, it invites us to contemplate the mystery of Christ and what that means for us. The washing of the feet turns our understanding of God upside down, for the Master becomes a slave, showing his disciples that this is the only way in which they can follow him and become what God wants them to be. Jesus says to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.” The first thing that strikes us is the presence of Judas. The devil has already put it into his mind to betray Jesus, but he’s still there with the others at table, and Jesus washes his feet too. Jesus does not condemn us, but lavishly bestows his gifts on us, even when we plan to betray him. Judas learns nothing from the humility of Jesus. In despair, he will commit suicide, unable to accept that Jesus still loves him. Jesus gets up from the table, removes his outer garment, wraps a towel round his waist, pours water into a basin and begins to wash his disciples’ feet. This is something extraordinary, revolutionary. A Jewish servant might wash his master’s feet and those of his guests, but only a Roman slave would take off his outer garment and set about washing people’s feet in his tunic, a sort of undershirt. It wouldn’t happen in a Jewish household. Moreover, Jesus himself pours the water and that was woman’s work. His actions turn the world on its head. The disciples had never really understood what he was telling them about himself: would tonight be any different? When Jesus comes to Peter, there’s bound to be trouble. He’s a proud, outspoken man, never afraid to confront his Lord. “What? YOU wash MY feet? Lord, are you out of your mind?” St John Chrysostom tells us that the words express Peter’s love, but that it’s a defective love. It lacks the humility illustrated in what Jesus is doing. In Peter’s response we see pride and self-will, the very causes of sin, for which only the Cross of Jesus can atone. Peter still doesn’t understand. Jesus knows that, for the disciples, what he’s doing is bewildering, scandalous even. “At the moment you don’t know what I’m doing, but later you will understand.” Only after the Resurrection will they begin to understand that in the Church, the Body of Christ, there can be no room for those who refuse to be cleansed by his atoning death and washed clean in the blood of the Lamb and that communion with Christ depends on immersing ourselves in the great Sacrament of love, the Eucharistic sacrifice, with all its practical implications of mercy and charity. For now, their understanding fails them. Jesus tells them that their love, like his, must go beyond all limits. “If I, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet.” In Christ we are called to be ministers of the love of God in all patience and humility. Only through love can we die with Christ, so as to rise and live with him, and there can be no true love that does not involve sacrifice. It sounds banal, but Jesus came to show us that God loves each one of us and that he wants us to do the same. It’s as simple and as difficult as that!
By Abbot Paul 26 Mar, 2024
At the beginning of a new day we thank God for all his precious gifts, especially for is love and mercy. I don’t think I’ve seen such a glorious display of Spring flowers in Herefordshire for many years, or is it the thought of Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus? Holy or Great Wednesday is also known as Spy Wednesday, a reference perhaps to Judas, who, within the group of the Apostles. became a spy for the high priests, to whom he sold himself for thirty pieces of silver. What a sad end to come to. Today’s Gospel passage is from Matthew, (Mt 26: 14-25), and covers the same ground, more or less, as yesterday’s from John. ​“One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.” We begin with Judas and note that it was he who approached the chief priests, asking them for money to betray Jesus. I wonder what moved him to do that. Is there always one bad apple in a basket? Tragically, many sell themselves for less. Then come the preparations for the Passover. “Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.” Strange that we don’t know the name of the person who lent or rented the place where Jesus and his disciples gathered for the Passover meal. Where were the women who followed them everywhere and looked after their needs, those who stood near the cross and tended to his dead body? A lot is left unsaid. ​“When evening came, he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating, he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.” This account is similar to John’s, which we read yesterday, but here each in turn asks, “Is it I, Lord?” When it comes to Judas, he says, “Not I, Lord, surely?” implying that it cannot be him, but Jesus knows full well who it is. “They are your own words,” he replies. This makes for uncomfortable reading, for we are only too conscious of our own failures and shortcomings, if not outright betrayal, in our fidelity to Christ. What about the Judas in me? Can I find the honesty and the humility to recognise what needs profound forgiveness and a radical conversion in my life? Lord, have mercy on me and show me the way of life. Teach me to love and forgive as you do. Amen.
By Abbot Paul 25 Mar, 2024
​Last night I had the joy of taking part in an ecumenical celebration of the Stations of the Cross at St Joseph’s Church, Bromyard, where local Catholics were joined by their Anglican and Methodist brethren. It’s interesting to note that the Via Crucis has become a very popular devotion among Christians of all denominations. As we follow Jesus through his Passion, Death and Resurrection this Holy Week and Easter, most surely we will grow closer to him and become more like him, our loving Lord and Saviour, who gave his life for our salvation and that all people, without exception, might come to know him, who is the image of the living God. ​The Passion and Resurrection narrative in John takes up a third of his Gospel. Today, (Jn 13: 21-33; 36-38), we hear some of the discussion between Jesus and his disciples, two predictions or prophecies: that Judas would betray him and Peter deny him, two similar forms of infidelity to his friendship and love. “While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant.” They are conscious of the fact that anyone of them could possibly be the one who is to betray Jesus. We, too, know that we are capable of betraying Jesus. The disciples want to know who it is. “The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means,’ so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’” Jesus knows what Judas has in mind to do, which he why he offers him the piece of bread that has been dipped into the dish. Judas understands at that moment that Jesus is aware of his intentions and leaves. The other disciples fail to see what is going on and remain confused. “None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.” That short sentence, “Night had fallen,” indicates that the powers of evil are at work and appear to have the upper hand. The light of the world is about to be snuffed out. ​Yet, once Judas has gone, Jesus feels he can say: “Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, And, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.” In John, Jesus’ passion and death are his glorification for they lead to his glorious resurrection from the dead. Peter, however, is mystified. “Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’” Poor Peter, he wants to follow Jesus and lay down his life for him, but Jesus warns him that before the cock crows he will have disowned his Lord three times. How tragic this story would be, were it not for the fact that we know what lies ahead. Perhaps knowing that makes it even more tragic.
By Abbot Paul 24 Mar, 2024
​Yesterday, being Palm Sunday, was a busy yet thoroughly enjoyable and spiritually enriching and uplifting day, even if a little tiring, what with all the driving in addition to three celebrations of Mass with blessing of palms and reading of the Passion narrative. One way of relaxing for me is to drive up onto the Bromyard Downs, then take a short, brisk walk, admiring the breathtaking views of the town and surrounding countryside and breathing in pure, invigorating, God-given oxygen. What bliss, a taste of heaven! ​We read in today’s Gospel passage from John, (Jn 12: 1-11), that, “Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment.” Martha, Mary and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus and he loved them dearly, as they loved him. As Bethany was close to Jerusalem, where else would he go after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem? He needed to get away from the crowds, and yet wherever he went, the crowds followed. This was to be a Last Supper with his friends, but the presence of Lazarus at table was proof of the power of life over death and the ability of Jesus to bring life out of death. Mary’s act of anointing the feet of Jesus with pure nard is sheer extravagance: it would have taken a man’s wages for a whole year to buy that amount of the perfumed oil. This was the manifestation of a genuine love and she acted on behalf of the family. ​However, Judas intervenes: “Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’” His words are cynical as they are untrue. He has no interest in the poor. His only interest is to stuff his own pockets full of the money Jesus and his disciples have been given. John tells us that he was a thief and Jesus isn’t fooled. There are always poor people who need help and Judas has had plenty of opportunity to help them, but it’s only his envy at Mary’s generosity that has suddenly brought them to mind. Jesus links the anointing to his death and burial. Just as the house is now filled with the perfume, so the whole of God’s creation, and the Church in particular, will be filled with the perfume of forgiveness and salvation that will be the fruit of his death and resurrection. ​The raising of Lazarus from the tomb increased Jesus’ fame among the people, while fuelling the hatred the religious leaders in Jerusalem had for him. John tells us, “Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.” People were keen to see Jesus and curious, I should imagine, to see Lazarus. Wouldn’t you be? But the chief priests were intent on quelling this outbreak of religious fervour that verged, for them, on the seditious. They were afraid of upsetting the political status quo with the Romans. The only solution would be to do away with Lazarus as well as with Jesus. Plans were afoot to do this. ​Lord Jesus, grant us grace not to be afraid to follow you faithfully throughout our lives, to give you lovingly the very best of ourselves in the service of the poor and those in any need. Lord, we are yours: do with us as you see best. Amen.
By Abbot Paul 23 Mar, 2024
​I apologise for not publishing a message yesterday, my first failure in over four years! The truth is that I was dealing with a number of issues before going out to visit a friend that I clean forgot to send off the message I had already prepared. It was just one of those days. However, I did have a good evening with my friend and and excellent night’s sleep, which is unusual for me. Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. ​‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!’ We are struck on Palm Sunday by the stark contrast between the joyful exuberance of the blessing of palms and the bleak reality of the Mass that follows, centred on the Passion. That first Holy Week, the disciples were unprepared for what was to follow on from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. They hadn’t really understood the words of Jesus that he would suffer and die so as to enter fully into his glory. The same crowds, who welcomed him into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, would soon be shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Some would mock him saying, “He saved others, he cannot save himself,” little realising the truth concealed in their words, for on the cross Jesus didn’t need to save himself but he did save everyone else. ​Mark’s Gospel, short and succinct, contains a highly developed theology of the cross. More than Matthew, Luke or John, Mark emphasizes the abandonment of Jesus and how he faced his arrest, trial, condemnation, crucifixion and death alone. At Gethsemane, his disciples can’t fathom his fear and distress or understand the meaning of his words, “My soul is sorrowful to the point of death.” They fall asleep as he prays not to be put to the test, for “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” He goes on to die in total isolation and, after his death, it’s a centurion, a gentile, not one of the disciples, who acknowledges that, “Truly, this man was a son of God.” Only the women are there, but at a distance, frightened and confused. The glory of Jesus was to suffer and die for our salvation. Paul tells the Philippians that from the moment of his death on the cross, “all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and every tongue proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Christ’s Death and Resurrection are a great comfort to all who see in Jesus the image of the unseen God. In Christ’s Passion we derive great consolation as we often find our own cross hard to bear. It wasn’t easy for Jesus: it’s clear from Mark’s Passion narrative that he experienced human vulnerability, distress, fear, agitation and grief. He begged the Father that this hour might pass him by and the cup of suffering be taken from him. He was indeed, “a man like us in all things but sin.” ​Contemplating Our Lord’s Passion this week, let us thank him for his sacrifice of love that sets us free to love God and our neighbour. We pray that we too may give our lives as sacrifice, not thinking of ourselves and our own needs, but putting others first. Let us thank him for showing us the meaning of the mystery of life, that, by patiently taking up our own cross every day and following him, we may come to share in the glory of his Resurrection as we now share in his suffering and death. Amen.
By Abbot Paul 22 Mar, 2024
Abbot Paul's message will be back tomorrow. 😄
By Abbot Paul 21 Mar, 2024
When I was young, I often spent Holy Week and Easter with my grandmother in Italy. That was when school holidays coincided with Holy Week and Easter Week. I remember that today, the Friday before Palm Sunday, was the traditional day for celebrating Our Lady of Sorrows, the Addolorata. I loved following the procession through the streets of Perugia late into the night. This was when Holy Week really began, with the first great procession. Then, when Fr Luke, Fr David and I went out to Peru in 1981, we discovered that they had exactly the same traditions there for La Dolorosa and that tonight’s Mass and procession, followed by the whole town and lasting all night long, marked the beginning of ten days of endless processions and celebrations. Holy Week came to life. How I loved it all. ​In today’s Gospel passage from John, (Jn 10: 31-42), the crowds want to stone Jesus for blasphemy. “The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’” This is the charge, that he is only a man, yet claims to be God. Jesus reminds them of the words of the psalmist and tells them that scripture cannot be rejected. He goes on to say, ​​“You say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because he says, ‘I am the son of God.’ If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me; but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’” Jesus’ proof that he is the son of God, sent into this world, are the works he does, which are the works of God his Father. Even if you don’t want to believe in me, believe at least in the works I do and which you see with your own eyes, he tells them. From my works alone you can see that, “the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Whereas the religious leaders want to arrest him and have him put to death for blasphemy, the people see things differently. “He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.” They see in Jesus the words of John the Baptist fulfilled. They recognise him to be the Messiah, the Son of God. ​Lord, may the celebration of Holy Week strengthen our faith and fill us with grace to do our Father’s will and so continue the works you began while on earth. Amen.
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