Message from our Community Director – May 2020
Greetings my dear Sisters and Brothers
“The Lord of hosts is with us
The God of Jacob is our stronghold”
This verse of Psalm 46 sings in my heart as a mantra during these pandemic times. Indeed, our God is with us His people.
As the world, including TnT, prepares for a slow releasing of the pandemic lockdown, we should expect a resurgence of joy within as we thank God for sparing us the spike in infections that was possible. However, our hearts go out to those families who have lost loved ones to the virus and for those who are still suffering all over our world separated from their families. The pain of losing a loved one and not being able to have a member of the family sit at their bedside, (as is normal in this pandemic) must be so heart wrenching. Unfortunately, this is followed by the pain of no closure and the comfort of a funeral service as is customary to lay to rest a family member. We cannot deny this experience must be one of great pain. We pray for all those who have suffered in this way. May they know and experience the love and grace of our loving Father.
We may be looking forward to the easing of the lockdown but, we know that all is not over and we now have to learn to live in a pandemic world and for some time to come, maybe a year or more. Not an easy task for us at all. The WHO and our Government will continue to guide us through this time but, it will be left for us as responsible citizens to listen and put into practice the protocols required. It’s going to take a lot of determination and commitment to live this way. But we can do it…we will overcome.
Now, this is one aspect of the pandemic, the other being the economic downturn affecting us all but, especially the most vulnerable in our societies. We have been overwhelmed by the hunger of our people. Heartbreaking. At the same time, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity and concern of our more fortunate sisters and brothers and their willingness to share their time, talent and treasure to assist in this crisis in our nation. This is Christian Stewardship in action. What joy fills my heart these days as I experience the civilization of love being played out in real time. God is doing something so special in our world.
We pray that the river of life will not flow in the same direction again after this pandemic tsunami but, in new and beautiful ways after God’s own heart.
This is the time for the Church in The Modern World to come alive in witnessing the loving and healing presence of God to his people.
I would like to end with one of my favorite quotes from the Second Vatican Council documents:
“The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well.”
May our beautiful nation and our beautiful world see a new day in the people of God building the civilization of love…
Love and prayers in the hearts of Jesus and Mary……Rhonda