Message from our Regional Director – July 2020

Dear Sisters and Brothers

It is not easy to understand and believe that in a short time the world in which we live is almost not recognizable….lots of changes, and we hear coming at us from all sides “the new normal”.  We are trying to grasp a way out and a place that is peaceful and secure but nothing is secure except for the promises of Our God.  Faith tells us that all things work for good for those who love God.  At this time we are inspired to practice a deep faith that will enable us to find meaning and blessings beneath the confusion and insecurities.

What can we gain from the experiences of the past weeks of Covid-19?  Simply one lesson – God is with us, God is with His people and will not abandon us. It seems as if He is asleep in the boat and the tempest of Covid-19, with the economic decline, various protests, uprisings for justice, and above all the indelible face of the poor becomes obvious and God seems to be sleeping.  No, He is God and He will bring this stormy time to a calm….the hurricane and tempestuous waters to a whisper.

The insights we received during this time are valuable – the fragility of the human being, that the virus has no respect for persons rich and poor, professionals and non-professionals, young and old, and coming out of this we recognize every person as a child of God, deserving of care and love.  This was brought out by the dedication of the frontline workers who gave their lives so that others could be taken care of.  A call to “Agape”:

• The gift of seeing the plight of the poor and having their faces before us as the vulnerable Christ in our midst – “If you give a cup of water you give it to me” (Matthew 10:42).
• The gift of seeing so many put down their own task to help with feeding and comforting the needy, early mornings and long lines of people.
• The gift of using the technology for communicating and keeping in touch while we kept our social distance. We thank God for the journey we made with our Archbishop Jason Gordon and Trinity TV that so generously made it available.
• What a gift – new forms of Church as we seek to develop the domestic Church.
• Gifts and blessings even in the ‘stay home’ – the time to cultivate a kitchen

garden; the artist was able to take up the brush and the writer to write again – poetry, prose.  At one family home there was a lot of dressmaking and the designing of face masks.

Well, we could go on and on in gratitude and thanksgiving to Our God and Lord.  In the face of all that we are experiencing God is making His presence felt “fear not I am with you”.

Thanks be to God that our churches are open again and we are able to receive the Body of Christ. Our hunger and thirst for God is being satisfied. We hear the invitation of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)

May God continue to bless each one of you as you continue to trust and hope in this time of darkness. Let the Month of July be a time of hope and confidence in God……….Rose