Return to God

Each day we see a humanitarian crisis unfold in Europe, yet it has been heartening to witness the seeds of goodness within the darkness of despair; mothers and their babies being provided with food and shelter or strangers offering transportation to safer lands. Anyone who watches events on television can't fail to be horrified or saddened by what they see. Our initial response can be to feel helpless and worried, hoping some human action will suddenly improve the situation but we cannot force such outcomes. This story (as part of St James's News) reflects upon how our everyday prayer and beatitude can impact the lives of all those who suffer at the hands of injustice.

There is one Gospel account in Mark 9:14-25 that describes the boy who has an evil spirit. In the account, the boy's father has already pleaded with the disciples to heal his son but they have been unable to help him. The father perhaps lacks trust in God when he uses the words, "if you can do anything"? Jesus responds by telling the father that "Everything is possible to him that believes". Our Lord heals the boy, cautioning: "This kind can come out only by prayer".

While we watch terrible atrocities unfold on the internet, television news and social media, we also witness so much human endeavour, negotiation and intellect at the core of diplomatic and peaceful solutions but we rarely see prayer presented as the solution or as the deterrent of violence.

In her messages to the Fatima children (during 1917) Our Blessed Lady (Mary Mother of God) encouraged Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia to begin praying the Holy Rosary each day for an end to (what was then) the first world war. She also asked these children to pray for the conversion of the world indicating that each one of us has a crucial role to play in establishing peace within human hearts. Mary encourages us to return to the commandments of God and to live them out with the help of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit of such a return is global conversion and an opening of the closed door in William Holman Hunt's painting The Light of the World, allowing Christ to enter into our hearts and to establish reconciliation with God.

The meek

When Our Lord began His public ministry, His understanding of life appeared completely radical to the world. In our present day, the meek are neither valued nor respected. Ideological power and brute force appear the only tools of stability. Our world does not exult the humble, but the aggressive.

Our Lord wished to correct this warlike attitude. "But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other...do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute you" (Matthew 5:39). Warlike violence says that meekness is weakness but this ideology fails to grasp what Christian meekness really means. Meekness is not running away from trouble or being cowardice but being guided by what is righteous.

Violence begins when ego is attacked, self love is wounded and pride is humbled. Selfishness lies at the heart of all war, when the capitalist finds his pockets empty.

Jesus practised meekness. When men scorned Him, He brought the dead daughter of Jairus back to life; when Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, He addressed him as 'Friend'; when His haters and killers crucified Him, He forgave them all from the cross. His love is radical!

Ukrainian Caritas

In order to sustain the work of the two Ukrainian Caritas organisations, Caritas Internationalis has just launched an emergency appeal, which will allow to help about 13,000 people in different parts of the country and especially in critical areas such as Kramatorsk, Rubizhne, Zaporizhya, Volnovakha, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa and Ivano-Frankivk.

Vital support is provided especially to women and children. Caritas-Spes runs 22 small family homes throughout Ukraine and is providing safe transportation to its centres in western Ukraine for the children in their facilities and State centres in the eastern areas. Ukraine has one of the largest numbers of children in institutions in the world. Despite nearly 82% of thousands of children living in the State institutions having parents, at this moment, with the State focused on security issues, they have no one ensuring their own protection. Caritas Ukraine is also organising Child-Friendly Spaces where young children can engage in sports and recreational activities as a means of helping them cope with the psychological stress caused by the conflict.

Despite the precarious security situation and difficulties, Caritas continues its humanitarian work in Ukraine.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE CARITAS APPEAL

Return to GOD

^{PRAYER TO BEATITUDE
_{Story by David Boyle}}

^{_{Back to Stories >}}

^{_{Photos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 by Marcin Mazur while covering the Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in central London on Sunday 27 February. Photo 4 (Peace Dove) by Sunguk Kim. Photo 8 (Ukraine Flag) by Max Kukurudziak. Photos 9 to 11 by Marcin Mazur showing the Archbishop of Southwark visiting Polish volunteers in Balham gathering supplies for Ukrainian refugees. All scriptural references ©Jerusalem, Eyre & Spottiswoode}}