A bruised reed he will not break
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is very easy to become intolerant of the world and its affairs, even indifferent, when we are safely hidden inside our own homes and busy with our own lives. Today, Jesus shows us that He too was faced with so much negativity and lack of compassion, but nothing could take away the love and care that remained in His Sacred Heart for all. “A bruised reed he will not break…” – there is so much ten-derness in that small phrase if we meditate on what it means. In His Love and Mercy, Our loving God treats every fragile, broken heart with gentleness and for-giveness. He does not want to bring more sadness and grief upon anyone, especially upon those who already suffer from lack of faith and hope. He is the hope of all the hopeless, the strength of all the weak, and courage of all who fear.
We must continue to trust and to hope in Him, but we must also act on that faith that we hold, and continue to share it with others. Prayer is our weapon, and our protection, but as Catholics we must also speak out against evil and oppression. The nations that put their hope in Jesus will not be disappointed, and hope itself will give us the courage to stand up and defend our faith and our Church. And this Sunday, as we celebrate the Feast of the Massabki Brothers (Maronite Martyrs), we look to them as examples of defenders of the faith.
With great faith and hope, our family at OLOL Co-Cathedral has been united in our efforts with preparing for the many activities being presented this month, including the play “Beauty and the Beast” which the team of young Fersen have organised. I hope that we can show our support for them by attending, and inviting family and friends also to attend.
I leave you this week with another extract from Laudato si’… “Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and good-ness. ‘Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker’ (Wis 13:5); indeed, ‘his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world’ (Rom 1:20).” May God bless you and your families in abundance.
Fr Tony Sarkis
