Prayerful Silence
Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We continue this week with the second announcement in this joyous season, the Announcement to Mary. Mary was greeted by an angel and told, ‘The Lord is with you . . . do not be afraid’. Mary was fully present to God, silently waiting for Him to act in her life. She was not afraid, and entirely opened her heart to him and to his will for her. However, as trusting as she was, Mary took the time to ponder on Gabriel’s words, question and then finally accept. In her silence, Mary didn’t just blindly accept! In contrast to Zechariah, Mary’s silence up until her encounter with Gabriel gave her the time and space to allow God to work in her life so that she could fully accept what he had planned for her. Zechariah only discovered this after he was forced to be silent. We have so much to learn from Mary whose prayerful silence allowed her to discern the will of God in her life. Are we able to discern the will of God in our lives with all the noise and calamity that engulfs us?
Today we conclude our journey in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. This year has truly allowed us to ponder on Mercy in our personal lives and in our parish community. Mercy is not just a concept or a value, it is a way of life. Mercy is more than feelings or emotions that are expressed in tangible ways. Mercy is a definition of the relationship that God wants to have with us and that we must have with one-another. In our parish, it was not a coincidence that we established our Merciful Committee Heaven on Earth in this Jubilee Year. The team from Heaven on Earth led by Subdeacon Robert Albayeh travelled to Fiji on Thursday to activate this Mercy in the lives of the poor and marginalised of this country. Pope Francis teaches us that “we need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy”. As we close the Door of Mercy in this Jubilee Year, let us pray that we will continue to be open to the door of God’s mercy in our lives and truly activate it. In this way, we will truly be Merciful as the Father is Merciful.
On a parish note 35 children and leaders last Sunday consecrated themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Fersen Al Adra or Knights of Mary. Over 50 others renewed this vow also. A knight is honoured by a King or a Queen because they have been a good and trustworthy soldier. They are given this honour because they have promised to be upright and virtuous citizens who will defend their beliefs. Our parish is very blessed to have so many people who are willing to devote their lives to our heavenly Mother. On behalf of my brother priests and our parishioners, I would like to congratulate you all. Congratulations also to Father Youhanna Khalife and to the Fersen leaders who are doing a remarkable job. May the prayers of the Immaculate Heart of Mary be with you.
Father Tony Sarkis
