Towards Our Real Home
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the last Sunday of the Commemoration Sundays we remember the faithful departed as we prepare ourselves to start our journey into the Great Lent. On this day, our Church
celebrates the commemoration of the faithful departed, urging us to pray for our dead and all the dead with whom we are bound by the spiritual bond of communion. Through prayer, we connect with them. The prayer is the bridge that connects the Earthly Church with the Heavenly Church, and upon which God’s mercy for them and for us runs.
The commemoration is not for the dead only, bug also for us, as we remember on this day and throughout the whole week that we are walking, in our turn, towards our real home, the Kingdom of Heaven where Jesus has prepared for us many dwellings.
To reach the Kingdom we need to move towards it now and hence, not waiting until we depart from this world. This is a truth of faith which Saint Paul confirms for us today in his letter, enlightening our hearts on the need to be always ready through watchfulness, faith and active love. We are the “children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.” (1 Thess. 5: 5). Thus we should remain ready “and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thess. 5: 8).
Saint Luke stresses in his Gospel today on the need to walk towards the Kingdom through good deeds, citing the example of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31). The rich man forgot the spiritual communion he should have had with Lazarus, ignoring him and leaving him to his misery right at his gate. When he departed from this world, the rich man remembered that spiritual bond and asked Abraham to send Lazarus to help him, but it was too late.
Through our constant readiness we activate our watchfulness and we proclaim our faith in the risen Jesus, the Lord of life and hope. The main purpose for our readiness is to be longing for a union with the Lord in the Kingdom. Are we truly ready to meet the heavenly groom?
Our parish moves in firm steps towards the Kingdom of Heaven by being watchful and serving untiringly. The Parish Council held its first meeting for the year with the presence of 30 people representing 24 committees in the Parish. the Council discussed ways to coordinate and plan for the pastoral, spiritual and social work in the parish. I would like to thank all the Council members for their dedication. Hand in hand, together we build the House of God, in stones and in people.
On Thursday, our parish will rejoice in the Holy Spirit as its own son, subdeacon Charbel Dib, is elevated to the deaconate. May his service in the field of the Lord be blessed. This is an invitation to you all to participate in this joy through a celebratory mass on Thursday 28 February, at 6.00 pm.
I would like to remind you about the mass which we will celebrate at the Rookwood Cemetery, Saint Michael Chapel for the repose of the souls of our departed on the occasion of the faithful departed week. The prayer of the community is unity, unification and peace. We pray as one for all our departed in faith full of hope and life.
Grant us Lord to well prepare for your coming in watchfulness and prayer, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, so we are worth of your eternal joy.
