“May the season of Lent in this Jubilee year be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy.” (Pope Francis)
CCSJ urges readers to reflect on Pope Francis’ 2016 Lenten Message. His theme this year is: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice (Matthew 9:13) – The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee.
It is divided into three parts:
1. Mary, the image of a Church which evangelises because she is evangelised.
2. God’s covenant with humanity: a history of mercy.
3. The works of mercy.
Over the next two days we will see the culmination of weeks of feting during the 2016 Carnival season. Once again, CCSJ urges citizens and visitors to enjoy themselves during Carnival without abandoning self-control and modesty in dress and behaviour.
In 2011, CCSJ established a Standing Committee to focus on the Pastoral Priority: Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of our Society. It was chaired by Prof Surindra Arjoon. Members included then Msgr Jason Gordon (now Bishop Gordon), the late Fr Henry Charles, Sr Roberta O’Flaherty CHF, Annette des Iles, Ramona Khan, Ruth Saunders, Maria Diaz-James, the late Clive Belgrave, and me. Our work was informed by Msgr Jason’s paper: “T&T in crisis: A discussion starter.”
“Embrace, be amazed by God’s great gift of children…Children are a gift. Do you understand? Children are a gift! Each is unique and each is unrepeatable; and yet unmistakably tied to his or her roots… A child is a child: a life created by us but destined for him, for his good, the good of the family, society, humanity…In the soul of every child, no matter how vulnerable, God puts the seal of this love, which is the basis of his or her personal dignity, a dignity that nothing and no one can destroy…We must know how to recognise a child’s worth…let us thank God for the gift of children” (Pope Francis)
Do we recognise the worth, the inherent dignity of our children? The nation was horrified by the recent news that a 14-month-old baby girl was sexually abused, allegedly by the 20-year-old boyfriend of the child’s mother. Both he and a 48-year-old man are being questioned by the police after the child’s grandmother noticed, while bathing the child, redness and swelling near the child’s private part. She reported her observations.
Recently, I visited Westminster Cathedral in London. As I stood before the Door of Mercy, I reflected on the words contained in today’s Gospel – words that should form our breastplate prayer: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To let the oppressed go free, and
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4: 18 -19).
Jesus himself was the fulfillment of these words which He quoted from Isaiah’s prophecy. Today, we are the Body of Christ in the world and each of us must strive to live our faith by acting on the biblical mandate given to us in Luke above.
