✝️Faith and Mission

Prayer Our First Concern

by Fr Henri Nouwen

Prayer requires that we stand in God’s presence with open hands, naked and vulnerable, proclaiming to ourselves and to others that without God we can do nothing. This is difficult in a climate where the predominant counsel is “Do your best and God will do the rest.” When life is divided into “our best” and “God’s rest,” we have turned prayer into a last resort to be used only when all our resources are depleted. Then even the Lord has become the victim of our impatience. Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function ourselves. On the contrary, it means to recognize that we can do nothing at all, but that God can do everything through us. As disciples, we find not some but all of our strength, hope, courage, and confidence in God. Therefore, prayer must be our first concern.

Let us pray to our compassionate God for Pope Francis in his time of need.

Let Us Welcome the Season of Lent

On the 13 March we celebrate the anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. Since his election during Lent of 2013, Pope Francis has had a lot to say, and much of it has been a challenge to our ordinary ways of thinking and acting. His most challenging words, however, echo those of Jesus himself, the One who asks that we love God first and then love our neighbors as ourselves.

In 2017 Pope Francis reminded us that Lent is a time to reflect upon our lives and undertake personal renewal.

Fast from hurtful words and speak kind words.

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger and be filled with patience.

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries and have trust in God.

Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

Fast from words and be silent so that you can listen.

Damian Wallis

Director of Faith and Mission