|
|
||||||
|
It is very easy to be overwhelmed by the suffering and evil in the world. The media can give us a steady diet of disasters and tragedies, and we may wonder where God is in all this. The same situation faced the first Christians: they not only saw and experienced misery and oppression, but were also the targets of persecution. The vivid symbolic message of Revelation and the Gospel of Luke is clear: have patience! God is ultimately in charge, and although evil and suffering may exist now, they are temporary and passing. God does not will suffering but a new heaven and new earth in which His justice is firmly established, and we serve God by labouring for that just world. The message also reassures us. We are challenged each day to make a decision regarding whom we will serve, God or the world. We learn to be patient and not give in to negativity and despair at our own situation or that of others, but to be optimistic and to praise God in the midst of it all. Our God is a God of life, not death, and He wills life for us and for the world. This is the joyful and hopeful message we must proclaim in word and deed. Lord, help me to be a bearer of hope today. |
|
- END -
P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That the celebration of the Jubilee may become the source of a new commitment in men and women of good will to protect and promote human life.
|
|
In the threshold of the year 2001, it is our duty to renew our commitment to safeguarding the dignity of the poor and marginalised and to recognise in a practical way the rights of those who have no rights. This is the spirit of the new millennium which presupposes the following: The basic right to life which is inviolable which involves a positive choice for life. The development of a culture of this kind embraces all the circumstances of life and ensures the promotion of human dignity in every situation. Recent developments in the field of genetic engineering present a profoundly disquieting challenge. In order that scientific research in this area may be at the service of the person, it must be accompanied at every stage by careful ethical reflection, which will bring about adequate legal norms safeguarding the integrity of human life. Life can never be downgraded to the level of a thing. To choose life involves rejecting every form of violence. In every circumstance, the right to life must be promoted and safeguarded with appropriate legal and political guarantees. Let us raise our voices on their behalf. | |
|
- END - | |