Post date: Sep 13, 2013 11:42:05 AM
Pope Francis has asked everyone to pray for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria. During the Holy Hour at Our Lady’s Church on 7th September, we listened to these words taken from a homily given by Blessed John Paul II when he visited Coventry in 1982.
“Like a cathedral, peace has to be constructed, patiently and with unshakable faith. Wherever the strong exploit the weak; wherever the rich take advantage of the poor; wherever great powers seek to dominate and to impose ideologies, there the work of making peace is undone; there the cathedral of peace is again destroyed. Today the scale and horror of modern warfare ... makes it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between nations. War should belong to the tragic past, to history: it should find no place on humanity’s agenda for the future....
The cathedral of peace is built of many small stones. Each person has to become a stone in that beautiful edifice. All people must deliberately and resolutely commit themselves to the pursuit of peace. Mistrust and division between nations begin in the heart of individuals. Work for peace starts when we listen to the urgent call of Christ: Repent and believe the Gospel. We must turn from domination to service; we must turn from violence to peace; we must turn from ourselves to Christ, who alone can give us a new heart, a new understanding....Faith in Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, will bring us into the way of peace.
We are living stones in the cathedral of peace. Indeed we are called by God to be instruments of his peace.”
If you plan to be at 10 am Mass next Saturday, 21st September, why not join the Year of Faith group in the church hall, from 10.45 am to 12 noon? You do not need to have attended any previous sessions. Everyone is welcome. Bishop Malcolm’s themes for August and September are: Catholic Social Teaching and the 10 Commandments.
YEAR OF FAITH GROUP: If you plan to be at 10am Mass next Saturday, 21st September, why not join the Year of Faith group in the church hall, from 10.45am to 12noon? You do not need to have attended any previous sessions. Everyone is welcome. Bishop Malcolm’s themes for August and September are: Catholic Social Teaching and the 10 Commandments.