Dear friends in Christ
The first reading of Holy Mass this Sunday tells us of David's escape from King Saul. Even though David could have retaliated and killed Saul while he slept, David chose the more arduous path and preferred to preserve Saul’s life. David’s behaviour on this and other occasions demonstrates his greatness of soul. His largeness of spirit won for him first the admiration and then the friendship of his most bitter enemy, and also of the people. Above all, it won for him the friendship of God. The Gospel also invites us to be magnanimous, to have a big heart, like the Heart of Jesus. He exhorts us to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who persecute us. It calls upon us to do good without expecting anything in return, to be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful. This is one of the basic tenets of this Jubilee Year of Hope: the merciful Father awaits us, above all in the Sacrament of Divine Mercy—Confession and Reconciliation. One of the best ways that we could live and celebrate this Jubilee Year would be to return to the Sacrament of Confession. Lent is fast approaching, and so too is our Parish Mission in the second week of Lent. My prayer is that each one of us will be able to experience the merciful and magnanimous Heart of God the Father in this beautiful Sacrament of Mercy. As we prepare for Lent and the Mission, I ask you to each make an examination of life. Try to encourage someone who has strayed, to return to Holy Mass and the Sacraments. Above all, be a conduit of mercy in the way we live our relationships with those around us. St Teresa of Avila, in her characteristically direct manner writes: Do not be like those good souls who, even if they lead a life of prayer, stay anchored to the ground like toads content with catching lizards, instead of soaring toward God. Do not let your soul and spirit shrink, for you may lose many benefits…Do not let your soul hide in a corner, because then instead of striving for sanctity you will simply come up with other imperfections, and many more of them (Way of perfection, 72.1).
This week we mark the third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. I shall be at the Prayer Vigil on Monday morning in the Ukrainian Cathedral in London which will be attended by London Church Leaders. For these last three years we have prayed at every Sunday Mass for lasting peace in Ukraine and I stated at the start of the conflict that we would continue to do so until there is permanent peace. We also invoke the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, each day at the end of Mass with this intention in mind. Please redouble your prayers for peace at this crucial time.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale