Inspiring hope

Commenting on the persecution of Christians by Muslim extremists in West Africa, Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi, Nigeria, said:

“Our role as God’s ministers is that of inspiring hope. The pain is great, and the wounds will take time to heal; without faith we cannot please God and this faith must be practical. As leaders, the challenge we face demands that we take practical steps of faith to heal and restore the hope of the people. We must demonstrate the required tenacity to remove the humiliation from our brothers and sisters whose dignity and rights have been constantly abused by a people bent on exterminating them simply because of different beliefs.”

Sharing hope

Timothy Radcliffe, former Master of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), during a homily in Oxford on December 10, said:

“It’s not just Omicron, but a sense that history is not going anywhere. There’s a rise of violence, threats of war, the ecological catastrophe... Many young people say they don’t want to have children because they don’t want to bring them into a world that has no future.

“But we believe in God’s future. ...We must share our hope. Hope and despair are contagious. And every one of us makes a choice of whether we are going to be a source of hope or a source of despair.”

Who can I help?

During his Angelus address on the fourth Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis said:

“Let us cast away negative thoughts, the fears that block every impulse and that prevent us from moving forward. And then let’s do as Mary did: let’s look around and look for someone to whom we can be of help. Is there an elderly person I know to whom I can give a little help, company? Everyone, think about it. Or to offer a service to someone, a kindness, a phone call? But who can I help? I get up and I help. By helping others, we help ourselves to rise up from difficulties.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)