Abandoning false securities
In his homily on Palm Sunday, Pope Francis said: “Today, in the tragedy of a pandemic, in the face of the many false securities that have now crumbled, in the face of so many hopes betrayed, in the sense of abandonment that weighs upon our hearts, Jesus says to each one of us: ‘Courage, open your heart to my love. You will feel the consolation of God who sustains you’.
“The tragedy we are experiencing summons us to take seriously the things that are serious, and not to be caught up in those that matter less.
“May we reach out to those who are suffering and those most in need. May we not be concerned about what we lack, but what good we can do for others.”
Milking the poor
The Pope said: “Some charitable organisations have many employees, and only about 40 per cent of donations make it to the poor... 60 per cent goes to pay many salaries. This is a way of taking money from the poor.
“We do note the majority of the poor because we enter this culture of indifference which denies their existence. We say ‘You don’t see many.’ We minimise the reality of the poor. But there are many.
“The path of service is the victorious, life-giving path by which we were saved.”
Revealing crisis
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for Evangelisation of Peoples, said: “Every crisis can become a kairòs, depending on the meaning that we see, the calling that we hear, and the action that we take.
“The present crisis has revealed many disturbing things. It is shameful that some countries have large reserves of weapons but lack medicines, masks and protective equipment. It is scandalous that a big portion of national budgets goes to arms but very little towards dialogue and reconciliation. It is unbelievable that some people in authority use the emergency for political and ethnic bashing, when the virus does not choose races and political persuasions.”
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)