For many of us in community, this period leading up to Easter can be a very busy time and even stressful time as we prepare for Light to the Nations. In the midst of this busyness, I encourage each of us to take some time to stop and reflect on God’s invitation to receive His mercy and His call for us to show mercy, as Jesus showed so powerfully on the Cross.

As Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). We are greatly blessed to have been called by God to our community and to have the opportunity to share our faith lives with sisters and brothers who have a deep love for God. However, living community life can be a challenge at times, especially when we face difficult relationships. I suspect most of us at some point have felt that community life would be far simpler if there were no other people; we have probably experienced ‘sandpaper ministry’, where someone annoys us in some way. In some cases, we experience relationship breakdown despite being part of a Christian community. This harms our unity and lessens our ability to be the witnesses of the Gospel that we are called to be. We can also at times be inclined to speak negatively of our fellow community members.

Pope Leo, in his Lenten message when discussing fasting, focused on speech: “In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace”.

I encourage each of us in these final days of Lent to reflect on our relationships in community, especially those that are challenging or have broken down, praying for the grace of mercy — to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. We can also take up the Pope’s call to measure our words and cultivate kindness in our community. Hopefully by doing this we can be more united and a greater witness to God’s love and mercy.

Finally, please pray for Light to the Nations, for the organisers and the participants that the Lord would bless them abundantly with His mercy and love.

God Bless.