Dear Friends,
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Many greetings. Well, spring is just around the corner; the days are getting
longer and, after a hard winter, new shoots are beginning to emerge. There is light and life to bring hope and a renewed sense of purpose to all we do. This is a good time to reflect on how we share Jesus’ mission to bring light to all peoples.
Our zeal for the mission is fostered in many different ways, particularly in prayer. Fr Fox reminds us of the centrality of our relationship with the Father – our utter dependence on his love. We are strengthened in this relationship by the company of saints; Fr Hemer writes perceptively for us about the role of St Joseph in the life of Jesus and of the Church. We have so many other saints connected with the Church’s mission – St Thérèse and St Francis Xavier are paramount – we are never alone in our work for the mission.
Last year 37 people working for the Church in tough missions were killed.
Many were killed because of robbery and others mindlessly, for no reason! They are not martyrs in the traditional sense but they were faithful servants of the Gospel whose lives were taken from them and their communities. They will be sorely missed: they are an example to us of the price that must still be paid by so many of those who love the Lord. Their deaths challenge us to support
the people who depended on them – our Red Boxes are vital, along with our mission prayers and our love.
Thank you for your kindness.
Father John
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