Bishop’s Message
Dear Fathers, Sisters and Brothers,
Greetings!
The month of November holds a special place not only in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church but above all in the spiritual life of each one of us. The reason is that the Church invites all of us to live this month in a spirit of gratitude, hope and communion with all those who have gone before us in faith. Hence, we joyfully celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1 and prayerfully remember our departed brothers and sisters on All Souls Day, November 2.
The feast of All Saints reminds us that holiness is not a privilege of a few but is the vocation of every baptised person (cf. Lumen Gentium 39). It also invites us to rejoice in the countless men and women who have reflected the light of Christ in their ordinary lives. As Pope Francis deeply reflects in Gaudete et Exsultate, “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious… We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves” (GE 14). The saints teach us that holiness grows through small gestures of daily love, patience, forgiveness and service. “Each in his or her own way,” Pope Francis says, “must bring out the best of themselves, in the unique plan that God willed for them” (GE 11). Let us therefore strive to be “saints next door” shining with the simple holiness which transforms our families, parishes and society.
On All Souls Day, we turn in prayerful remembrance to our beloved departed. Our prayers for them express our faith in the communion of saints and our hope in the resurrection as we profess in the creed. Reflecting on the reality of death and Christian hope on the occasion of General Audience on 17 June 2015, Pope Francis said: “Our loved ones are not lost in the darkness of nothingness, hope assures us that they are in the good and strong hands of God.” On another occasion, in the context of Covid-19, the Holy Father strengthened the world in these words: “Praying for their souls is a thanksgiving to the Lord for having given them to us and for their love and friendship.” When we pray for our beloved departed, we are expressing gratitude for their love and friendship and hope in the promise of eternal life. Let every act of remembrance, our fervent prayers, the holy mass we offer or our visits to the cemeteries, become a bridge of love that unites us with our beloved departed.
Another significant day to remember is the World Day of the Poor which we celebrate annually on the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, just a week before the Solemnity of Christ the King and this year we observe it on November 16. In his message for this occasion, Pope Leo invites us to fix our gaze on the Lord with the words, “You, O Lord, are my hope” (Ps 71:5). These words echo the cry of those who suffer and the faith-filled confession of those who trust in God’s unfailing love. Drawing inspiration from the Holy Father’s message, I would like to share four key points for our reflection.
Firstly, the Holy Father reminds us that hope often shines most brightly in the hearts of those who seem to have the least. Many who struggle daily for food, work or human dignity remind us that hope is not just an optimism or wishful thinking; rather, it is the hope that God walks with them even in the darkest times of their lives. Let us ask ourselves whether our parishes are places where those who are poor are not strangers but family and where their presence strengthens our faith and renews our hope. Secondly, the Holy Father calls us to see the poor not as people to be pitied, but as brothers and sisters who reveal the face of Christ. They are not simply recipients of our help, but partners in the Gospel, who call us to deeper conversion. Do we realise that the poor teach us simplicity, gratitude and reliance on God?
Thirdly, in this Jubilee of Hope, the Pope urges us not to grow accustomed to poverty or injustice. Hope is not passive; it moves us to act. We cannot say we trust in God if we close our eyes to the suffering of our neighbour. Hope must have hands that serve, eyes that see, and hearts that open. Do we in our parishes have the culture of visiting the poor families, sharing a meal with the hungry, supporting a struggling student? Fourthly, Pope Leo exhorts us to make our churches and parishes be places where no one feels excluded, where every person, whether rich or poor, young or old, finds belonging and respect. Let us ask ourselves what place do the poor have in our parish councils, pious associations and pastoral commissions and their pastoral plans?
The poor are not outside our doors. They are within our families and parishes at reachable distance. They are the very presence of Christ for us to be welcomed, listened to and loved. As the Holy Father emphatically says: “The celebration of the World Day of the Poor is meant to remind our communities that the poor are at the heart of all our pastoral activity” (No 5). Hence, let us not allow this World Day of the Poor to pass like another date on the Church’s calendar. Let it disturb us. Let it awaken our conscience and renew our Christian commitment.
May Mary, our beloved Mother and the Mother of Hope who sang that God “lifts up the lowly,” teach us to see the face of her Son Jesus in every poor person we meet and serve!