Editorial selected by Fr. Stuart Chipolina
Christmas is about the
Children Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is handdelivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. Cover Image: ROME, ITALY. The painting of Nativity in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere by Stefano Parrocel, Photo © Jozef Sedmak
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Every year the Pope gives a special Christmas message, his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ and no one knows until Christmas Day what he will say.
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ut we may have an insight from what the Holy Father has said on previous years, and last year he spoke about the Children and about one special child, the Child Jesus, and how Christians in every place confess with the words of the Evangelist John: “We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Pope Francis continued “Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Lk 2:7). We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue
Syrian children still marked by the war that, in these years, has caused such bloodshed in that country. May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard for ethnic and religious membership. We see Jesus in the children of Iraq, wounded and torn by the conflicts that country has experienced in the last fifteen years, and in the children of Yemen, where there is an ongoing conflict that has been largely forgotten, with serious
humanitarian implications for its people, who suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.” After mentioning many hotspots of human suffering, the Holy Father asked us to “commit to making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future”. A couple of years ago during an appeal for peace sponsored by Catholic and Orthodox
Christians in Syria, the children, including many Muslims, wrote messages to the global community on balloons. These include such messages as “We want peace!”, “Give us our childhood!”, “We don’t want any more war!” and “We want to go to school!” Their plight continues today, see page 16 to find out how you can help improve their lives.
Children in Aleppo, Syria, 2016 ©Aid to the Church in Need
to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by good will, to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles, the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited. We see Jesus in the faces of
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Forthcoming Events
Renewal of Marriage Vows Service Registration Form 25th, 40th, 50th & 60th Renewal of Marriage Vows Service at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned on Friday 1st February 2019 at 7:30pm
Mr & Mrs:___________________________________________ Forenames: Husband___________________________________ Forenames: Wife______________________________________ NĂŠe:________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ E-mail:______________________________________________ Home Tel: ___________________________________________ Mobile______________________________________________ Date of Marriage:_____________________________________ Church:_____________________________________________ N.B. If marriage took place outside Gibraltar please produce a copy of the Marriage Certificate when handing in this form. This form should be handed in at the Cathedral bookshop as soon as possible and not later than Friday 18th January 2019, alternatively, e-mail above detail/form to duos@gibtelecom.net
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After the church service celebration, couples are cordially invited to the Catholic Community Centre for refreshments, along with four guests. This is due to the limited space available. Couples should arrive at the Cathedral on 1st February 2019 no later than 7.15pm For further information or queries contact Denise Duo on Home no: 20043386 Mob no: 57021000 email: duos@gibtelecom.net
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Our
Pilgrimageto the
Holy Land
“
Members of Gibraltar’s Secular Franciscan Order share some highlights from their pilgrimage to the Holy Land in October 2018 in words and images
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e flew from Malaga at midnight and on arrival in Tel Aviv we embarked on the first day of our Pilgrimage.
We visited Jaffa and Caesarea Maritima followed by our first
Mass on Mount Carmel. Then on to the hotel in Nazareth. We started Day 2 with the Eucharist at the Basilica of the Annunciation. Here the Word became Flesh! There we saw the simplicity of the house of the Holy Family in the ancient town of Nazareth. After this we
were driven to Cana where Our Lord performed his first miracle at the request of Our Lady. All married couples renewed their vows. A special moment for all of us but especially for Maribel and Robert Gerada who celebrated 50 years of marriage this year. A special mention must go to Yvonne and Rosendo Lima and Marisa and Alberto Vinales who have been married for over 50 years. We also visited Mount Tabor, the Mount of the Transfiguration. On Day 3 we went to Caesaria Phillipi where Jesus asked “who do you say I am?” Then we visited the beautiful
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and peaceful mountain of the Beatitudes where we had a short time to reflect and pray. From there we went to Tabgha which is an area situated on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee where the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish and the fourth appearance of Jesus after the Resurrection took place. After that we went on a very special boat trip on the Sea of Galilee and after visited Simon Peter’s house and the Synagogue in Capernaum. We had Mass in the Church over Peter’s house where Jesus stayed and where he healed
Peter’s mother in law. Day 4 found us in Samaria (West Bank) visiting Jacob’s Well where Jesus had the dialogue with the Samaritan woman. Then we waded in the River Jordan where we all renewed our baptismal vows. On arrival in Jericho we saw a tree similar to the one Zaccheus climbed to see Jesus (not the original tree but the site was probably about right!). We then had Mass at the Church of the Good Shepherd, a Franciscan Church. In Jericho we saw the Mountain of Temptation of our Lord. On Day 5 we climbed to Masada in the cable cars and also went to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. From there we went to Bethany to the Church of Martha & Mary and those who wanted to went into Lazarus’ tomb.
On Day 6 we had an extremely special Mass in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The altar is over the place where the manger was situated. An inexplicable experience! After that we visited the birthplace of St. John the Baptist, the home of Elizabeth and Zacharias, the Church of the Visitation and the Shepherds field. Day 7 we were in the Chapel of our Lord’s Ascension, the Procession route (Palm Sunday) and Chapel of “Dominus Flevit” (Where God wept) in the Garden of Gethsemane. We visited King David’s tomb, the Basilica, the Upper Room and had Mass at the Franciscan Chapel next to the Room of the Last Supper.
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On Day 8 we had a very emotive and awe-inspiring Mass inside the Holy Sepulchre! No words can describe this moment! After the Mass we venerated the Cross at the site of Mount Calvary. We then made our way to the Birthplace of our Lady, the Pool of Bethesda, the Chapel of Condemnation and Courtyard of Flagellation. We ended the first part of the day by doing the Stations of the Cross, walking through the Via Dolorosa ending by the Wailing Wall!
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We had a rest in the hotel before returning that evening for a Holy Hour at the Garden of Gethsemane. A beautiful end to a very emotional day! Day 9 we went on the Road to Emmaus, celebrating Mass at the Franciscan Church built on the site of Cleofas’s house. That afternoon we had free time in Jerusalem. An outdoor Mass, overlooking Jerusalem, at St. Peter in Gallicantu saw Day 10 and the end of our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Here, where Peter
denied Jesus, we also saw the original stone steps and path leading from the Garden of Gethsemane (Mount of Olives) to Caiaphas Palace, thought to be where Jesus was brought up to face trial by Caiaphas. We also visited the dungeon where he was in prison overnight. What a great blessing to have walked where Our Lord was born, lived, died and rose!! Thanks very especially to Fr. Jesmond for all his homilies and his constant help. This Pilgrimage has brought
the Bible, especially the New Testament, alive for us. When praying the rosary one can meditate and place each mystery in the particular holy place we have been privileged to visit. A unique ending to our Pilgrimage was still to come. Our return flight was delayed. After having boarded our flight and waited on board for nearly one hour, they asked us to disembark as there was a technical fault. We were told it would take about one and a half hours to sort out. However while we were waiting in the departure lounge, a Spanish Pilgrimage, that was on the same flight, started singing. We joined them and you
cannot imagine the many hymns we sang together. We all ended up forgetting about the technical fault! God works in mysterious ways! This Pilgrimage has been a blessing in so many ways. It was very tiring but it’s the only way to see as much as we have. It was very interesting to see the complex interaction of the different religions and cultures. We now have a greater respect for those who keep the Holy Places in such good condition for others to enjoy, they certainly need our help and prayers.
”
Divine Mercy Fraternity OFS
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words by Anne Mesilio
THE HOLY HOUSE OF NAZARETH “
Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (Jn 1:46). That throw away phrase from John’s gospel is enigmatic to say the least and it popped into my head when I started to research for the following story. Well, whatever John meant is not relevant here, as indeed something good came from Nazareth as we are about to learn.
It was the 24th September last and I went into the Cathedral St. Mary the Crowned to hear Mass. The priest started by saying it was the feast day of Our Lady of Walsingham. Mass was about to begin so I stifled the urge to get my phone and Google as I had
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entranced by this ancient ballad. and tasked to build a replica in no idea about this feast day. Well, In 1061, Richeldis, a Catholic Walsingham, as a place of pilmy later search led me to a real grimage where people could English noble woman in the vilfeast of excitement and wonder. lage of Walsingham in Norfolk, honour the Virgin Mary. Mary is I was transported back to 1061, said to have promised, as Roman rule faltered in England a power vacuum “Whoever seeks my help there, will not go was left, this was filled by Walsingham – in you is built new Nazareth away empty-handed.” newcomers from Germany where shall be held in great memory, It was difficult at that and Scandinavia known as the great joy of my salutation, time for Christians to Anglo Saxons, who ruled first of my joys – their foundation and origin, visit the Holy Land for the next 600 years. root of mankind’s gracious redemption. because of their occuWalsingham village When Gabriel gave me this news: pation by Muslim lies near Wells-next-theto be mother through humility forces. Sea in Norfolk county. and God’s Son conceive in virginity. Our Lady asked Interestingly, the Shrine * part of the Pynson Ballad translated into modern English by Sister Ruth Obbard, a Carmelite Nun the Lady Richeldis to has two parts, a Catholic build an exact repand Anglican one, three lica of the Holy House Madonnas, Catholic, at Walsingham and hence England, wished to do something Anglican and Orthodox. Walsingham became known as special to honour Our Lady. In a The story of Our lady of “England’s Nazareth”. series of three visions, in which Walsingham is told in the early Our Lady presented her with the Virgin Mary appeared to her, medieval text of the Pynson the plans of the Holy House of Ballad (author unknown). Richeldis was shown the house the Holy Family in Nazareth and of the Annunciation in Nazareth I looked it up and became
the website; www. walsingham.org.uk ) It is Christmas time and hearts, thoughts and journeys turn towards home and family. Home is a place of belonging, a shelter, a refuge, and always a place of returning. From the foundations of that Holy House in Nazareth, we allow ourselves to touch base with a great happening, one which has spanned over 2,000 years, undiminished in the telling and which becomes alive again at this dark time of year to shed a light on our humanity. We share this great planet called earth, we call it home, it cries out for our care, and indeed it needs our best efforts for it to survive. Let us unite in this common humanity and lay the foundations for
peace among men, and ask Our lady to bless these efforts. I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas.
Walsingham Abbey Remains ©David P. Orman - Wikimedia Commons
asked that she build the house as a shrine and place of pilgrimage. This simple wooden house was built and a religious community took charge, later it was encased in stone to protect it from the elements. The famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham depicts Mary seated, as a dignified queen, wearing a simple Saxonstyle crown and carrying the Christ-child, seated upright on her lap. History and archaeological finds today speak of discovering the remains of a home from the time of Jesus; “small and modest, typical of the dwellings in Nazareth at that time”. Houses in Nazareth in the 1st century were small and simple, made from rough stone or mud bricks, usually one storey with a staircase leading to a flat roof where the family slept in the hot summer. The animals were housed at a lower level. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. Home is where we begin our life’s journey, above which is our lodestar, that we keep in sight through all our wanderings. Perhaps it was like this for the Holy Family, wandering in Egypt as they awaited word to return home, home to Nazareth (with a population of 500 in the 1st century), back to their own place to call home. For Mary, the scene of her Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel appeared with the startling news that she would give birth “to a son and call him Jesus”.
Here begins the story of Christmas, in this plain unadorned, modest though homely place. Wa l s i n g h a m became one of the foremost Shrines of medieval Christendom. This was soon to come to an end. Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and in 1538 the ‘Holy House’ was burned to the ground and the statue of Our Lady taken to London to be destroyed (Echoes of the desecration of our shrine to Our Lady of Europe in 1704). Nothing remained and Catholicism became repressed for 400 years until the 20th century saw a revival. (It is beyond the scope of this piece to do full justice to this wonderful story, which does not end here, read about the Holy House of Loreto, and my Christmas wish is for you to visit
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Prayer in action
Call to
Fr. John Udris talks about St. Therese of Lisieux ©UTR
‘A
Holiness’
a retreat that was held
in preparation f o r…
…the Church needs
YOU TOO!
A
lthough Bishop Carmel Zammit was away in London participating in ‘Gibraltar Day’ on the weekend of the recent Diocesan Retreat, 19th - 21st of October he sent a special message by video link. He thanked Fr. John Udris, the guest speaker, for helping the retreatants to realise that we are all called to holiness, and the importance of the 2020 Mission geared as it
is to young people. He also underlined the importance of everyone taking part and gave the participants a special blessing.
In starting off the first talk ‘Be Holy’ Fr. John Udris referenced the parable of the sick woman who Jesus laid hands on in chapter ten of St. Luke’s Gospel. Fr. John went on to tell us he’d recently been seeing a chiropractor for his bad back, he wanted to stress that he was not particularly endorsing
FUNDING AVAILABLE
The Christian Mission Trust provides local Christians with donations for evangelistic initiatives and outreaches. The Trust is ecumenical and has provided money to many groups, individuals and churches during the last 12 years. It is run by a Board of Trustees.
We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity. Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar. 12
alternative medicine but after many years of suffering from a compacted disk he had resorted to ‘Nick the Click’ to see if he could help. He further wished to assure us that after several sessions, no ‘clicks’ had been necessary! Fr. John is a self confessed word ‘nerd’ and so he had checked out the word ‘orthopaedic’ and discovered the root of the word ‘ortho’ means ‘straightened’. So he reckons that Jesus straightened the woman in Luke’s parable, that he put her back into the position she was meant to be. Fr. John invited us to feel God’s hand in our lives and straighten up any area of our lives that had become deformed and for us to be realigned in God’s image, so we can ‘Be Holy’ as the Saints are Holy. But who can be holy? Father then directed our attention to the Gospel of St. Mark, chapter ten, where the rich young man comes to see Jesus and asks what he must do to enter the kingdom of heaven, and after the young man declared that he had been keeping the commandments since he was a young boy, “Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him.” In that gaze Jesus had discerned the truth of what the young man said but equally he saw what he lacked, and loved him all the same. Even though it was too hard for the young man to give away all his stuff, Jesus still loved him. When we ask, who then is fit for the Kingdom
of Heaven, we must remember that “All things are possible for God!” All the Saints lacked in some department, but they allow the hand of God to love them in their lack. Fr. John encouraged us to read about the lives of the Saints, to discover how they too were ordinary people who did extraordinary things. He told us that his favourite Saint is Therese of Lisieux and he drew from her life and teachings often during the weekend. He said he’d become aware of how important St. Francis of Assisi is in Gibraltar, having noticed a statue of that saint in the retreat house Chapel. He mentioned St. John of the Cross, and talked about the cause for making G. K. Chesterton a saint. Next Fr. John answered a few questions about the Who, What, Why and How of Holiness. ‘Who’ he insisted was simple, he insisted that EVERYBODY is called to be Holy, but he further clarified that ALL of us TOGETHER are called to be holy, as a People, and as a Community, he described this as a ‘con-vocation’, that is, being ‘called together’. When considering what Holiness is, Father illustrated this concept with an image of a Daisy, and again gave us the origin of the word… the ‘day’s eye’ apparently, he described how in the early morning the daisy’s flower head is bowed down and its petals closed, but as the sun rises and shines upon it, the daisy lifts its head and opens its petals, reflecting the sun’s gaze with a beautiful
role by declaring ‘I am a Mission on this Earth.’ At this point Fr. John referenced John Newman, and his book Fragrance Prayer, and other saints, soon to be beatified. Luke’s Gospel is a journey to Jerusalem “along the border”. Fr. John pointed out that this was not just a stage direction, in the Gospel, and went on to draw comparisons with Jesus’ path and where we live, that borders are in general places where
there is often friction, they may be tricky places, and usually bustling with activity. When we are travelling we often congregate in cosy corners in airport lounges and the like, where we hear others speaking the same language, where we feel more at home. We do this in churches too. Pope Francis exhorts us to get over that, and not be introvert, but to walk with the Lord along the borders of the church.
Group Photo © Brian Gomilla
Daisy Illustration ©Camy Chandler yellow sphere almost like a sun, how in looking at the sun it glows and becomes a mini-sun, and he drew the analogy to the monstrance which bears the holy Eucharist during adoration, and how in looking at Jesus in the Eucharist, we gradually become more like Jesus. He continued by asking why should we become Holy? Explaining that it is to develop a likeness to the Lord, so others might see Him through us. We pray constantly that we may sanctify his name, every time we say ‘Hallowed be thy name’ we are praying that we might improve the way others see God for we are his Ambassadors on this Earth. But HOW can we become Holy? Well only the Holy Spirit makes us holy and so it is important to invoke him and to
be aware of his prompting in our lives, this is how we can ‘fast track’ to Holiness. Fr. John’s talks were all richly illustrated, by images of the people who featured in the talks and the concepts he touched on, with beautiful well presented media, there never was a dry moment, as we were entertained, and enlightened all at once. Fr. John introduced us to a new word, his favourite word, ‘HINENI’ which is Hebrew for ‘Here I am!’ and gave us many examples of how the prophets had responded to the call by saying ‘Hineni’ and that the word encompassed three concepts, of Attentiveness, Responsiveness and Readiness. Fr. John launched his introduction to the theme of Saturday’s talk saying that to be holy, is to be a Missionary. He was able to draw on the life and ambitions of St. Therese of Lisieux who so desired to be a missionary, a doctor of the Church, and a Saint. Another addition to our reading list was Evangelii Nuntiandi, unpacking the word evangelise Fr. John noted the many references to Angels, and Arch-angels and that angel was central to the word ev-angelisation. Fr. John had noticed this otherworldliness of very holy people when, as a 15 year old, he had visited the Pope in the Vatican, and even though he spoke Italian, and Fr. John could not understand a word he said, he noted how he had glowed and was radiant in a special way. Now we have a new Pope, and when Pope Francis described his
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Join us! The Church needs
YOU TOO!
We are not to be like the ‘evangelists’ who have somehow got a bad name through association with bible bashing practices often seen in shouting tv pastors, but we are to evangelise with meekness and courtesy, gentleness and respect, according to our cultural temperament and unique gifts. G. K. Chesterton and H. G. Wells were best friends but opposites in temperament. Nonbelievers but huge philanthropist H. G. Wells said ‘When I die if it turns out you are right, I can get into heaven by being a friend of G. K. Chesterton’ but G. K. Chesterton countered “If I turn out to be right, you will triumph, not by being a friend of mine, but by being a friend of Mankind…” So Jesus walks along the border, it is not for us to wait for the nonbeliever to stop talking so we an start to talk about Jesus, but to LISTEN. Father assured us that God walks before us, that we should not be afraid of going out of our comfort zones into the fringes and walking along the borders of where we feel safe, because God walks ahead of us. God is already there on the borders waiting for us to walk there, to listen there, or to speak there. He introduced the word ‘Missiology’ where we go to meet him and hear from
those on the borders. These few notes can only give a flavour of Fr. John’s rich teachings. If you would like to hear the recorded talks in full, contact Joanna Lett on 58008446
Testimonies
I thought it was a wonderful weekend – there was a great turnout, and we were all so glad to have been there! Fr. John’s warm and dynamic style really brought to life Pope Francis’ message about the importance of our own personal call to holiness, and managed to make it seem not a distant and impossible dream, but something tangible and achievable even by ordinary people of faith. Using the teachings and writings of popular saints such as St. Francis and St. Therese of Lisieux, he made us see that through the grace of God and His Holy Spirit we all have the potential, and indeed the vocation to sainthood. His last talk in particular, which he illustrated with writings from the Little Flower, and a beautiful song by Danielle Rose, touched us all deeply and moved many of us to tears. It was a truly special and memorable weekend, and I am sure it will have inspired us all to do whatever we can to help with the Diocesan Mission planned for 2020. It was a great pleasure and a real privilege to have been able to attend. Anna Breen I really enjoyed the retreat, especially the angle which he focussed on, that we need not live ‘bent over’. We need to be aware of all the tools the Church has available for us, including the lives of the Saints, to help us on our life journey and to live it to the full. Denise Duo
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What Next?
Though some weeks have gone by since the retreat, the message received is clearly embedded in my heart and hearing the talks again this weekend (which I have recorded incase anyone missed any, please let me know and I can share them) has reminded me again of the importance of our daily “Personal Call to Holiness”. The four talks, followed by questions prepared by Fr. John, were discussed within workshops where some old friendships were rekindled as there was a mixed bunch of people from different parishes and prayer groups.
The presentation of Mission 2020 was given on Saturday and many people have put forward their names to become part of the larger team that will be needed to help, as the harvest is huge and the labourers will be so vitally needed. Our first evangelisation event will be held on Saturday 8th December from 10am outside the Cathedral, PLEASE come and support this and call me on 58008446 for more information about the briefing meeting for this, or any of our forthcoming events. We really need as many of you as possible to join the Mission. We thank God for the gift of Fr. John, how everything worked so well under the baton of the Holy Spirit during the weekend. The only thing we couldn’t control for Father was the weather, at least it stopped raining for the group photo. Exciting times ahead, so please keep us in your prayers, God Bless you all. Joanna Lett
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Frid a y, 2 6 th Oc t o be r 2018 – S Y R I A
Your help
“ revives
our faith and hope ”
say Christian widows
© Aid to the Church in Need
SYRIA AID RECIPIENTS HIGHLIGHT IMPACT OF ACN EMERGENCY SUPPORT
Y
OUNG widows in Syria have expressed their personal thanks for emergency aid – shelter, medicine and education – which they say has helped turn their lives round as they struggle to bring up their children.
Working with local Church partners, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need is providing vital assistance to 2,000 displaced families in the Valley of the Christians, a series of rural communities outside the city of Homs. During a fact-finding and project assessment trip to Syria, ACN staff met widows in the valley, who described the daily fight for survival, especially since the death of their husbands, in many cases the main breadwinners for the family. Darin Abboud, a widowed mother of five girls, said: “We have received a lot of help from
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© Aid to the Church in Need
Text by Murcadha O Flaherty © Aid to the Church in Need
young mother of two took refuge after a series of bombing raids close to their former home in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Mrs Drazy, 23, whose husband, Michael, was killed driving from the Valley of the Christians to Damascus, said: “Life was difficult even before the death of my husband. “The children were no longer able to go to school because it was closed due to the war.” She added: “Thanks to our
meagre savings, we were able to survive until Michael found work again. We arrived here in 2012. My husband was killed just a few months later.” Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation directly under the Holy See. As a Catholic charity, ACN supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in need through
information, prayer, and action. www.acnuk.org
© Classical geographer–creativecommons.org
our neighbours and relatives but, without the financial support of the Church, I don’t know what would have become of me and my daughters.” She added: “This aid revived our faith and hope. The Church was right there for us.” Mrs Abboud, 38, said she struggles to support her family, doing jobs such as hair-dressing and harvesting fruit and vegetables. Ongoing Aid to the Church in Need projects for the Valley of the Christians include six months’ health care provision costing £250,000 (€286,000), rent sponsorship, and education for 250 students – all being rolled out since June. Education is a key concern for Rasha Drazy, who met the ACN team in the Valley of the Christians where the widowed
The world is largely silent in the face of Christian persecution. The scale of the problem is so great, silence is no longer acceptable. Persecuted Christians need YOU - and all of us! Together our prayers and actions can make a difference. You can PLEDGE YOUR SOLIDARITY by: • Praying ACN’s Prayer found in leaflets in your local Church, or your own prayers for Persecuted Christians in danger. • Sharing this article and Christian Persecution facts with others so that all understand the need.
Donation Details:
Bishop Carmel Zammit Lenten Appeal for‘Aid to the Church in Need’, Gibraltar International Bank, Account Name: ‘Trustees RCC/CAN’ Account Number: 00812022, Sort Code: 60-83-14.
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The continuing serialisation of a story by Manolo Galliano.
SAMUEL - God’s Special Gift This is the story of Samuel, a child with a mental disability and his encounter with Jesus, who became his very special friend. Continuing from Issue 209
Chapter 2 continued After the death of his carer, Hannah, Samuel’s life changed drastically. An encounter with Jesus triggered a vast improvement in his relationship with his father and together they went on to meet Mary. Mary gifted Samuel with a flute that used to belong to Jesus when he was a boy…
“You are very kind and thoughtful to have done that. May God bless you always”, Samuel’s father told her. She
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looked serenely at him and said, “You know, Master Jacob, when Jesus was only twelve years old, he also disappeared for several days whilst we were returning from Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover”. “Oh, that must have been terrible for you”. Jacob commiserated. Mary looked across at him and he thought that he could detect a measure of silent suffering and even acceptance in her eyes. She continued, “Yes, you are quite right. Both my husband Joseph and I were very worried and thought that he might be with another group. So we travelled a whole day and then
started to look for him among our relatives and friends”. She sighed, remembering the distress that she had gone through at the time. “We did not find him with them, so we returned to Jerusalem, looking for him everywhere”. “Papa, the same as me!” Samuel laughed and clapped his hands, “Jesus got lost the same as me!” “Yes Samuel” Mary told him, “he disappeared the same way that you did, not so long ago, and we soon found him sitting in the Temple with a group of scribes, listening to them and asking questions”. “I’m sure that you must have both felt very relieved,” Jacob
said, recalling his own feelings when Samuel had been found again. “Yes, of course we were, although at the time we could not understand any of it. I still remember his reply when I told him then how worried we had both been. I will never forget his reply, “Didn’t you know that I had to be about my Father’s business?” And truly, I tell you, Master Jacob, no day goes by that I do not ponder these words in my heart”. Jacob was quite amazed at this account and wondered where he had recently heard similar words. Of course, he thought, this was just what Tobias the carpenter had told him that Jesus had said before leaving Nazareth. Like Tobias, he could not understand either what was meant; but certainly it must have been very important for Jesus to have left his trade, his town, his family and friends. He stared at Mary, who had a distant look in her eyes as if remembering that important event in her son’s life. She noticed his gaze and smiled at him, saying, “Yes, my son Jesus
Story so far can be found at uponthisrock.gi
Sponsored by is not like other men and this is why he has left Nazareth, so that he can do the will of the Father”. Jacob was very puzzled about this and however much he thought about it, the less sense he could make of her words. He was beginning to understand that Jesus was certainly different from anybody else that he had ever known, and this made him more curious to learn more about him and the reason for his sudden departure. However, he also knew that it would be indiscreet of him to ask any more questions; so standing up and bowing to Mary, he said, “I think we should be leaving now as it will soon be time for Samuel to have his usual afternoon nap”. He beckoned him over, “Come on, Samuel, say thank you to the kind lady for having given you the flute”. Samuel scrambled up onto Mary’s lap and kissed her effusively, “You do smell like roses!” The next moment, before she had time to react, he had climbed down and began to
skip round and round his father, making all kinds of strange musical tunes on his flute. “See, I’m a cuckoo now!” he giggled, “Tell Jesus that I can sing like the birds!” Mary laughed and clapped her hands, “I can assure you, Samuel, that not even the angels in heaven can sing as merrily as you or play the flute better!” She waved, as he made his way out of the garden with his father and then called after him, “And don’t forget to come back someday to visit me again”. Samuel waved back and as they turned the corner of the little alley, he looked up wistfully at his father and said, “Papa, I do wish Mary was my mama”. Jacob looked at him tenderly and replied, “Yes, my son, I’m certain that she would make a most wonderful mother for anyone”. And, setting him up on his shoulders, they set off for home to the sound of Samuel’s flute. To be continued
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