Your Weekly Catholic Reflection from CMMB
This week’s readings prepare us to hear Lent’s call to repentance. As human beings, we are constantly fooled into thinking we have “all the time in the world.” We are convinced that we have plenty of time to prepare to meet God, to make things right, to become better people and be ready for Heaven.
However, the sudden tragic losses that we all witness at some point, remind us that life is fragile, fleeting. We often believe in the illusion that we can control our circumstances. Our life experiences demonstrate this is not the case. Earlier this year, the CMMB global family unexpectedly lost a dear friend, colleague and humanitarian when our country director for South Sudan, Marko, died from complications of malaria. That a mosquito could take such a strong, beautiful life is incomprehensible.
A few weeks ago, we believed that another of our colleagues in South Sudan had been killed. John was on the way to visit his family when his vehicle he was ambushed. We were so relieved a few days later to discover that he had escaped into the bush and was alive.
The loss – and near loss – of dear friends and family remind all of us how fragile life is, and that we must be ready to meet Him at any moment. Thus we need to live out each day of our lives expressing our CMMB value of love: loving God, loving ourselves and others, and loving the work we do and people we serve.
As we mark the third week of Lent, please join us in the deep and abiding thankfulness for life; for meaning and purpose in our lives; for the gratitude in being able, through the work that we do, to truly make a positive impact on the lives of those we work with; and finally, to show and share love and kindness everyday – from those closest to us to the those we serve worldwide.
In the words of 1 Peter 4:7 –
“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”