GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS ‘Great is Thy faithfulness!’ ‘Great is Thy faithfulness!’ Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided ‘Great is Thy faithfulness,’ Lord, unto me!”
The words of this hymn remain true despite the onset of Covid-19. For each of us, our experiences are different as it relates to the pandemic. Some of us might have lost loved ones/family; might have had to forfeit a birthday celebration; might be forced to cut economise on groceries; might have lost jobs and are uncertain about the future. Some may have been and might be still experiencing depression, loneliness and anxiety because we are now asked to stay indoors. Then there are those who have become happy, some may be given the opportunity to serve more, to give more, and to reach out more to others. Whatever our circumstance, we all are called to be gracious, to be thankful, to accept our challenges knowing that our faith in God will carry us through our individual circumstances. Our ability to remain grateful to God may not be easy, some of us have difficult questions to ask God. Some will even turn away because they cannot withstand the pressure they are faced with. And so, as Christians we should be vigilant and aware of what is going on around us. We will need to be a strong community together, check on each other and encourage each other in faith. God is always there and will always be there for us. What an assurance! As we go through these challenging times dealing with Covid19, let us remain resolute, fixed on Jesus, and draw from his bountiful well of mercy and compassion. Let us demonstrate an appreciation of God’s love for us in true service to one another. Great is thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me. Keriann Williams
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GRATITUDE IS OUR DUTY
Priest: People: Priest:
We are often told that we should be thankful for the gifts God has given us but what does that mean? How can we cultivate gratitude in our lives, especially now when times are challenging? The answer may lie in better understanding the cardinal virtues. Hopefully this understanding will guide us through the time of COVID.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just. It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give You thanks.
In fact, the word Eucharist, taken from the Greek word eucharisteo means “thanksgiving”. We fulfil our duty to others through our words and actions. Saying thank you or reciprocating a kindness are not just social niceties, but an important part of what we are called to do. The four Cardinal virtues from which all other virtues Although our day to day lives have changed drastically, flow are Prudence, Courage, Temperance and Justice. many of the things we must be grateful for are the same Prudence is the ability to make wise choices, courage is as always.We have God, the people who have helped us our ability to fend off our fears in order to do the right throughout our lives, the blessings of the past, and the thing, temperance is the habit of moderation and self- hope for blessings to come. restraint, and justice refers to the proper treatment of Lucy Thomas others. Justice is the virtue I would like to focus on, as it is the one related to gratitude. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor” (1807). While the other cardinal virtues are pointed inward in the pursuit of perfecting and mastering our intellect and desires, justice is directed outward- to God and our fellow man. In this way we can see that gratitude stems from the cardinal virtue of justice, since gratitude is owed toward God and to those who aid us. Gratitude is often reduced to a mere feeling, something that spontaneously appears Bibliography when things are going our way. But gratitude is much Catechism of the Catholic Church. New York: Image Books, 1995. more than that. It is our duty. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy- A Peer Reviewed Academic Resource. Thomas Aquinas: Moral Philosophy, https://iep.utm.
Since gratitude is a duty, how are we to fulfil it? We fulfil edu/aq-moral/#:~:text=But%20there%20are%20essentially%20 our duty to God through religion- by going to Mass and four,)%20(Rickaby%2C%202003). practicing private prayer. We acknowledge this at Mass during the opening dialogue of the Eucharistic prayer: 3
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A NEW NORMAL?
You really don’t appreciate how much you need something until there is a very real risk of losing it. The last time I set foot into the church was Sunday, March 8 and then the Corona Virus/ Covid-19 pandemic hit Jamaica, and everything was shut down. We were put on a curfew and public gatherings were not allowed; which meant no church. No church!
I wanted to grumble but how can you when the possibility of getting really sick, possibly dying --- sharing that with family and friends was out of the question. But thanks to technology we could “go” to church. I shed real tears at that first online service. Looking around at my family in my living room going to church made me think of the Apostles waiting in their room for the Holy Spirit to descend on them. I am so grateful for Father Roger and the Sts.Peter and Paul Communication team for making it happen. Over time the restrictions were slowly lifted and church was back “on” with smaller numbers, in masks, after being properly sanitised and socially distanced six feet. I admit I hesitated. I hesitated to leave my Corona free online church to step out in public and sit among people and pray to my God. Isn’t it ironic how easily something you protested can become the norm? Church in the time of corona is a strange experience. Everything in this time is surreal and uncomfortable. Walking into church properly masked felt weird. The church was laid out differently, pews pushed together to assist in maintaining that required distance even when kneeling. The still, masked space was almost eerie in its muteness. I haven’t seen my church community in such a long time it took self-control not to rush over to hug and chatter.Yelling greetings and how are yous through a mask from a distance are is not the clearest way to communicate so that was quickly abandoned. I fixed and refixed my mask throughout the entire Mass, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, maybe I am claustrophobic, BUT actually sitting in that pew in the Sts. Peter and Paul Church, I knew my discomfort was worth it and I was grateful. So very grateful to be in the presence of my Lord, to be a part of this community and most importantly grateful for health, for life and the freedom to be unashamedly Catholic.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Gayle Cunningham 5
GRATITUDE IS A MUST
“ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Just recently I resumed teaching nursing students. As part of the ice-breaker activity, I asked them to list one positive thing or something for which they were thankful during this COVID19 pandemic. The majority were grateful for good health, quality time spent with family and friends, time for self-care and reflection and a slower pace of life. However, three students were unable to identify even one thing for which they could be thankful. Unfortunately, many of us also experience similar moments when it seems that there is no hope or gratitude. As Christians, we are distinguished by our attitude of gratitude, during both periods of blessings and trials. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul urges us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful and readiness to show appreciation. Emmons and Stern (2013), posit that “gratitude has a dual meaning: a worldly one and a transcendent one.” He reports a multitude of physical, psychological and social benefits that can derived by practicing gratitude. Physical and psychological benefits include stronger immunity, lowered anxiety, optimism and higher levels of positive emotions. Most significant are the social benefits which help us to strengthen our relationships and challenge our self-serving bias and “just world” philosophy thus pushing us to embrace the transcendent meaning. We learn to have a humble dependence on others and more importantly on God. The standard of gratitude is set by Jesus who gave thanks to our Heavenly Father throughout His ministry even when faced with trials. We see Him giving thanks when He fed the crowd of 5000 with only five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:41), during the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26) and again He reminds us during his post- resurrection revelation to the disciples, (Luke 24:30). As we strive to be more Christ-like, we must remember to give thanks especially when there is a crisis because God will be there throughout the period, giving us the support and comfort, we need. By strengthening our relationship with God, we are better able to develop and maintain our relationships with our family, friends, colleagues and strangers who may cross our paths. When we express gratitude to each other, we cultivate reciprocity and a positive attitude in our homes, workplaces, church and community. Do we thank God enough for who He is? For the next 30 days, let us accept the Gratitude Challenge. Each day we will record at least one reason for being grateful and a bible verse that reflects thanksgiving/gratitude. “Gratitude is a must” is not just a line from the Grammy award-winning song by Koffee but an attitude we should adopt as we continue our journey to be more like Jesus Christ. Marsha James
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The Communication Ministry team will sorely miss you Glen. 7
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