Dear friends,
Sunshine is coming more and more out and inside of our homes, doors and windows, and everyone seems happy that spring is here. Also, we are in Lenten season as well as spring. I am very grateful to God for this house, when I open my door and windows, I can see the beautiful view of the park with the beautiful and colourful flowers are popping out from the ground. Few weeks ago, there wasn’t any signs of that beauty we can see now. I was really struck and thought that our lives are just like this ground. When the ground accepts the light comes into the soil, it will break the barrier of the ground and come out with the beautiful and colourful flowers.
If we wait patiently, walk, and hope in Christ and let God’s light comes in our life for good things no one can stop us to achieve what we believe. Things can be very tricky and seem hard at times but once we achieve what we hope and believe then the tear of joy just comes automatically. In John’s gospel chapter 1 verses 4 and 5 tell us.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
We know the darkness of this broken world, and of course we know the reasons as well. If we don’t switch on the light in our room, we will live in the dark because the ON/OFF button is in our control. There is electricity available in our home but to get the benefit from electricity we need to do some action and hit the ON button. Open the windows and pull the curtains to get the sunshine in. We need to take the barrier away and accept the light of Christ in our hearts, in our lives, in our community and in our dark world because we know that the light shines in the darkness. If we live in darkness how come, we will have hope to bring the light into our dark world. In this Lent may we reflect in our personal life and pray that this one of my favourites prayer of St. Francis of Assisi’s pray become true meaning in our lives and we all take part to bring peace, love, hope, joy, and light in the darkness.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Lots of love and blessings.
Rev Kathreen Shahbaz
Sunshine is coming more and more out and inside of our homes, doors and windows, and everyone seems happy that spring is here. Also, we are in Lenten season as well as spring. I am very grateful to God for this house, when I open my door and windows, I can see the beautiful view of the park with the beautiful and colourful flowers are popping out from the ground. Few weeks ago, there wasn’t any signs of that beauty we can see now. I was really struck and thought that our lives are just like this ground. When the ground accepts the light comes into the soil, it will break the barrier of the ground and come out with the beautiful and colourful flowers.
If we wait patiently, walk, and hope in Christ and let God’s light comes in our life for good things no one can stop us to achieve what we believe. Things can be very tricky and seem hard at times but once we achieve what we hope and believe then the tear of joy just comes automatically. In John’s gospel chapter 1 verses 4 and 5 tell us.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
We know the darkness of this broken world, and of course we know the reasons as well. If we don’t switch on the light in our room, we will live in the dark because the ON/OFF button is in our control. There is electricity available in our home but to get the benefit from electricity we need to do some action and hit the ON button. Open the windows and pull the curtains to get the sunshine in. We need to take the barrier away and accept the light of Christ in our hearts, in our lives, in our community and in our dark world because we know that the light shines in the darkness. If we live in darkness how come, we will have hope to bring the light into our dark world. In this Lent may we reflect in our personal life and pray that this one of my favourites prayer of St. Francis of Assisi’s pray become true meaning in our lives and we all take part to bring peace, love, hope, joy, and light in the darkness.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Lots of love and blessings.
Rev Kathreen Shahbaz