“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 

My dear Sisters,

It’s more than a year now, the world has undergone ache and suffering; from the pain of illness and financial instability to the emotional pain of isolation and missing the sacraments, and even death of loved ones. The impact COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of fear, uncertainty and anxiety across the globe. It is hard to predict how things will develop, and what is still awaiting for us. This can leave us feeling powerless, like we’re no longer in control of our own lives. We have felt helpless and might have even doubted the very existence of God.

We face an unprecedented global crisis and, as followers of Jesus, key questions emerge: why is this happening? How should we respond? Where is God in this situation? In times like these, when life as we know it has been turned upside down, it’s crucial that we respond to the situation in the eyes of faith. 

Eventually we need to realize that God does exist. He is in control and ever present to us. God never fails. In these most difficult times, He is closest to us as ever, for “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39). We are people of hope! It is time we just surrender everything in the hands of God! Let us de-clutter our hearts from aches, hurts and negativity in order to fully appreciate the living presence of God letting Him to stay with us and allowing His light to shine steadily in us.

Notwithstanding the many situations that we aren’t in control, there are still a lot of things we have power over in our lives during these trying times. Doctors and researchers are noticing some curious and unexpectedly positive side effects of the abrupt shifts in human behaviour in response to the covid-19 pandemic. Skies are bluer, fewer cars are crashing, crime is falling, and some other infectious diseases are fading from hospital emergency departments. Redirecting our energy towards these things will help us to face the current situation effectively with hope. It is important that we encourage one another, learn from one another and care for those already most at risk in our communities. 

As we take care of others and of ourselves, we need to find rhythms that help us lean into God and find our strength in Him. If we lean deeper into God’s love, choosing faith instead of fear, we find that new opportunities emerge. God allows things to happen in the world and works for good. There is the potential for communities to come together more than they have before; for families to re-discover themselves; for busy people to slow down and build rhythm into their lives; for people to reconnect with God and his world; for nations to re-organise into God’s word; for churches to learn how to use digital technology to enhance ministry; for us to develop local economies and green initiative. 

Can we repent of the world we have created, and build a world that enables us to live in harmony with creation? Can we prepare ourselves for a place where there will be no more suffering, sickness or death, and calamities? As we move through uncertainty of this current time, let us remind ourselves that lasting contentment, security and happiness is not to be found in the present world but in the world to come. As Augustine puts it so beautifully: ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.’ Our attitude toward COVID-19 should be marked by our Saviour’s encouraging warning, “Do not be anxious about your life … Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 6:25, 10:28)

I wish to thank my God for He was present to us in everything that we experienced during the year gone by.  I thank my God for the wonderful works of His hand. He has been leading us through, in all the ups and downs of our lives. I thank Him for all the lovely people- our Sisters, our family members, relatives, collaborators, benefactors, beneficiaries, doctors, nurses, friends, etc. etc. All those who made a difference in our lives and all those who assisted us in moving closer to His ways through this difficult time. I thank my God for all our dear departed ones especially our Sr. Trinity Almeida, Sr. Christina Jadhav and Nov. Preethi Gaikwad who are surely enjoying the heavenly bliss. He had been our strength and comfort to face the great losses. I thank my God for despite of the unpleasant situation caused by Covid-19, he had been bringing the best out of us. I thank my God for all of you for all the goodness you shared, for your love, care and prayerful support.  All things were possible and beautiful because the Lord was there and you all truly cared. 

I would like to give a huge appreciation and thank you to all our Sisters and our support staff working behind the scenes, particularly in our Aged homes for serving tirelessly and selflessly to care for those under their care in the fight against coronavirus. We owe our special gratitude to all those who rendered their help in one way or the other. We’re truly inspired by your personal commitment to making a difference in these unprecedented and challenging times. May God be your reward!

CONCLUSION: As we go through this challenging times, let us continue to reach out to one another, bless one another and forgive each other. Let us amend our wrong ways and follow the ways of the Lord by being more humane and loving. We belong to One Living God and one humanity! Being humane we find the deepest meaning of life and faith! May we continue to experience God’s presence in our lives in this Pastoral year 2021 and all the days of our lives. May our holy Founder continue to bless our Congregation and each of us. May we grow richer in every way. 

GOD BE WITH US ALL

Stay with us, Lord

When it is evening and the day is far spent, Stay with us, Lord
When we want to be focused and centered on you, Stay with us, Lord
When doubt and despair fill our lives, stay with us, Lord
When sadness and emptiness fills our day, stay with us, Lord

When we need your consoling presence, stay with us, Lord

When tempted to believe that you are absent, stay with us, Lord
When we wish to reaching out to others, stay with us, Lord

When our cross become heavy, stay with us, Lord

When our journey is too arduous, stay with us, Lord
When we want to discover the beauty of each day, stay with us, Lord

When we need light, peace, and eternity, stay with us, Lord

When there doesn’t seem to be a way, stay with us, Lord

Amen.

Sr. Faria Barretto HC