In these days of great tragedy and suffering in Christchurch we have gathered for prayer led by Bishop Paul Martin SM. St Mary’s pro Cathedral was filled to capacity for Mass yesterday (Saturday) morning, less than 24 hours after the tragedy.
Today’s reflection is Bishop Paul’s homily at the Mass. Listen to the podcast or read the text below.
Homily of Bishop Paul Martin.
Saturday 16 March 2019
When a family member dies we feel deep grief and loss. Our tears flow from a pain that is deep and it feels as if the one we love is torn from us. Such grief is raw and real, and words are completely inadequate.
Today is such a day.
We are unable to express the confusion and pain we feel. Our grief threatens to overwhelm our community at the tragic loss of our sisters and brothers and the act of hate that has been inflicted.
Today is such a day of shared grief and pain.
In the presence of such violence and loss we cry from the heart: “Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord”. We know that our loving God has not caused this pain, but the freedom God gives us as a mark of his great love has been tragically misused and abused.
We gather here this morning because we are at a loss about what to do or what to say. I know that many of you have already reached out to members of the Muslim community in your neighbourhoods and workplaces. Your acts of love are already overpowering the hate.
We know, in solidarity with our Muslim sisters and brothers who gathered in the Christchurch mosques and around the world yesterday, that our only hope is in God. Our only hope is in God.
Last month Pope Francis was in the United Arab Emirates and met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb. The highlight of their meeting was the signing of a joint declaration on human fraternity. Their exhortation begins: “In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace.”
“Brothers and sisters”…. “Filling the earth with values of goodness”, “love and peace”. This is our shared mission in these tragic days in our city and in our land.
This is not a new mission for Muslims and Catholics. Pope Francis meeting the Grand Imam took place exactly 800 years after St. Francis of Assisi travelled to Egypt to meet the Sultan. Then they met as brothers knowing they were siblings in the family of the One God and in their time together discovering that they were friends. They had no shared verbal language, but those who witnessed their meeting reported that the language of love was tangible and powerful between them.
We are here today as friends, friends who are suffering, friends grieving together in the midst of an unspeakable tragedy. Let us follow the example of the Grand Imam and Pope Francis last month, of the Muslim family of faith as in a gesture of penitential solidarity we now kneel together and pray the prayer of St. Francis…
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy.
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
It isn’t pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men let we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy
Wonderful sermon. I am pleased to see the church family flocked to the Cathedral to share and express their grief. Aroha to all the people of Christchurch my prayers and love are flowing your way. May the aroha of our nation flow through the city and the Muslim community feel the love and support through these dark days.
A wonderful Sermon. We do not know why the Perpetrators of this heinous crime chose Christchurch but Cantabrians are well experienced in rising up in adversity, reaching out, and joining together as one to face the challenges of devastation, pain and suffering. I have no doubt they chose the wrong community if they hoped to cause division and hatred. My thoughts and prayers are for all the Christchurch community, especially the Muslim fraternity.
Fr. John, thanks so much sharing this and being an instrument of God’s love and peace. May our prayers join yours.
Yes thankyou john .i Am in lockdown in my house can walk in and out with police escort but no cars aloud in and out at present so unable to get to mass today.prayers and love to all muslims who are our family are being said by me .
My thoughts and prayers are for the people of Christchurch of all faith and especially to the loved ones of those who had their lives taken.
Amen.