Scripture Reading – Philippians 4:13-15
Jesus replied: ‘Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again; the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.’
“Christ came to all of us, for all are in need, and all are in need of healing. But by singling out the poor, the captives, the broken hearted, the oppressed, he was laying particular stress on a special characteristic of his ministry, namely the special concern for what today we call the ‘marginalised’; those who, for one reason or another, have been pushed to the margins of our society: the economically poor, the homeless, the elderly, those mistakenly considered to have little or nothing to contribute to society.
The good news is a word of hope. There is no situation that is so dark nor apparently so irretrievable that would justify hope being a stranger.
The good news is a word of forgiveness. For those who repent sincerely, of course, but also for those caught up in complex situations and who try, often in spite of themselves, and unaware, to let the good in them overcome the wrong that has become a habit. The good news is a word of love. Too few of us really believe in the warmth and intimacy of God’s love for us.
A word that gives hope; a word that gives forgiveness; a word that speaks of God’s love: are these not wonderful ways of speaking about God? These are words to encourage; they are indeed good news.
Prayer
Lord, satisfy my thirst for your love.
For the Cardinal Hume Centre
Father, help those caught up in complex situations, to find the way to the well of your love.
“How did I get to the point where I didn’t care if I lived or died? … But now I am at the Centre I know that this time things will be different.”
