A Love That Conquers All

By Fr Nicholas Pearce PP

Greetings from New York. I hope that January has been for you and your families a time of rest and renewal. These first few weeks of sabbatical for me have been rather busy. Since heading off just after Christmas, I have had the opportunity to participate in a whole variety of activities, knowing that soon enough the academic semester will begin and so will the essays. I have had the great pleasure of attending a couple of conferences, starting with a gathering of over 8000 Catholic University students and their leaders and chaplains. Wow, what a wonderful experience to see the faith of these young people, and the sheer size of their gathering. After this, the pace slowed and I attended in California a scripture conference for priests, led by the world-renowned scripture scholar and author, Dr Scott Hahn, Dr Tim Gray, and Dr John Bergsma. Many of you would be aware of Dr Hahn’s writing; I myself have been reading his books since my early years in the seminary. It was a great blessing to be able to learn, if only for a few days, directly from these wonderful intellects. All three of these speakers have wonderful content available on www.formed.org, and I encourage you to make use of this great resource that the Parish offers.

Following these days, I decided that it was time to test my resolve, and leave the relative warmth of the east coast to see if I was really ready to face another winter so soon. I packed my bags and moved north for a couple of quiet and restful (and rather cold) days in Canada. These days were spent reading and basking in the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies before being the recipient of the warm hospitality of the Quist family (Kari's parents). With daytime temperatures of between -25c and -40c, let's just say, as beautiful and as warm as the hospitality was, I was glad to start making my way back to balmy California where I attended the annual Serra Rally, with over 150 participants from all over America who spent time looking at the important work of praying for and encouraging vocations, especially at the local parish level.

With a fair bit of time spent in airports during these first few weeks, I have had the chance to get through a few of the books that I have been looking forward to reading for a little while. The first was Against All Odds by Dr Richard Harris and Dr Craig Challen. It is the story of the two Australian doctors who were pivotal in the rescuing of the Wild Boars soccer team from the flooded Tham Luang cave in 2018. It is a story of incredible courage, and one that highlights the willingness of those involved to selflessly put themselves and their own lives at risk for their neighbour. In his forward for the book, director James Cameron wrote:

It is an inspirational story of what we humans are capable of when we come together to help others...It is also an epic underwater adventure, the stuff of novels and movies, told in a humble, matter of fact way. But this isn’t some Hollywood screenplay – this actually happened.

All in all, more than 10,000 people, including divers, police officers, soldiers, and government agencies from all over the world participated in the dramatic rescue. The remarkable effort of all involved showed how, when necessary, the human family can put aside national, cultural and ethnic differences and work for the common good of all and in defence of the rights and dignity of the human person.

The second book was by Australian author, Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This New York Times bestseller also speaks of the triumph of the human spirit against all the odds. In this case, the victory was one of love and the choice of life, while facing the horrendous hatred and death of the Nazi regime. This historical novel tells the tale of Lale and Gita, whose love flourishes in the most unlikely of places and is a reminder that even in the toughest of circumstances we should not lose hope and how the smallest acts of kindness for our brothers and sisters can have a significant effect.

From afar, I have also watched the ongoing reports of the terrible fires across Australia. A common refrain when people have picked up my Aussie accent is “How about the fires? Are they near your home? We are praying for Australia”. It has been a comfort to see that, alongside the news reports of the damage and destruction and tragic loss of life, there have also been stories of the many acts of love and service, small and large, and the examples of self-sacrifice and service that make Australians known around the world. As is often the case in Australia when tragedy strikes, thousands of ordinary men and women, firefighters, SES volunteers, police, put their own lives on hold to care for and protect their fellow countrymen. In addition to these, we see the multitudes of volunteers who have provided food, shelter, and assistance to those who have been evacuated, and those who have lost everything. Once again we are reminded that in the face of adversity, love conquers all. From the mountain top, Jesus taught the crowds:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Mt 5:3–12)

May all those affected by these fires, and all those who in their generosity are selflessly helping them, be encouraged by the prayers of each one us at this time, may they be blessed, and may they trust in the reward that is to come. May they know the presence of He who comforts and supports, and whose love conquers all things.

The Bishops of Australia have encouraged that as a Catholic community we support with generosity the great work of St Vinnies and their essential work of supporting all those affected by these fires. Vinnies is particularly well known for its ongoing work in local communities, long after the TV cameras have departed. Your support of this appeal will be used by those on the ground for the many months ahead that it will take for families and communities to rebuild. I encourage your generosity.

January finished with a real slowing of the pace as I headed onto an eight-day silent retreat where I will remember you all in prayer, especially as many of you return to work, and as the school year commences once again. Following my retreat, I headed to New York City and will be here for four weeks living with the Dominican Friars. With the academic year in full swing, I settle into the life of a full-time student, complete with the inevitable essays to write and deadlines to meet.

May God's blessing and peace be with you.