CHRISTIANS should be peace makers and peace builders instead of involving in violence and stealing.
His Grace Archbishop Christopher Cardone OP Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese in Honiara shared this during his welcome home Eucharistic Mass and First Sunday of Advent at the Holy Cross Cathedral on Sunday.
He said the recent unrest is a difficult situation for the country.
Archbishop Chris urged Christians to refrain from involving in any of the unlawful activities, especially in buying from the looters or even take anything that was stolen from the shops.
“We are in the Advent season, the season that begins the Christian Liturgical Year and focuses on Christ’s threefold coming: past, present, and future. First, it is remembering His humble first coming in the town of Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Secondly, it calls us to give thanks for His presence and continual coming to us through His Word and Sacrament. Finally, it is the looking forward with hope and longing to His Second Coming in Glory.
“In the Gospel Jesus tells us to be vigilant, do not sleep, Jesus Tells “pray to have the strength to escape the tribulations that are to come and to stand upright with the lord”
“Therefore, Our Message is to be Vigilant, Stay awake, Pray and Hopeful”
“Last week has been very hard in the history of Solomon Islands, 3 days of violence, stealing, hatred and distractions.
“We should be peacemakers and peace builders instead of involving in causing distractions, he continued, “for St. Mathew Gospel, also says, “Blessed are the peace makers, they will be the children of God”.
“This advent we need to reflect why this situation happened the second time and what caused Chinatown a targeted area.
“What causes violence, hatred that made people feel so bad that forced them to do terrible and distractive violence?” he continued.
“It is important for us to reflect upon the events of past few days and know that God Loves us. He is with us in good times and in bad times. And even in worst disasters where we experienced, that God is present among us.
“I hope that we don’t pay goods from people who steal or take anything from the stolen goods,” he said.
He appealed to all Christians in the country to stay away from violence.
“Violence must stop, hatred must stop and we must live as a community to rebuild our nation, and be a place to have justice for all, not just for the wealthy parliament but for all because Justice is peace,” he said.
He appreciated the good initiative that Phil Bradford of Island Enterprise put out to all. The Message of Hope to Never Give Up.
Even if Solomon Islands faces this terrible situation, there have been a lot of good things that has happened in the Solomon Islands that we may have forgotten.
“Therefore, as we are in the season of Advent, we need to ask ourselves Questions what should we do to make us go out from this situation?
“What is our hope? Who will guide us? Who will be the peace makers?
“Pray, Hope and be Vigilant is the message we should take,” he said.
Meanwhile he shared his greetings and regards from family in New York to Solomon Islands, where he spent almost 5 months due to COVID,
BY: CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION
