My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Our readings this Sunday speak both tenderly and urgently to the human heart: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments” (Sirach 15:15). Before us are fire and water, life and death. In His great love, God has entrusted to us the dignity of freedom. We are not puppets of fate nor prisoners of circumstance. Each day—often in small, hidden ways—we stretch out our hands and choose. We choose patience or anger, forgiveness or resentment, trust or fear. The Lord does not force our love; He invites it.
In the shadow of the tragic violence in Tumbler Ridge, our hearts are heavy. Such suffering reminds us how fragile life is and how deeply our world needs hearts formed in mercy and truth. Bishop Gregory has called us to prayer and renewed trust in the Lord, especially as this sorrow unfolded on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In this valley of tears, we turn to Mary, Mother of Compassion, asking her to hold the grieving, the injured, first responders, and a shaken community close to her Son.
St. Paul reminds us that true wisdom is not the wisdom of the world but the mystery of Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:6–10). The Cross reveals a love deeper than hatred, stronger than violence, and more enduring than death. “What eye has not seen… what God has prepared for those who love him.” Even in darkness, the Holy Spirit is at work, drawing grace from tragedy and hope from despair.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls us beyond surface obedience to a conversion of heart (Matthew 5:17–37). As Lent approaches, we are invited to choose life again—to trust more deeply, forgive more readily, and love more generously. In Christ Jesus, life always has the final word. Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, in this time of sorrow, pour out Your Spirit upon the people of Tumbler Ridge. Heal the wounded, comfort the grieving, and soften hearts hardened by fear. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, lead us to Your Son, the Prince of Peace. Teach us to choose life and love as Jesus loves. Amen.
God Loves You!
~ Fr. NEIL