Blessings of peace to all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Today, we gather under the gaze of the Almighty, who calls us to be instruments of His mercy, justice, and love in a world fractured by violence, injustice, and suffering. The Scriptures remind us, as we heard in Proverbs, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared." How often do we see this truth play out in our world? The recent testimony of Casandra Ventura, who endured unspeakable cruelty at the hands of one who should have protected her, is a stark reminder of the cycles of violence that entrap so many. Abuse is not merely a private sin—it is a poison that spreads, corrupting families, communities, and societies. If we do not stand against it, if we do not break the chains of anger and domination, we risk becoming complicit in its devastation.
Yet, even in the face of such darkness, the light of Christ shines through the courage of those who choose forgiveness. Kim Kardashian’s words in court—"This is my closure"—echo the divine command from Matthew: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Forgiveness does not mean forgetting justice, nor does it excuse evil. Rather, it is the refusal to let hatred claim another soul. It is the triumph of grace over vengeance. Imagine a world where every wounded heart chose this path—where nations, torn by war, laid down their grudges, where families shattered by betrayal found reconciliation. This is the Kingdom of God breaking into our midst!
But we cannot speak of forgiveness without also speaking of justice—true justice, which demands that we feed the hungry, shelter the stranger, and defend the oppressed. The words of our Lord in Matthew 25 ring with terrifying urgency today: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Right now, in Gaza, an entire people teeters on the brink of famine. Children cry out for bread, mothers weep over empty hands, and the world watches—divided, distracted, debating while lives slip away. This is not merely a political failure; it is a moral catastrophe. If we call ourselves followers of Christ, we cannot remain silent. We must act—through prayer, through advocacy, through sacrifice—until no child of God is left to starve.
And yet, even as we confront these global crises, we must also look inward, for the Church herself is not without wounds. One of the greatest trials we face today is the erosion of faith among the young—the growing chasm between the wisdom of the Gospel and the hearts of the next generation. We have failed them when we preach love but do not live it, when we speak of mercy but do not show it, when we demand purity but do not model holiness. The world offers them emptiness disguised as freedom; we must offer them Christ—not as a relic of the past, but as the living hope of the future.
Brothers and sisters, the hour is urgent. If we do not rise now—if we do not reject violence with courage, embrace forgiveness with humility, and meet suffering with relentless love—then the shadows will deepen. Nations will crumble under the weight of hatred. Families will fracture beyond repair. The cries of the starving will go unanswered, and the Church will wither into irrelevance. But if we act—if we pour ourselves out in service, if we become living witnesses of Christ’s mercy—then a new dawn will break. Imagine it: a world where no woman fears her partner’s rage, where no child dies of hunger, where every sinner finds redemption. This is not a dream—it is the promise of God, waiting to be fulfilled through our hands.
Let us leave this place today as soldiers of mercy, as bearers of hope. Let us feed the hungry, forgive the unforgivable, and rebuild what is broken. The time for words has passed; the time for action is now.
Amen.
What can we do?
1. Violence and Abuse
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