Some weeks seem more tumultuous than others, and this week, across the globe, we have witnessed much trauma.

I am thinking, of course, of the thousands of people who have died or been injured or left homeless in Nepal and surrounding areas in the avalanches and destruction caused by a major earthquake. I am thinking also of the two Australian men, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were executed in Indonesia for their drug trafficking crimes, along with six people from other countries.

In the face of such devastation in Nepal, it has been heartening to see the very quick response from aid agencies around the world, including in Australia, to send immediate and practical assistance. We pray for those who’ve lost their lives and for their families, in a country which already experiences poverty and hardship in many areas, but which is also known for its warm hospitality to travellers from all over the world. If you can assist in a practical way, I urge you to contact a local aid agency, such as Caritas Australia, or another one of your choice, to make a donation.

The news of the executions in Indonesia also gives me a heavy heart. Nobody argues that these men didn’t deserve punishment for their crime. But capital punishment is never the solution. State-sanctioned killing is simply wrong. Once again though, underlying the tragedy, has been a groundswell of community solidarity against their execution. We have seen community rallies, prayer vigils, the #Istandformercy social media campaign, and much more. All around the country, people have been saying "This is not ok”, “This should not be happening in the world today”. Some will say that with the executions going ahead, this movement for mercy has failed. At one level, I suppose that’s true. But at a deeper level, we know that whenever people stand together for justice and mercy they are helping to build the Kingdom of God here in this troubled world. And that is never wasted.

Pope Francis has announced the coming year in the Church to be the Year of Mercy. He knows, and we know, that mercy is needed more than ever. Let us resolve to take #Istandformercy beyond a Twitter hashtag, and make it a living reality in our lives. Let’s take mercy as our guide for the coming year and beyond and let it govern our every interaction, so that we are reaching out to all with the loving embrace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And in so doing, let us ever more truly be able to say that “His Mission is Our Mission.”

Yours in the Word,

Fr Henry Adler SVD

Provincial