Starting afresh from Christ

Nelson and his son Kavish (pictured on our front cover), together with his family, know what it is to start afresh. In 2008, Nelson sought asylum while visiting Australia from Sri Lanka with his dance troupe. He sought to escape persecution and war, risking leaving his family in order to seek a better life.

After a long wait, and with the help of Jesuit Refugee Services, he was granted permanent residency, and, again after a long wait, his family was able to join him. ‘He said it was one of the most joyous moments of his life’, then JRS Director Fr Sacha Bermudez-Goldman said.

There are uncountable stories like Nelson’s, stories of people finding and being offered grace in their lives. In the upcoming Year of Grace, which begins at Pentecost, may we reflect on some of them and seek to find such moments in our own lives.

The theme, as chosen by the bishops of Australia, is expressed thus:

Listening to the wisdom of God, the Year of Grace calls us to:

• Encounter Jesus Christ in prayer.
• Seek healing and renewal through repentance.
• Grow as disciples by cultivating the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that the church in Australia will continue to be transformed by the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

Let us join with Nelson and his family in celebrating the graciousness of God, and look for ways to celebrate this in our own experience of grace - of bringing the power of Jesus’ Spirit into our lives.