A thanksgiving ceremony

On Saturday, we had a thanksgiving ceremony for a couple who were celebrating 25 years of marriage. Over 30 members of the Philippine community were present singing and praying at the joyful event. Then on Sunday, my nephew and his wife completed 40 years of marrige. Both couples were like the examples that Jesus gives in the gospel today. The first is of a man who wants to build a watchtower in his vineyard. He must sit down and prepare well. If he begins to build will he have the means be to finish the job? Just as married couples who have spent years together prepared for their wedding asking themselves if their love was genuine and deep enough to take on a lifelong commitment, so Jesus is teaching us that to follow him is a serious decision that should influence the rest of our lives. He calls us to make him the most important person in our lives even ahead of our family members. Today is the annnivrsary of Yean Sin Elizabeth Lim who was born in Korea in 1971. She was baptized as a High School student, the only Catholic in her family. Such was her dedication to Jesus that she decided to dedicate her life as a lay missionary and joined the Columban programme. She was assigned to Fiji but sadly died of hepatitus within a year, dying on the 4th of November in 1994. Her parents came to Fiji to bring her back for burial in Korea but when they saw the great affection that the Fijian people had for her, they allowed her to be buried in Suva. We have been baptized in your name, Jesus, help us to be truly faithful to you as loving married couples are to each other and as Yean Sin was in her short missionary life.

Don Hornsey