Trust in God, spread hope throughout T&T

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

The Archdiocese of Port of Spain has brought the waters of salvation to the city of Port of Spain and the nation for 175 years. During this time, Catholics put their hope in God and lived through many tribulations.  Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon gave this assurance as he urged Catholics in the present time to put their trust in God and spread the waters of salvation and hope through the nation.

“At every juncture, the Church has brought the waters of salvation into the city of Port of Spain allowing that which seemed to look like death to be turned into life. Where there are pockets where death seems to be triumphant, it is because we, as Church, have not brought the waters of salvation to those pools, pockets or seas that seem resistant to life,” Archbishop Gordon said.

He was preaching on Sunday, November 9 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, and celebration of the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.

Using the imagery of the First Reading (Ezek 47:1–2, 8–9, 12) to underscore the lifegiving water flowing from the temple, which was personified in the crucified Christ, he took his pastoral staff and showed it to the congregation.

He said: “Life sprung from the side of Jesus Christ on the cross, and from His side with the waters of Baptism and the blood of the Eucharist and the whole sacramental system of the Church, life flowed where death seemed to dwell and where death seemed to triumph.”

Archbishop Gordon gave a few points in the history of the Archdiocese, observing that the waters of salvation prevailed during difficulties and “brought joy to God’s city”. The nation faced a “firestorm” in 1970 and 1990 and was facing another now.

He said: “We face major countries and nations have their plans of which we are not part, and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring and we don’t know how these plans will or will not pan out. But here is what I do know, the water of salvation brings joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”

Archbishop Gordon’s message from the Second Reading (1 Cor 3:9–11, 16–17) was “each one of us is a stone, in a larger edifice that is the Church”.

As the living stones of a beautiful edifice, Catholics in this country are one of many making up the universal Church and as such, “where one part hurts, the whole part hurts”.

He appealed for generosity toward Jamaica, Cuba and Bahamas, which were damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

The Archbishop said during this year, Catholics have been practising to be pilgrims of hope. He reminded the congregation of the highlights of the year with the Eucharistic Congress, Festival of Hope and sacred sites. It was an extraordinary year of grace and now they were being put to the test.

He asserted, “rather than being afraid, rather than giving way to anxiety, rather than giving way to all the emotions social media will send you on, let us give way to hope.”

He explained that it is a hope that does not disappoint and moves desires from the self and what is earthly to God. “If there is a time in the life of Trinidad and Tobago that we need a missionary of hope, that time is now,” Archbishop Gordon said.

In attendance concelebrating the Mass were: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Santiago De Wit Guzmán, General Secretary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference Fr Donald Chambers, and Vicar General Fr Martin Sirju and other clergy.

The date of the Archdiocese’s anniversary is April 30, but it was shifted to November “with a hectic Jubilee Year” Fr Sirju said in introductory remarks.  November 9 was also the 174th anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral. The actual date was during the Lenten period so years ago Archbishop Anthony Pantin CSSp had it moved to November 9.

On the feast day of the archbasilica of St John Lateran, the seat of the Pope, the local Church was linked with Pope Leo XIV, Fr Sirju said. “We feel united with the Holy Father and all those who prayed in the Lateran Basilica today, so we are in communion with them, and they are in communion with us”.