From the Editor - The Fifty Days of Glory

The May issue of The Far East occurs during "The Fifty days of Glory," the Easter period between the Resurrection and Pentecost. During these days we celebrate God's breaking into our world, overpowering sin and death and freeing us to live as God's children in this world and to be resurrected to life with Him in the next.

This issue of The Far East, like all other issues, is full of stories of glory, of God's power today continuing to break into our world through the Holy Spirit to overcome evil, sin, exploitation, domination, greed, hatred, prejudice and exclusion and replace this with God's Kingdom of love, peace, dignity, equality and justice. God's Kingdom has arrived in our world and will continue through this life into the next.

From Pakistan, the story of Rattno, who after suffering severe burns, can now walk again, is a resurrection story. Likewise, the empowerment of Reshma, an oppressed illiterate Hindu bonded labourer, who has become a community leader and spokesperson, is another resurrection story, another story of glory.

The work of Columban Sr Mary Dillon at the 'House of Hope', a home for AIDS and HIV patients, particularly children, in Myanmar, again shows the power of God breaking into our world to overcome exclusion and prejudice. We also see the power of the resurrection at work in the story of the project to help tricycle drivers and their families escape poverty in the Philippines and the story of Naya in Chile overcoming prejudice and exclusion.

Columban Fr Leo Donnelly died recently in an overcrowded ward of a public hospital in Lima, Peru. In a reflection in this issue of The Far East, Columban Fr John Hegerty reflects from Lima, on the true meaning of the missionary priesthood, symbolized by the manner of Fr Leo's death. It means being closely linked with the people, to whom one is assigned to serve. It is here in this closeness that we are able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, so that the resurrection of Christ can become a reality in people's lives as our stories in this issue demonstrate.

This search to be closely linked to the people one is sent to serve, also comes through in the story of Kurt Zion Pala, Columban Seminarian from the Philippines, and his missionary experience in Fiji.

During "The Fifty days of Glory", we celebrate how God through the resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ and the sending of his Holy Spirit at Pentecost, overpowers sin, evil, prejudice, exclusion and hatred.

Each of our stories is a story of glory, God's glory acting in our world.

Fr Dan Harding
TFE@columban.org.au

Read more from The Far East, May 2014