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Hope Needs Action - Reflection for Week Four of Lent
I was surprised but honoured to be asked to provide a Lenten reflection. But I really shouldn’t have been. As a participant in Cohort 3 of the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF), I have learnt that the Mercy network is always present and always active.
Members in the Mercy network, be them MELF participants, Sisters, or people that believe in the Mercy charism are all striving to improve the world in which we all live in, or at least to improve it for those near us.
There are so many ways Mercy and Justice go hand in hand and people across the Mercy network are quietly going about their work.
We have people caring and advocating for refugees, the homeless, victims of domestic violence, survivors of human trafficking. People are caring for the environment while at the same time advocating for human rights.
But one thing that remains evident is that the Mercy network always provides hope.
However, as a special work colleague pointed out to me Hope is redundant without action.
We can hope for that perfect job, but if we don’t apply for the job, then we won’t gain that perfect job.
So, too, we must take action on what we believe in. Action doesn’t have to always be big and bold, it can be quiet and unassuming.
It could be writing to your local politician to have changes to legislation; it could be encouraging responsible shopping habits that not only care for our environment, but also ensure the item is created by workers being paid a living wage with no child labour involved.
While hope is essential and it is important to have and show others, I believe that without action, hope does not hold the impetus for change or improvement.
As we know, 2025 is the Jubilee Year of Hope. However, I would like to think of it as the Jubilee Year of Hope and Action.
The simple act of providing hope to others through being present, is indeed an action. Having a comfortable cup of tea with others is an action that provides hope. In Australia, where I live, we have a very active and successful mental health campaign, called ‘R U OK?’ This campaign encourages each of us to start a conversation with someone and ask if they are OK and to have a conversation while actively listening to each other. This campaign has not only been successful in reducing the stigma around mental health, especially with men, but it has made the act of being present and having a conversation the norm. Something that Catherine McAuley herself encouraged the sisters: “A good beginning is of great importance. You must waste some time with visitors.”
Checking on someone, talking about workers right, environmental actions and even human rights is an action that brings hope, Mercy and justice all together for not only our world close to us, but also across the larger Mercy network.
ENDS
Cynthia Mulholland is from the third cohort of the Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship. She is from Australia.