大象传媒

From Passionist priest Father Brian D鈥橝rcy

Today is the beginning of Faith in the World Week. The theme this year is: Who is My Neighbour?

Last Monday the hurricane Ophelia blasted Ireland north and south. The country virtually closed down but in the emergency people re-discovered the value of good neighbourliness. They say a good neighbour beside you is more precious than a brother who lives far off.

Three people sadly lost their lives here during the storm 鈥� all three died caring for vulnerable neighbours. One man was killed whilst removing a fallen tree which blocked the road to where a group of elderly people were isolated. Next day his brother, on radio, told the nation what a generous person this man was.

鈥淛ohn was a man who would do anything for anyone in need,鈥� he said, 鈥淗e was the kind of man who would open his chest and give you his heart if he thought it would help.鈥�

What a beautiful description of a good neighbour. Who is my neighbour? Anyone in need that I can help!

聽It鈥檚 worth remembering that every major religion has as its core principle: Love your neighbour as yourself. That鈥檚 how communities survive.

To love my neighbour as myself presumes that I actually do love myself. 聽

It is a shocking fact that throughout the western world the biggest cause of death for the under 30s is not drugs nor traffic accidents, but suicide. The generation with the best opportunities and apparently with most to live for, feel they don鈥檛 want to live at all. In an era when social media is pervasive, loneliness is pandemic.

I鈥檝e nothing against social media, but I believe a listening ear and a helping hand are among the most precious gifts we have to share.

We have to learn that in life nothing happens to you, it happens for you.

To paraphrase Nelson Mandela: What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It鈥檚 the difference we have made to the lives of others that matters most.