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Ruby: Hello everybody. I am Ruby Almeida – the Co-chair of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics – and I got my colleague Chris Bella – who is also the Co-chair – and lovely James Alison – who I´m sure all of you know. He is a good friend of ours.
Ruby: So, why are we here? As you probably know, we did a video – last week – just to kinda welcome everybody to support them through these difficulties we are going through with Covid_19. And we are acutely aware that, you know for all of us in this collective unknown, that life is difficult, life is a struggle and in particular for loved ones, for friends who are ill. And we know that some of our members have had the virus but we praise God they have come through it and live to fight another day. So we just want to really reach out to you and just say that as much as life is difficult we at the Global Network, through our Media department that brings some amazing things to help, that support and show our love and care and passion for our friends around the world. So, I’m just gonna hand you over to Chris who is gonna tell you a little bit more about that.
Chris: So, as Ruby said, our Media department is collating different initiatives that are coming actually from your own groups, from our own group members, who are creatively finding new ways of keeping contact in these very difficult times. when of course most of us, if not all, are all cloistered at home, because of lockdowns and quarantines that are being imposed for our own safety. Of course this creates a new kind of loneliness. And it is good that our own groups are finding ways to keep in touch between themselves and making community in these circumstances. Most of us are finding different opportunities, activities, linking to them and what GNRC is actually doing is just offering them back to the community and offering a platform to reach our own member groups can actually access these different opportunities. You out there might want to link to one group or to the other and make community with the rest of the community. So, this is a splendid opportunity for us to come together.
Chris: I know that today is also more than Maunday Thursday, when we are actually celebrating the cenacle, the cloister where the twelve disciples together with Jesus were gathered to make the eucharist. Yes it was also the place where the twelve disciples would also congregate after that Jesus was at the hands of the priests, the soldiers and the Romans and crucifying him, they were there because they were afraid. As much as we are probably afraid because of Covid_19. And yet we may also keep in mind that the cenacle was also the place where Jesus symbolically washed the feet of his disciples and offered us a way of how to be solidary with each other. He also broke bread with his disciples, also a way to encourage us in our cloisters today to find ways and means, how can we break bread with one another. Maybe not the physical bread because we can not really meet for that but there are so many ways on how we can break bread with each other. It’s also the place where the Holy Spirit anointed the twelve and the other disciples. And this cenacle is also the place where we will also be anointed to be more of a community of believers, a community that comes together even in these difficult times. And so, I now invite James to share a prayer with us and the rest of the community worldwide and share a blessing that we want to give to the rest of our community out there in the Global Network.
James: Thank you very much Chris and thank you very much Ruby for inviting me to take part. I’m delighted to do so. I’m delighted to be in touch with you all. So let’s turn our thoughts to pray.
James (praying): Father, we praise you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give you thanks. For all the strength that you are showing in the midst of all these difficulties. For all the life which you are bringing out of places where we never have suspected there was life. For all the learning you are giving us… The ability to create new things. We ask you Father to look with love, especially upon those of our sisters and brothers who are actually suffering with this virus even as we speak…. Those who have gone through it with all the pain and disruption it causes…Those whose loved ones are going through it… Those who have died… Those for whom the sense of loss is incomprehensible… We ask you, pray for you also for those for whom living together is proving very-very difficult… As well as for those for whom living apart is very-very difficult without a hug or a kiss to show their love… We ask you to call upon all of us the spirit of love and all at what you are able to do in our midst … And I ask you – Ruby and Chris – to join with me in giving a blessing. May the blessing of almighty God, Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit come down upon all and remain with you always. Amen.
Ruby: Thank you so much James that was really beautiful and powerful pray… Which we all yearn for and embrace it and take it into our lives. And I´ll take this opportunity to wish all our members a holy and blessed Easter. And that we all be able to rejoice and find grace and joy and happiness in the risen Christ. So thank you everybody. God bless you.
James: Bye
Chris: Bye-bye.
Global Network of Rainbow Catholics 2020