The Monthly Note
April 2017
A Turkish friend of Kurdish origin, emailed me three months ago wondering where he could buy a Bible. I was surprised that a non-practicing Muslim, Ph.D. in scientific technologies, make this request. Two weeks later I visited him. He had read the four gospels in the English text and in the Turkish text, and he had highlighted in yellow all the words of Jesus.
For more than an hour he spoke with dynamism and fervor of the words of Jesus, of their greater power than the speeches of all the Christian Churches. I had goose bumps. It was a unique experience in my life and I had to answer his questions clearly. I had never met anyone who wanted to connect so much with the basic message of Christ, but it stopped there. He is now studying Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion of the 6th century BC in Persia (Iran).
I hope, one day, to present to my Kurdish friend a community of Christians for whom Jesus is not first a great man of the past but someone living today. Christ sent by God is the Son of God and our brother, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; God the Father resurrected him on Easter, He authenticated his life and his message. Lent has brought us closer to Him, to what He invites us to be and to live.
A Christian characteristic is that each person is important to believers. Be assured that the Friends of St. Jude pray for all your intentions you have sent us during the Lenten novena; I have celebrated Mass every day of the Novena for you and your prayer intentions. St. Jude is one of the witnesses of the life, the message, the death, the Resurrection, the Ascension of the Lord and the gift of the Spirit to believers. Inspired by the example of St. Jude and united to his prayer, with faith we continue to intercede for your prayer intentions to our Living Lord and God. Be confident, there is hope!
Fr. Henri de Longchamp, Friar Preacher (O.P.)
Director of Saint-Jude’s Apostolic Works