Fr Paddy Byrne: The Lord hears the cry of the poor

FIRST Holy Communion continues to be a very special day, not just in the life of young people but for their entire families and their school communities. Our local parishes have, indeed, been uplifted because of the presence of the young families, presenting their cherished children to receive the Lord's presence in the Eucharist.

I was greatly inspired by the wonderful gesture of warm hugs given to these children by proud parents after they received their First Holy Communion. It was an occasion where a lot of effort paid rich dividend in the lives of these young people.

In stark contrast, I was haunted by those dreadful images on our news screens of children crying with the hunger, being starved to death in Gaza. I thought of the pregnant women crying for a cup of water … innocent civilians, beautiful people, now victims of one of the worst genocides humanity has ever witnessed.

Starvation is never a weapon of war. The Israeli attack on Gaza is both brutal and evil. I was lost for words and deeply depressed as the president of the United States suggested he would oversee with the Israeli people the development of a ‘new Gaza’ for the purpose of building five-star resorts and elite golf courses. Then he receives a new $400 million jet from Qatar. 

This economic perspective displays how an extremist interpretation of capitalism can dehumanise people into a zero currency. Commodity is more important than the human person. Wealth and economic opportunity in this context seem to be far more important than the fundamental human right to life, shelter and food.

As Christians, we are constantly reminded by the actions of Jesus in the Gospel that might is not right. The Christian Gospels promote a society that is just and free, where people come before profit. I love the psalm that prays: ‘The Lord hears the cry of the poor.’ Those flowing tears on children's hungry faces in Gaza should truly haunt the moral conscience of all of us, not just to express solidarity but to be vociferous and staunch in our condemnation of this brutal genocide.

At the conclusion of the Mass of Inauguration of his pontificate on Sunday 18 May, Pope Leo XIV prayed the Regina Caeli and appealed for people suffering due to war. He thanked the 200,000 people and numerous delegations attending the Eucharist, expressing his gratitude to the representatives of nations, churches and various religions.

‘In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot forget our brothers and sisters, who are suffering because of war,’ said Pope Leo. He recalled that ‘the surviving children, families, and elderly’ in Gaza have been reduced to starvation as the Israel-Hamas war continues. ‘In Myanmar,’ noted the Pope, ‘new hostilities have cut short innocent young lives.’ Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, speaking to the tiny Christian community there, recently said: ‘We are living in a time filled with darkness and there is no need to elaborate, because you know it well. In these moments, we must first look to Jesus, for he gives us the strength to endure this dark time. Over the past years, we have learned that we cannot rely on humans. How many promises were made and never fulfilled? And how much violence and hatred arose because of people?

‘To remain steadfast in hope, we must be deeply rooted in Jesus. If we are connected to him, we can look at one another in a different way.

‘I don’t know when or how this war will end, and every time we approach the end, it seems like we start anew. But sooner or later, the war will end and we must not lose hope. When the war ends, we will rebuild everything: our schools, our hospitals and our homes. We must remain resilient and full of strength. And I repeat: We will never abandon you and we will do everything we can to support and assist you. In this message of hope we all are called to respond with generosity to the plight of the most disadvantaged.

The Irish people, by virtue of our history, have always empathised with the suffering of Palestine. In the coming days, tánaiste Simon Harris is once again due to meet senator Frances Black to present a timeline to enact the government's version of the Occupied Territories Bill, an action that is firmly grounded in justice, which would clearly confirm a deep solidarity to the plight of the poor.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. O God of all hope and peace, we bring to you the needs of our broken and hurting world. Our hearts are breaking with images of lives lost and torn apart by grief in Israel and Palestine. We pray for an end to violence and warfare so the challenging work of rebuilding may begin.