August Messenger: Do not fear
The August edition of The Messenger highlights inspiring stories of faith in action, with a particular focus on the work of Jesuit apostolates bringing hope to communities affected by conflict, poverty and displacement around the world.
Michael Zammit SJ reports on the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which continues to provide emergency relief, food, medical care, education and psychosocial support to families in Syria and Lebanon. Joe Munnelly writes about the work of Irish Jesuits International (IJI), accompanying displaced families from Sudan and Lebanon. The issue also features the story of the Sketimpilo Centre in rural Zimbabwe, founded by Sr Ludbirga Schumacher CPS, which supports children and adults affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
With the return to school just around the corner, editor Donal Neary SJ recalls his own first day at school. He writes: “I don’t remember much of the classes. Our teacher was a Sister who I thought had a little moustache and was about 90! I found out later that she was in her mid-thirties, but I was right about the moustache.”
This month’s prayer intention from Pope Leo XIV focuses on evangelisation in the city. Kevin O’Gorman SMA reflects on the Pope’s invitation to pray “that in large cities, often marked by anonymity and loneliness, we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.” He considers the opportunities and challenges of urban life, suggesting that amid increasingly diverse populations, evangelisation begins by recognising one another as neighbours.
Fr Gerard Condon draws inspiration from the film Babe, contrasting its quiet message of kindness and humility with the epic heroism of Braveheart. He explores how God’s kingdom is often revealed through the ordinary and the overlooked. Fr Condon also reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which highlights simple acts of human kindness as the building blocks of the City of God, while warning that artificial intelligence, if left unguided by ethical values, risks dehumanising society and fostering mistrust, division and conflict.
The August issue also introduces readers to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, through which the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intentions encourage prayer for the Church and the needs of the world. Bishop Martin Hayes welcomes the publication of Havens for Nature, produced by the Heritage Council in collaboration with the Laudato Si’ Working Group of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, offering practical guidance on promoting biodiversity in church grounds. Andrea Hayes, meanwhile, explores how writing letters that are never sent can become a valuable practice of Ignatian discernment.
The August Messenger also includes its regular features on Scripture, prayer and reflection, children’s pages, crosswords and seasonal recipes for the final weeks of summer and the beginning of a new season.
