Last week, I attended a ‘meet and greet’ gathering of community leaders in Barrhaven to address the reality of bullying and prejudice in our area and the city at large. As we know, we’re called to embody the virtues of compassion and kindness towards others. This isn’t easy at times, but I urge all of us to reflect deeply on how we can strive to understand one another and to create an environment that’s free from prejudice and bullying.

Our faith teaches us that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, and is deserving of respect and dignity. Jesus said it best when he said: “love one another as I have loved you.”

An offshoot of last week’s community leader gathering is the importance of how we allow others into our lives. Many years ago, I was at a parish that hosted many hall socials. At one of the Christmas socials, I saw a woman with her 3 children sitting alone at a table, while other parishioners were sitting with their usual group of friends. I introduced myself and was interested in knowing who she was. Her husband was on a combat tour overseas, and she had recently moved to the city with her children from another province. Her closest family member was living across the country, and she had no friends in the area. The following week, I preached about the importance of leaving our comfort zones and making room to introduce ourselves to our neighbors and new parishioners who enter our doors. It’s been my experience that our behaviors and attitudes are mirrored in the lives of our children.

May we all work together to love one another as Christ did. The summertime is a unique opportunity to meet new neighbors, and bring a work of encouragement. These are difficult times, and one small act of kindness and compassion on our part, can make a huge difference in helping others to see that that we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Pierre Champoux