By Jackson Saunders
While I am little lost for words, as I begin my monthly ‘Roman View,’ I am filled with a sense of hope and joyful trust in God.
No one would have expected the events of recent weeks due to the corona virus in Italy, Australia and across the world. The situation has left many confused and unsure about what to make of the situation, which the World Health Organisation has declared as a global pandemic.
Yet, in the midst of all of this, I have been reminded about the importance of living in the present moment. This is not to downplay the seriousness of the situation; however, it is a reminder for me to make the most of what we have today.
While Italy has been deeply affected by the corona virus, the country has gone into lockdown and universities have closed until further notice, I have been blessed to be able to continue university studies online since returning to the Diocese of Sandhurst in Australia on March 19.
Jackson Saunders in Rome, 2020
We are continually called to put our trust in God whenever we read the Scriptures. Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34).
As I continue my studies for the priesthood, I am reminded time and again through my life experiences of the wisdom of these words of Jesus. These words, which call us to live the present moment, and to put our trust in God.
This has been a focus for me in my first year in Italy in my academic studies. It has been a major transition to go from studying theology in English in Melbourne to studying in a foreign language.
When I began sitting theology lectures in Italian at the start of October last year, there were many times when it felt like that the only thing which I understood in the lecture was “Buongiorno!” That is, “Good Morning!” For me this was a vastly different experience to my time at university where I could almost type a complete manuscript of the lectures on my computer.
While I applied myself with diligence to my studies, I also had to accept that things were beyond my control and that I would not be able to understand everything. In doing this, however, I found freedom, as I put my trust in God. Therefore, with joyful hope I trusted that when exams came at the end of the first semester that everything would be okay. And it was!
However, I am willing to admit that being attentive to the present moment, was not always easy. This continues to be the case for all of us, as we face the many and diverse challenges of life.
As Australians we have shown in recent months that we can respond to the challenges of life with great resilience. This we often refer to as the ‘Aussie Spirit.’
The bushfire crises of the summer have illustrated how in tough times we rally together.
As I watched the bushfire situation unfold in Australia, including in our beloved Sandhurst Diocese, from the eternal city of Rome, I was inspired by the way that we cared for each other.
The generosity was so overwhelming that emergency relief centres were overflowing with supplies and countless appeals for bushfire relief were held across the country. Meanwhile, the AFL’s greatest stars united to bring back an old footy tradition, State of Origin, to raise money and show support for bushfire victims.
May these recent experiences we have lived through help us to overcome the challenges we face in the days ahead, as we respond to the corona virus pandemic. May the anxiety we are facing in Australia not overtake us. May we place our trust in God and once again support each other by being attentive to the present moment in the situation we are in.
I finish with a few words from Australian musician, John Williamson, in his song, Tomorrow’s Worries, which I have been thinking about in recent days: “Don’t let tomorrow’s worries get in your way. Tomorrow’s worries belong to another day. Then, you can let them in and make a cup of tea, but tonight they can sit out there patiently.”