RED Wednesday 2023

This year, our RED Wednesday service took place on the evening of November 22nd. The service was enhanced by the Exposition and benediction prior to Mass and thee Mass itself also enhanced by the words of Katey Lowrey, who taught us about the importance, the personal nature of, and the meaning that RED Wednesday should have across all religions.

Our home looked its majestic self lit up to reflect the blood being spilt in the name of religion.

As usual, Our Home looked stunning in RED, both inside and out.

November 2020

Red Wednesday marks a day of reflection and solidarity for our brothers and sisters across the globe who are persecuted simply because of their faith. We wear red to stand up and show that we care about people across the world suffering violence because of their faith. We believe that each person is free to decide what religion they should or should not be.

On this day, we stand together with persecuted Christians across the globe.

A Prayer for Freedom of Faith

We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters everywhere, in every country, every nation and state.

We stand for the freedom to practice our faith and religion, safely.

Today we wear red.

In todays world we see injustice in almost every walks of life. Its not fair. Red is the Christian colour of martyrdom. Christians are the most persecuted faith group in today’s world, and today we are gathered to honour all members of our Christian family who suffer and die for their faithfulness to Christs message of peace and love.  We are also gathered to highlight injustices perpetrated against all faiths, because the rights of people of faith are largely ignored in a society whose secular focus knows little about religion and cares even less. Tonight, we celebrate mass for those who can’t, our voices on behalf of the voiceless will be heard.

Today we wear red for all those around the world fighting to freely practice their faith.

Over the last year increased fighting within northern Syria between Turkish and Kurdish forces has forced hundreds of Christians to flee their homes. In the town of Qamishli there are around 2,300 families who are at risk of persecution if they remain. No one knows what is happening. Every hour there are reports from the Kurds, the Turks, the Americans and the Russians, of victims and people fleeing and the worsening of the situation. But no one knows the real truth. The only thing they know for certain is that the bombings and, above all, the massacres committed against our wider community are forcing more and more Christians to flee.

Today we wear red for all those around the world fighting to freely practice their faith, and for those who have lost their lives because of their faith.

Father Nidal Thomas, a senior priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Hassake, warned the exodus is threatening to grow. He said that “We are the weakest link, because we want to live in peace and reject war. Two-thirds of the Christians have left the country and the remaining third risks being unable to survive.”

“And meanwhile, the Western countries are fighting among themselves to divide up Syria, which has been brought to its knees also by the international sanctions.

“There were thousands of Christian families in our country. No one attempted to defend us.”

Today we wear red for all those around the world fighting to freely practice their faith, for those who have lost their lives because of their faith, and for those who have to start over and rebuild their Christian community.

In July 2015, a homemade bomb disguised as a football was deliberately placed in the playground of a Christian school in Kolkata (Calcutta), India where it detonated. The explosives were hidden inside the ball which had been sealed with tape and placed in the school grounds. Young people came across the ball as they cleaned the playground ahead of a planned football match. One of the young people present picked up the ball and passed it to his friend. The bomb exploded when the other person missed the ball and it hit a wall instead. Let us think about those young people who were victimised because of their faith.

Today we wear red for all those around the world fighting for their faith, for those who have lost their lives because of their faith, for those who have to start over and rebuild their Christian community and for those people and organisations who are not bending to pressure to change their beliefs.

Today we wear red.

Today we have openly practiced our faith, because we can. 

Reflection

There was a little girl who was sick with a rare disease. The doctors tried to cure her, but she kept getting sick. The doctor called the other family members into a private room.

The doctor explained that, to fight this disease, the young girl would need a blood transfusion by someone who had been cured of that same disease. Since her brother had already overcome that disease, and he had the same blood type, he was the ideal donor. 

The doctor asked the young boy if he would be willing to donate his blood to his sister. The young boy was very quiet. As the doctor waited for a response the small boy, with his bottom lip trembling, finally said," Ok, I'll do it.”

No one said anything but the doctor noticed how sad the boy was as he said goodbye to his parents. As doctors wheeled the two children down the hall to the hospital room the young boy turned to look at his sister a few times, and as their eyes met, he simply smiled at her. 

When the two children finally reached the room, they were put into two chairs beside each other. The doctor started the procedure for the blood transfusion.

The young boy watched his blood go from his body into his sister's. Trying to hold back the tears, he finally broke the silence with, "Doctor, when am I going to die?" The doctor then realized why the boy had looked so worried. To the young boy, giving his blood meant giving his life.

The love that this brother had for his sister is the same love our brothers and sisters across the globe are showing they have for our God. The love that they have for their faith.