Newsletter

This week we pray for Tolerance. The willingness to tolerate someone is the fruit of recognising his or her intrinsic worth as a person, no matter their colour, creed, or culture.

People find it too easy at times to be judgmental and to reduce a person’s value because of one comment they have made or the way they look.

It is important to remember that each person is made in the image of God and no one is better than the person next door. We are all equal in the eyes of God.

In the northeast corner of Thailand, away from the sandy beaches, the noisy shopping precincts and the bright night life, there is an orphanage called Sarnelli House. It is what I call a small miracle. For more than 20 years, the workers at Sarnelli House have been providing food, education, health care, security, love and acceptance to children who have been neglected, abandoned and orphaned.

Duc has been on a dramatic and faith-filled journey over the past few years.

His story, first revealed in The Magellan in the January 2016 issue, is about the love and faith that connects him as an asylum seeker with his new Australian family.

Duc fled Vietnam after attending a Mass at a private house in a village in 2012 which the police raided. His companion was taken away and has not been heard of since.

The shocking scenes at Kabul airport — reminiscent of the images of the fall of Saigon in 1975 — highlight the desperate situation many Afghans face following the unexpectedly quick Taliban victory.

In the 1970s, the Fraser government responded generously to the plight of the Vietnamese people seeking refuge in Australia, taking 15,000 refugees a year. In contrast, last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australia will take in 3,000 Afghan refugees.

Many people are missing their old way of life and are frustrated with restrictions and the unpredictability of lockdown. It’s common to feel tired and unmotivated when your usual schedule is disrupted, so it’s important to create a routine that nurtures your mental health. Here are 10 tips to improve your daily life!