Bishop James Curry at Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem Summer Mass, St Mary's, Chelsea

Bishop James Curry, Prior, Westminster Section of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, delivered this homily yesterday, during their Summer Mass at St Mary's, Cadogan Street, Chelsea. The full text follows:

We gather today for our Summer Mass, our hearts open to the Word of God, which speaks to us of joy, hope, and the profound mystery of God's presence among us.

The Word of God present us with a beautiful tapestry of divine promise and human response, culminating in Mary's magnificent hymn of praise, the Magnificat.

The Prophet Zephaniah, bursts forth with an invitation to exultation: "Sing aloud, O daughter Zion! Shout, Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!"

This is a call to joy, not born of earthly triumph, but from the assurance of God's presence. Zephaniah proclaims, "The Lord, your God, is in your midst . This presence of the Lord is the source of true joy, for wherever God is, evil is overcome, and life and peace triumph, transforming hearts and instilling an impetus for good.

That may be hard to believe in this dark moment of the history of the Holy Land.

This a time for Courage, not only for our Christian sisters and brothers in their suffering and passion in the Holy Land whether in Taybeh, Gaza, the Occupied Territories, Israel or Jordan. But also, to us here in England.

We as an Order need to keep faith with the Church of Jerusalem, in the land of our Saviour's life, death and resurrection. In this Mass we renew our commitment to be a faithful friend, helping to create positive facts on the ground. We are steadfast in our support of the Living Stones and we need to be resolute in our assurance to our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land that we are committed to playing our part of their future.

We have listened to that familiar passage of scripture recalling the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Elizabeth, a woman marked by barrenness, now sings under the sign of fruitfulness and astonishment. Her greeting to Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Lk 1:42-45)

Elizabeth's words highlight Mary's profound faith. Mary is blessed because she believed that God's word would be fulfilled. And in response to this blessedness, Mary pours forth her soul in the Magnificat: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" (Lk 1:46-48) .

The Magnificat is not simply a personal song of joy; it is a canticle that expresses the hope-filled expectation of the "poor of the Lord" . It is an awareness that God has fulfilled His promises, remembering His mercy from generation to generation, just as He promised.

Mary's joy stems from knowing that God has "looked upon" her despite her "lowliness" Her poverty .

The Church never tires of returning to the words of this canticle, repeating them daily at Vespers, giving thanks to God for the Incarnation of His Son. The Magnificat is a hymn that expresses a faith tested by generations of women and men who placed their hope in God. It is the thanksgiving of one who knows the hardships of life but trusts in God's redemptive work.

My brothers and sisters, what does this mean for us today?

Like Zephaniah's prophecy and Mary's song, we are called to rejoice in the Lord's presence in our midst. Even in times of difficulty, sorrow, or uncertainty, we are invited to remember that God is with us, and that His love has the power to renew all things, starting with our own hearts.

The Church in the Holy Land has been faithful to that vocation, and continues to be in all her travails.

The Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us the profound power of humility and faith. Mary the "lowly handmaiden," becomes the dwelling place of God.

Her "yes" to God's will, her belief in the Lords promises, allowed the greatest miracle of salvation history to unfold. We too are called to say "yes" to God in our daily lives, to trust in His plan, even when we do not fully understand it.

Above all the Magnificat reminds us of God's preferential love for the humble and the poor. It is a call to recognize God's mercy that spreads over all people, especially those most in need.

Friends, who can be in more need then those women, children and displaced persons in Gaza who hunger and thirst? As Pope Leo has declared before the world; starvation and hunger cannot be used as weapons of war.

Today I ask you to hold in your prayers the beleaguered community of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. They are living the reality of the Magnificat. The parish continue to give a faithful and costly witness to hope, dialogue and fraternity. Their situation is dire. Why were the attacked on Thursday by the IDF?

The women, children and displaced persons sheltering in the parish, and beyond in the occupied territories and Gaza have a right to expect protection from those who have a duty to care for them under international treaties, and law.

Before God - We raise our voices in prayer and protest today at such a humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes.

I am sure you like me are grateful for the statement from our Grand prior and new Lieutenant. Together with the Holy Father, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Latin Patriarch and Heads of the Churches in the Holy Land we call for a ceasefire and immediate relief to all those in need. We pray for all who have died and all who wait the return of family members held hostage.

Dear Knights and Dames, dear friends, since the end of the 19th century, our Order has suported the Latin Patriarch and the wider Christian community. 41 patriarchal schools have been built in Israel, Palestine and Jordan we have a commitment to fund their running costs. Today more than 19,000 pupils and students attend these schools, from nursery classes through elementary, middle and upper school, as well as in a number of technical schools. On average, the student breakdown is 60% Christian (Catholics, Orthodox, etc.) and 40% Muslim.

The Order's involvement with education is a more urgent and vital reality in the region, than ever before. Because of the need to rebuild and reimagine how to enable people of different races and religions to begin again to live in peace and mutual respect. Education plants the seeds of a new reality. Helping to build the new world in the ashes of the old.

Our Order also helps sustain the running costs of the Patriarchate and its 68 parishes, the salaries of nearly 1,600 teachers and other staff in the educational establishments, along with the costs of the patriarchal seminary, orphanages and clinics, and those of the Patriarchate's new enterprises and other ongoing projects (including the construction of housing for young Christian families) the need and costs are real. Such substantial costs can only be sustained thanks to the generosity of the active Members of the Order. Thank you for your generosity and faithfulness. Our help has never been more needed. Creating a new society within the shell of the old.

Lord give us Courage. May our hearts always been open to the cry of the poor. May we never cease to magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour, now and in generations to come. May God bring peace to the Land we call cherish and call Holy.

LINK

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem: https://eohsj.org.uk/