Puttinu Cares Foundation is today synonymous with solidarity and faith. This noble initiative provides an opportunity for all to stop and think.
Same as Peppi Azzopardi (Xarabank, March 29), I am struck by the generosity of parents like Amber’s who – despite the passing away of their only daughter – continue supporting enthusiastically this great cause. To me, this is almost the ultimate in love and generosity.
Amber’s father was a perfect witness to the beauty of Jesus Christ in such a tragic situation when he spoke of how he explained to Amber that, close to Jesus, she will have her hair back and she will be so happy there. Pope Francis would be delighted to hear such a simple but profound Christian message.
How could a person speak so serenely, although broken hearted, if not with the conviction of the supreme advantage of knowing Jesus? As St Paul says: “I believe that nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3.8.).
Amber’s father would equally be convinced of the answer he would give to Jesus when He asks, as in John 11:26: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall live; and whoever lives and believes in me, shall never die. Do you believe this?”
In this context, Mother Teresa’s quote truly makes sense: “I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
With Puttinu Cares in mind, how can one refuse to include Jesus in our everyday life, including in politics when what politics is about is the improvement of people’s lives?
Society can only benefit from a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It is when one deviates from these principles that problems start to crop up like, for instance, when not enough importance is given to respect for human dignity through sensitivity in customer care and effective communication. It is vital for a political party to be loyal to its roots, especially if these are Christian values. These will always be relevant as the basis of every genuine success both in private and public life.
Puttinu Cares provides a lesson for life across the board and at all times. Faith opens up the mind to truth, which is then explored. Social solidarity maintained through its interdependence of its component parts gives real meaning to life.