RC Archbishop Jason Gordon is warning people that the world’s ongoing crises will only get worse if they continue to live selfishly and neglect their faith.

Officiating at the Ash Wednesday mass at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church in San Fernando, Gordon expressed disappointment at the war in Ukraine and the prolonged pandemic.

“We’ve reached where we’ve reached in the world because our eyes are looking at ourselves, what we want, what we need and what we desire. Our eyes are moving from the Lord.

“When we look at the world from ‘what I want, what I need, what I desire,’ we are looking at the world in a particular way where conflicts arise.”

With this in mind, he urged churchgoers to use this year’s Lenten season to pray, repent, fast and take part not only to renew their faith but to mend the world’s “fragility.”

While people often prioritise receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, he said this year must be different as everyone must be committed to upholding the spirit of Lent throughout the entire season.

“We’ve found ourselves plunged into a world of fragility that we’ve not known for a long time…this is the most fragile we’ve been when it comes to peace in my lifetime."

But, he said, “Our peace is not in (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s hand or in the hands of America or NATO, our peace is in the hands of the Lord who made heaven and our earth.

“If covid is out of our hands, and if the war in Ukraine is out of our hands…it seems our safety is not in our hands any more, it belongs to God.”

While Gordon said the world was in a perilous time in its modern history, he reminded churchgoers to be comforted in their belief that God is committed to their well-being.

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