The final in this year's series of monthly devotions in honour of Our Lady, La Divina Pastora, took place on Sunday, March 11. We took the sacred image in motorcade through the streets of Siparia and the people of our town welcomed her by coming out of their homes, filming the motorcade and taking pictures, displaying placards and banners of welcome, and festooning the statue with flowers and petals.

I shall always remember the little boy on Ma Happy Drive, who ran from his home and clambered up a tree, Zacchaeus-style, the better to see the image passing by.

A short presentation on the contribution of Fr Modeste Osenda, parish priest of Siparia from 1906-1923, was made at one point during the motorcade.

Back at the church, members of our satellite communities - Thick, Mendez and Quarry Villages, who also carried out choir and other liturgical duties, led the rosary. Mass was celebrated by Fr Matthew D'Hereaux, who was paying his very first visit to Siparia.

In his homily, based on the parable of the non-productive fig tree, Fr Matthew made it clear that every one of us must be ever conscious of who we are as Catholic Christians, baptised and redeemed by the sacraments, and possessing dignity because we share in the sonship of God, with Jesus Christ. Therefore we have every reason to be filled with hope, love and confidence, knowing beyond doubt that God is our Father.

Fr Matthew said that the story of the fig tree is meant to shock us into understanding what we are meant to do with that love we receive through our sonship - each one of us is to bear the fruit of that love by sharing the gifts we have received - mercy, love, generosity, kindness, etc.

Every time we receive God's forgiveness, we are to pass it on to others, and so with all the gifts we receive in such abundance from God – those we get from going to Holy Mass, from praying the rosary, from making Eucharistic Holy hours, from going on pilgrimages. We are to pass these gifts on to all we meet, even to those who put our Christianity to the test.

Jesus told us, "Take up your cross and follow me." If we can only be holy while we are in the church building, then something is wrong with our Christianity.

When we pray, let us concentrate not so much on asking for material gifts, but for spiritual gifts, such as the ability to pray well, knowledge of right living, love, mercy, forgiveness, etc., and then pass these on to others, so that we can bless them.

He asked the haunting question: "We are receiving; what are we giving?" Our rule of life ought to be "God first, others second, self third." Then, inviting us to close our eyes, Father directed us to ask ourselves, "What fruit will I bear this week?"

As Genevieve Pereira-John was soulfully rendering the meditation hymn, Gentle Woman, Father had a quiet moment of prayer before the statue of Our Lady, La Divina Pastora.
We thank you, Fr Matthew, for challenging us so deeply by your beautiful homily, and for your offering Mass on that day. Come again, any time!

Our thanks also go out to the parishioners from our three sister-communities, and to the committee and all helpers.

We now await our grand feast-day, April 29. We invite everyone, from all parishes, to come visit and honour Our Lady in greater numbers than usual, marking 250 years of her presence, and that of her Son, Our Lord, present among us.