DEAR EDITOR: After spending two glorious days with my family in Brasso Seco, Paria. I thank God for family with whom you can relax, listen to the birds and sing.

We sang such songs as Crying in the Chapel, The Impossible Dream, Its No Secret What God Can Do. We also prayed the Rosary. I said to myself, family life is truly the stronghold of society.

As I took up various newspapers to catch up with the news the headlines depressed me – “Six people die in smash up”, “Policeman chopped,” Priest’s brothers gunned down”, “Trinidadians among four in plot to blow up JFK airport”. What madness! I thought of the number of families who are in mourning. Where are we heading? What’s going wrong?

My personal belief is that we can change our country around. The strife, competition and confusion among families, community, Church is crippling our country. Families are in bondage because everybody wants to control! We must have leaders and followers and determine the leaders who work to uplift and those who work to destroy.

 Too many people make themselves gods and judge people. If a pastor, police or anyone in authority makes a mistake or is in the wrong, do not condemn all, because here in our beautiful country we have lots of good priests, police and men and women in authority.

When things go wrong, no one takes blame and the buck is passed on. When will we wake up? If something is wrong it is wrong. If every week the wrong is polished to make it right, then what you call false accusations appear real. Let me quote from Janice James book Called to the Deep : “Whose voice are you listening to?

The voice of destruction or the voice of peace and love. John’s voice had a divine purpose that was to prepare the way of the Lord.” Today the voice of the Lord is still resounding through his messengers with a message for the church.

It is a message for the church, community, family and the society. It is a message that can clearly be heard by those who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. A call from God to the Church.

“Arise come up higher, seek my face and experience the deeper things I have in store for you.”

This is a call for freedom from bondage. A call to all categories of believers in the Body of Christ; to those who are lying on the bed of laziness, idleness and emotionalism, unforgiveness, those who are bound by spirits of instability, unfaithfulness, arrogance and disobedience, those who are frozen by tradition and religion.

It is directed to those who have either given up or contemplating such a move. We need religion, Church, family, but without love we get nowhere.

Let us stand for integrity, honesty and the qualities that lift up society. Strive for the best for our country.
Cassilda Bart, Arima

DEAR EDITOR:I felt good reading and seeing that Catholic Engaged Encounter is still going strong in Trinidad.

My husband and I did the Engaged Encounter 20 years ago. It was a beautiful experience. Fr Rodriguez was my parish priest then.

It did my heart good to see him on the Catholic News looking so well.
Fr Rodriguez was the priest at our Engaged Encounter and we will never forget him. May God bless him with good health and long life.

Kay and Wilfred Holder, it is so nice to hear about you also. Kay used to be my choir director in Arouca.

Allyson Raeburn-Roberts and Nico Roberts, good friends of ours. Keep up the good work with our young couples.
May God bless all of you for doing such good work.

Gale Fay Robinson (formely Mansingh) & Roger Robinson, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Cocoa, Florida.

Even if you did something wrong
Repent, God forgives and won't let you down.
Prayer and malice never go together
Peace and love keep you strong on God's shoulder.

Life is God's gift, you don't have to pay,
Wrapped up for you every day.
God is so exceptional,
He supplies your needs after all.

Only here for some time on earth,
So humble yourself don't be curt.
Open your eyes to see
God lifts you up to more than you can be.

Sue Jerome-Scott, St Mary’s, Mucurapo