"May the Lord rejoice in his work!" This response to Psalm 104 today serves as an appropriate response to the creation of God as illustrated in the first reading. We are truly grateful for the splendour of God's creation. With this comes our responsibility towards restoring nature from its present disastrous state to her original beauty. This demands from us, His creatures, a constant adherence to the call of reconstruction and reconciliation with nature and our fellow human beings.

This is precisely what Jesus did to reveal His identity and divinity as the Son of God and healer. Today's Gospel reading gives evidence to this truth. This work of restoration and reconciliation is indeed the urgent call to those who are concerned with the present situation in the world. The prevailing phenomenon of terrorism expects us Christians to pray unceasingly and to work zealously for "world peace", thus echoing the prayerful wish from AMOR (Asian Meeting of Women Religious) to all in Asia, in their 2002 New Year message.

"Pain and tragedy can result from a world that is still unfinished and evolving. In the beginning, God started to draw order out of chaos, but pockets of chaos remain. Have patience with the incompleteness of the world and its creatures, including yourself."