USUSRET NOVOJ ŠKOLSKOJ GODINI

BOG NIKADA NE ODUSTAJE.

Ni kada čovjek posustane, ni kada svijet zašuti, ni kada se čini da je sve izgubljeno.

Približava se nova školska godina u Ugandi, pa tako i u našoj regiji Karamoja. Za mnogu djecu to nije vrijeme radosti, nego vrijeme straha i neizvjesnosti. Dok se upisuju posljednja imena, mnoga djeca lutaju od jednih vrata do drugih, noseći u srcu tiho pitanje: Hoće li netko vidjeti mene? Hoće li netko povjerovati u moj život? Njihova je sudbina često u rukama drugih, a oni mogu samo čekati. No i dok čekaju, Bog ih ne prestaje gledati.

Karamoja je regija u kojoj svega dvadeset posto djece ide u školu. Ondje obrazovanje nije samo mogućnost – ono je granica između nade i beznađa, između života i polaganog nestajanja. Bez škole, djeca tonu u glad, nasilje, prisilne brakove, život na ulici, otmice i smrt. Ali ni tamo, u toj dubini patnje, Božja ljubav ne prestaje tražiti čovjeka.

Ovoga su nas dana pogodile i vijesti da Svjetski program za hranu (WFP) prestaje pomagati srednjim školama u distribuciji hrane. Još jedan križ na već iscrpljena leđa djece. Bez hrane i bez obrazovanja, budućnost se zatvara pred njihovim očima. Ipak, Bog ne zatvara vrata. On ostaje prisutan. On hrani nadu ondje gdje čovjek više ne vidi rješenje.

Zahvalni smo Bogu koji po dobrim i plemenitim ljudima i danas čini čuda. Kao misija smijemo biti znak Njegove blizine za oko 2000 osnovnoškolaca, srednjoškolaca i studenata. Po zagovoru svetoga Josipa, Bog je dotaknuo mnoga srca. Njihova je ljubav postala kruh, knjiga, školska klupa i, prije svega, poruka djetetu: Nisi sam. Tvoj život vrijedi.

Često slušamo da treba graditi mnogo toga. Ali Bog uvijek započinje s jednim srcem. Ako se spasi jedan život, rađa se snaga koja pokreće lavinu dobra. Jedno dijete koje osjeti da je ljubljeno postaje svjetlo drugima. Naša je misija možda samo mali kotačić, ali u Božjim rukama i mali kotačić može pokrenuti život koji je, zbog ljudske neosjetljivosti, u jednom trenutku bio zaustavljen.

Bog nikada ne odustaje od čovjeka.

A dok On ne odustaje, ni mi ne smijemo.

⸻

Gospodine, blagoslovi svako dijete Karamoje.

Blagoslovi njihove korake dok traže put,

njihove ruke koje mole

i njihova srca koja se još nadaju.

Budi kruh onima koji gladuju,

svjetlo onima koji hodaju u tami

i snaga onima koji su na rubu odustajanja.

Blagoslovi i sve one koji se otvaraju Tvojoj ljubavi

i postaju odgovor na vapaj malenih.

Neka Tvoja ljubav nikada ne prestane djelovati među nama,

jer Ti, Bože, nikada ne odustaješ od čovjeka.

Amen.

———-

God never gives up.

Not when a person grows weary,

not when the world falls silent,

not when everything seems lost.

A new school year is approaching in Uganda. For many children, this is not a time of joy, but a time of fear and uncertainty. As the final names are being registered, many children move from one door to another, carrying a quiet question in their hearts: Will anyone see me? Will anyone believe in my life? Their fate is often in the hands of others, and all they can do is wait. Yet even as they wait, God never stops looking at them.

Karamoja is a region where only twenty percent of children attend school. There, education is not merely an opportunity—it is the boundary between hope and despair, between life and slow disappearance. Without school, children sink into hunger, violence, forced marriages, life on the streets, abductions, and death. And yet, even there, in the depth of suffering, God’s love never stops searching for the human person.

In recent days, we have also been struck by the news that the World Food Programme (WFP) is ending its support for food distribution in secondary schools. Another cross laid upon the already exhausted shoulders of children. Without food and without education, the future closes before their eyes. And yet, God does not close doors. He remains present. He nourishes hope where human eyes can no longer see a solution.

We are grateful to God who, through good and generous people, continues to work wonders today. As a mission, we are blessed to be a sign of His closeness for about 2,000 primary school pupils, secondary school students, and university students. Through the intercession of Saint Joseph, God has touched many hearts. Their love has become bread, a book, a school desk, and above all, a message to a child: You are not alone. Your life matters.

We often hear that many things need to be built. But God always begins with one heart. If one life is saved, a force is born that sets in motion a cascade of goodness. One child who feels loved becomes a light for others. Our mission may be only a small cog, but in God’s hands, even a small cog can set in motion a life that was once brought to a standstill by human indifference.

God never gives up on the human person.

And as long as He does not give up, neither may we.

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Lord, bless every child of Karamoja.

Bless their steps as they search for a path,

their hands that pray,

and their hearts that still hope.

Be bread for those who hunger,

light for those who walk in darkness,

and strength for those on the edge of giving up.

Bless also all those who open themselves to Your love

and become the answer to the cry of the little ones.

May Your love never cease to work among us,

for You, O God, never give up on the human person.

Amen