Monthly Prayer: October 2025

October's reflection was written by Jenna Fulton, SCIAF Community Engagement Officer.

As I look back on SCIAF’s 60th Anniversary Mass, which took place last month in St Columbkille’s Parish, I find myself deeply moved. Standing together with so many of our supporters and the Scottish Catholic Community was an experience of faith and unity I will never forget. It reminded me that SCIAF has always been more than a charity- it is a living witness to the Church’s love in action, bringing hope, compassion, and support to those who need it most.

I have been asked more than once, why we don’t use the word ‘celebrate’ when speaking about our 60th anniversary. The answer is simple; it is because the work is not finished. While we give thanks for how far we have come, there is still so much more to do. An anniversary is not an end point, but a call to keep shining the light in the darkness.

The Gospel we heard at the Mass, Mark 4:1–9, reminded me vividly of SCIAF’s journey. In the Parable of the Sower, seeds are sown on different kinds of soil, yet some fall on fertile ground and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold. Over 60 years, SCIAF has seen seeds of hope planted across our parishes in Scotland – seeds of prayer, generosity, and solidarity – grow into transformative action in communities across the world.

I also thought of God’s promise through Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). This is the hope I see alive in our parish communities – a living landscape of hope, stretching from Scotland to the most vulnerable corners of the world.

There is so much to give thanks for: communities supported to thrive, families empowered to build sustainable livelihoods, children given the chance to go to school, emergency lifesaving aid delivered, and millions helped to stand on their own two feet with hope for the future. These are glimpses of God’s Kingdom breaking into our world. Yet the Gospel reminds us that not every seed lands on fertile soil. We are called to tend our work faithfully, nurturing it through prayer, action, and solidarity, so that hope may grow where it is most needed.

Poverty, injustice, and the climate crisis continue to challenge us. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) reminds us that love of our neighbour is not optional- it is the heart of discipleship. Our anniversary is not only a moment of gratitude but also a renewal of our mission.

I left the Mass with a heart full of hope, inspired by the love I witnessed in our community, and confident that together we will continue walking forward. As Jesus commands: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). May that love guide us in every step we take, turning compassion into action and sowing hope wherever it is needed most.