God bless Aussies!

A friend of mine sends along this note from a friend of his in Brisbane:

“The last three weeks as the crisis has moved from place to place around the state has numbed everyone, I think. Today, the Brisbane newspaper devoted its front page to photographs of those who had died in the disaster – and I found myself crying as I looked at the faces of children and grand parents and ordinary men and women. It’s heart breaking. They have now released the names of those who are still missing, hoping that somehow they have been accommodated somewhere and haven’t made contact with family. This is a vain hope really but only yesterday one man who had been swept away in flood waters was found alive eighty-six kilometres from where he disappeared.

“The decency and transparent goodness of those who have volunteered to help is inspiring. Even though the news coverage has been very sobering, it’s good to read newspaper stories that make you proud to be a human being instead of ashamed of it. Some of the stories are lovely: a helicopter pilot rescues a bride from one side of the flooded river so she can be married on Saturday. A young teenager who only knew five songs on his guitar busks in the streets – and raises a thousand dollars for flood victims. People are wonderfully kind and generous. There’s something in the Australian character that is at its best in trouble.

God bless you,”

This seems so emblematic of the Aussie national character. Good, good people Down Under. May God our Father see you through this suffering through Jesus Christ and may Mother Mary and St. Mary MacKillop pray for you.