Page 125 - spiritual_accompaniment_montreal_archdiocese

HOMILIES

Jesus Christ has the power to comfort us, no matter how lonely we are, no matter how
isolated we are, no matter what economic uncertainty we face in our future. The light of Jesus
Christ, Jesus Christ resurrected who is light, has the power to warm our heart, no matter
what sorrow we bear at the loss of a loved one. I repeat: the risen Jesus Christ has the power
to comfort our heart, to give peace to our heart, to give strength to our heart.

He also has the power to enlighten us. How do we move forward? What can I do to get closer
to my parents, my grandfather, or my grandmother who are alone? What can I do to be close
to those who are sick? What can I do to keep up the fight if I am in a hospital working as a
doctor, a nurse, or an auxiliary nurse? If I do not know whether I will survive because I am
constantly exposed to this wretched virus? What can I do?

In addition to giving us inner peace, the light of Jesus Christ also has the power to enlighten
us. It has the power to guide us in our actions and in our words. It guides us even when we do
not know how long the night will last. This in itself, not knowing how long the night will last
is part of the mystery of the night. When it is night and we know that the day is coming, all we
do is simply wait until the sun rises.

Today, we have sunk into a strange night, towards the bottom. We do not know how long the
night of this sickness will last, this night of the pandemic that now confronts us. In this
special time, let us remember that the light of Christ has the power to guide us. It can support
and accompany us, whatever night surrounds us, for however long the night might last. Jesus
Christ is the light in the night that we need.
Even when a light in the night seems fragile, it still illuminates. Even when a light in the night
seems very weak, it is enough to guide the next step. And the light of Jesus Christ is a powerful
light. No darkness can prevent it. All it depends on is whether our heart is open, on whether
our heart is open to him, on whether we choose to open our heart to him.

Through his warmth and his light, Jesus Christ enables us to recognize our vulnerability. It is
not easy to face our weakness! Sometimes, when we let ourselves be taken up by our activism,
when we are in the heat of the moment, we forget our weakness.

In the light of the night, the night of this pandemic, we are confronted with our weakness:
our personal weakness, family weakness, and social weakness. We are frightened when
confronted with our own vulnerabilities and weaknesses. But the light of Jesus Christ is also
warmth. It is a light that enlightens, it is a divine light that gives warmth.

(cont’d)

Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 125