Page 141 - spiritual_accompaniment_montreal_archdiocese

HOMILIES

If there are people who have leprosy, there is someone who will go to them to be close to them,
even accepting the risk of falling ill to leprosy themselves.

In the times of the plague, there were people who helped, who took care of the sick, even if it
meant suffering from the plague themselves.
We see this throughout the history of the Church. Together with Jesus Christ, crucified and
resurrected, men and women have given themselves to service to be close to the most desti-
tute, the poorest, the most suffering.

Theirs is not the obvious response! Reaching out to others is not the obvious response to iso-
lation, confinement, and physical distancing. It is not obvious that we have to take care of
everyone, and it is not easy to reach out to everyone.

The Church might like to serve better in this time, but it is not always possible. She would like
to be closest to the poorest, the most destitute, but this is not always possible. This makes
this feast day on May 1 a special opportunity to turn to Mary and to Joseph.

We turn to Mary as the Mother of the Church so that she can provide for us, her children, and
for all humankind. We ask her to take care of all humanity because we recognize, especially
now, that circumstances make it difficult for members of the Church, all of us here, to take
care of each other.

On this feast day of May 1, we also turn to St. Joseph in prayer, asking him to protect those
whom we can no longer protect, as the limitations resulting from the confinement prevent
us from helping them adequately.

In an acute crisis, what may be most difficult is experiencing a sense of loss of power. We
would like to do something for those near to us, but circumstances stand in the way. We
experience how much we are limited in coming to the help of people around us.

Let us remember that God has the power to reach everyone, no matter the depth of their
despair. God has the power to touch every heart, no matter the anguish the heart is experi-
encing. Praying to Mary, praying to Joseph, joining ourselves to them in prayer becomes a
privileged moment to place everyone under their protection and care.

During this Mass, for the first time, I will recite a prayer to ask for the protection of Joseph
for us in a special prayer. And in the course of the celebration, I will consecrate us to Mary, the
Mother of the Church.

(cont’d)

Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 141