Page 208 - spiritual_accompaniment_montreal_archdiocese

HOMILIES

After the Prayer of Communion

For three and a half months, I have spoken to priests, pastoral lay leaders, volunteers, via
Zoom, on other platforms or by telephone. I am grateful to God because during the first week
of the health crisis, many of us did not think that it would last long. But we soon found out
that this would last much longer than we thought. People began respond rapidly in service
to our mission during which there was no pause, it continued. Our mission to announce the
Good News, to announce Jesus Christ and to speak of the Kingdom of God. In reality, we are
called to be witnesses to the Word through our actions, our example, and our lives. The
mission continued. But we needed to rediscover how to keep it going, because in the Church,
as in society, much of our lives is based on physical contact and personal relationships! How
then, do we continue our mission? Online platforms, various social media, the internet,
everything that was possible, all became the tools to reach people. What was most surprising
and astonishing were personal accounts from people who had been away from the Church
but who had been touched by this outreach; this included those who have been absent from
the Church for a while, and those had no faith or did not know Jesus. Many have been touched
by the fragility of our circumstances, which we all experience on a daily basis. It is also a time
of rediscovering our own lives and to perhaps realign ourselves with our priorities. Perhaps
we are also realizing more fully that we need God in our lives. I am certain that for many of us,
it had become an occasion to rediscover God – to quench our thirst for God, which He instills
in our hearts.

This is evidence of the amazing hand of God at work! It is much like the tip of the iceberg, a
great deal remains hidden beneath its surface, the great spiritual source alive and active
during the pandemic. I contacted those who were shut-in, many who live alone, some who
were lonely, and others whose network of resources and relationships were suddenly
severed. Many shared with me how this became for them an occasion to renew their personal
prayer life and to also renew their devotion to God. It was a similar experience for many
families. I am thinking of a family who went to Church on Sundays and who, since the
pandemic, pray together every day, more than ever. Though their children might have seemed
a little distracted when they came to Mass, grew to share a prayerful life with their parents —
the family became prayerful. And therefore, a lot of good was present, there was a lot of gentle
tugging at people’s hearts. We try to do things- we try to help, but in the end, Thank God for
He is the most powerful Responder! Because only He has the power to touch our souls in a
profound way.

(cont’d)

Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 208