My fellow parishioners,

So what are we to think about our current crisis?  The whole world is trying to battle a virus, one of the tiniest creatures on planet earth, unable to be seen by the human eye.  Yet this tiny creature has so much power!  It reminds us that human life is fragile, and that we need to set our priorities straight.  Because, one way or another, we are all going to die, and for some of us, it may be very soon.

What are we putting first in our lives?  What have we been doing with our lives?  Where are we going?  What does the future hold? 

I would like to remind you that God created you to live in this time, and not in any other.  He created your soul out of nothing and planted you in the period of time that He willed.  This means that you can be confident that you have all the graces at your disposal to weather through the storm.  You were not meant to live in the idyllic days of medieval Christendom, when the whole culture was Catholic.   You were meant to live now.  This is your summons – to serve Christ and His Church in the here and now, in the context of a secular society seeking happiness is the wrong things and panicking about its physical health while totally ignoring its spiritual health.

But you will be a light to the world.  You will be part of the solution.  You are that remnant of God’s people in a hostile world that will be sanctified by these very circumstances and crosses.  Your purpose is found in relating to these circumstances in a Christian way.

I invite you to think less of yourselves and more of your neighbour.  Yes, we are called to be “socially distant” in order to stop the spread of this virus.  I get that.  But we are also called to love our neighbour as ourselves.  To keep our social ties alive.  We are called to share, not to hoard toilet paper.

Do you know anyone who lives alone?  Do you know people who might need help with their groceries?  Do you know someone who is probably lonely and eager to hear from you by phone? Do you remember the corporal and spiritual works of mercy which we are called to live? 

The corporal works of mercy are:

    To feed the hungry.

    To give water to the thirsty.

    To clothe the naked.

    To shelter the homeless.

    To visit the sick.

    To visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive

    To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

      To instruct the ignorant.

      To counsel the doubtful.

      To admonish the sinners.

      To bear patiently those who wrong us.

      To forgive offenses.

      To comfort the afflicted.

      To pray for the living and the dead.

When we give, we not only help others to be happy, it gives us joy as well.  Think about that this week.

God Bless,

Fr. Erik Deprey, FSSP
St. Clement Parish