Dear Friends in Christ
Although the Gospel at Mass for this Sunday of Lent tells of the Healing of the Man Born Blind, I've chosen the image for this Sunday of St Charles Borromeo giving Holy Communion to victims of the Plague in Milan in 1575. As Archbishop of Milan, St Charles was an exemplar of a good and devoted pastor, who was tireless in teaching the Faith, reforming the Clergy and not sparing himself in his apostolic endeavours. He instructed his priests at the time of the Plague:
Be ready to abandon this mortal life rather than the people committed to your care. Go forward among the plague-stricken as to life, as to a reward, even if there is only one soul to be won to Christ.
He initiated penitential processions though the city of Milan to implore God to deliver the people from this fatal epidemic. Speaking last Friday at Mass, Pope Francis said:
I would like, today, to pray as well for pastors, who must accompany the People of God in this crisis: that the Lord give them the strength and the wherewithal to choose the best means for helping. Drastic measures, are not always good.
Francis went on to specify:
Let the people of God feel themselves accompanied by their pastors: by the comfort of the Word of God, the Sacraments, and of prayer. In former times of greater Faith, Christians would see such phenomena as a reminder to them that, whilst God does not will evil, He allows it so that a greater good may come from it.
You may be aware by now that all public worship in our churches has been suspended. However, priests will continue to celebrate Mass and I intend to keep to the daily schedule of Masses here with the exception of Sunday when there will be a Mass only at 11.30am. All of the liturgies can be followed on the live-stream via the Parish website: lourdesleigh.org/live. In addition, after Mass each day there will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for private visits and prayer. The side door from the courtyard will remain open. Please continue to practice good hygiene and social distancing in church. In this time, we all need Our Blessed Lord close to us more than ever. I assure you that even though I won’t see many of you for a while, you are ever in my thoughts and prayers, especially at Mass. Of course, I am very happy to go to anyone who needs me; please just call or email.
In these unusual times, the major concern is always for the good of others, and primarily for their spiritual good. We all need to be considerate of other members of the Community by following the norms that have been proposed for us to follow, even if they are inconvenient and unpleasant. We are all in this together, so let us pray that God will be merciful to His people, especially the sick and suffering and those who bear the burden of civil responsibility for our well-being. This Lent we have been given a special trial in our world which, if we see it with supernatural vision — with the eyes of Faith — can purify us and move us to see how everything on this earth is relative to the life to come. Our brief and fleeting life on earth is but a prelude to eternal life. Like the Man Born Blind in the Gospel of this Sunday, we are invited to live not by seeing the things of this world more clearly, but seeking that which is above!
God bless you all and keep you safe and secure in His love.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
The Sunday Homily is available as a podcast at LourdesLeigh.org