COVID-19 - National Chaplains Message

From the CPG National Chaplain

As a result of this pandemic, those things we often took for granted, Mass and the Sacraments, have been replaced by uncertainty as our normal way of life is put on hold and that which was once so familiar has become unfamiliar. It is at such times as these that we need to remind ourselves and hold onto the promise made to us by Our Lord that he will be with us always, even to the end of time. For the promise he made to his disciples all those years past, he makes anew to each of us once more, especially as these days, weeks and possibly months of uncertainty continue play out. You will remember how a scribe once asked Our Lord: “Which is the first of all commandments?” and how Jesus replied, “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all heart, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these”. During this time of so much uncertainty, we should remember these words of Jesus, especially in relation to those around us, our neighbours; some of whom may be old and frail and experiencing great difficulties, of isolation, loneliness abandonment and even depression. Any assistance we can give, however great or small, should be done generously, for as Jesus also reminds us in the Gospel’s, “when you do this to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do it to me”. To our colleagues continuing to parade on and patrol our streets we pray for your safety as you endeavour to keep us safe; as we also pray for all our emergency services and all NHS staff, who despite long and arduous hours continue to minister to the needs of our communities. Without doubt these are difficult times, but together and with faith, we will make journeys end, so the prayer of Salford Diocese we now make our own…Stay with us Lord on our Journey. Fr. Barry Lomax The National Chaplain.