Stretch forth your hand

 Today is the fourth World Day of the Poor. This year's theme, chosen by Pope Francis - "Stretch forth your hand to the poor" - almost seems to belong to a non-Covid19 world: a world in which there is no social distancing, no concerns about holding out our hands; no need to fear infection or draw away from anyone outside our "bubble". A world in which services are fully open, and able to welcome in the poor and the homeless; in which churches do harvest collections for local projects, and there are dozens of other options available to anyone else who wants to truly open their hearts and their hands... In fact, the message was published in June, while many countries were still in severe lockdowns, or only slowly beginning to emerge from them. It's therefore a timely challenge to us all, and a reminder that, as Caritas Internationalis say in their reflection for this Day, love does not go on lockdown and close itself away from the poor and vulnerable at their time of great need. 

In my role with Caritas Westminster, I reflected on this, and suggested some possibilities for stretching forth our hands, despite all restrictions. If you read the reflection, you'll see a reference to widening the space of our hearts; to stretching them in generosity and service. This, I suppose, is me writing from my Sacred Heartedness, and a charism rooted in an Open Heart whose love embraces our aching world, and which believes, as our Constitutions say, that Our union and conformity with the Heart of Jesus widens our capacity to love, and to be loved. 

And this is where a daily challenge lies: not in finding ways in stretching forth my hands, but precisely in this widening, stretching, extending of my heart, of my love and my capacity to love. Not just to feel sorry for, or concerned about, but absolutely to love, and to embrace with love, even as I must keep my distance and hold back my hands. And I can only do this in union with the ever-widening Heart of Jesus, through coming to know him, his attitudes and responses, and making them my own.

How can, how do, you widen your heart, and your capacity to love?