“Covid-19 Pandemic is the best opportunity to have a sense that our call involves in helping the poor, spend time around those who suffer and our heart move towards the helpless and hopeless, to bring the mercy and love of God the Father for every man. Pope’s call during this troubled times is a pointer and a boost for us as religious, priests, and baptized laity: we cannot keep our ‘spirits buried behind closed doors’ seeking security, and concerned about our well being. The protocols of existing situations and mutual empathy: we can be beacons of hope and a sign of the certainty of God’s presence in the suffering”: this is what Sister Alexander Lilly writes to Agenzia Fides. Rose, a Sri Lankan nun of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, engaged in the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Sri Lanka, on the eve of the month of October, the month dedicated to missions and in view of the celebration of World Mission Sunday (October 18).

” Firstly – says the nun – let us invoke the Lord Almighty as a prime duty, let us be imbued in His divine presence. Orienting our energies together, a Church on knees which can change the ambiance and fight back the virus and its harmful effects. Secondly, let us dare to say, Here I am, send me Lord, in all the challenging circumstances so that we can allow to win over the grace of God, in our inability may he allow His omnipotence to pierce through, witnessing miracles after miracles”.

Commenting on the Pope’s message for World Mission Day, entitled “Here I am, send me!” (Isa 6: 8), the nun adds: “Mission is a free and conscious response to God’s call; a call to mission can only be discerned when we have a personal relationship of love with Jesus present in his Church. A call is not a career. A career is something we do for ourselves but the call is something we do for God and for His people. Call promises difficulties, suffering, sacrifice, satisfaction, contentment towards, and the opportunity to be used by God. A call continues until we encounter Him in eternity. He called personally and our response is as unique as Individuals. Every call is a call to live in faith and to give light, peace, compassion to humanity”.

Finally, Sister Lilly Rose observes that “our call is often connected to what troubles us deeply”, just like what happened to Moses. Then, she concludes, it is necessary “to discover our call; to begin praying about what troubles us deeply. Thinking of Covid-19 that has taken the lives of thousands of people and caused the rise of poverty, insecurity, and a state of depression, Exactly at this time, the Pope’s World Mission Sunday 2020 message is an invitation and a challenge posed to each one of us”.

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