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The Lord’s presence is with us during this long and tedious recovery period
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October 29, 2021My dear friends in Christ:
When I chose my episcopal motto in 2007, I chose a phrase that has always spoken to me in my life and in my priesthood, which are the words from the Prophet Isaiah 40:1: “Comfort my people.” I chose those words as my episcopal motto because I have known the Lord’s comfort in my life at difficult times. It is my experience and my sure and certain faith that God desires to come to us, to comfort us, and to guide us through the challenges of life.
Never more in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux do we need these words from the Lord than we do now. The historic events surrounding Hurricane Ida have changed and will change all our lives. Times such as this elicit a variety of emotions. Some of us are fearful, others may feel overwhelmed, and still more of us have questions. I myself have felt all of these emotions as the days since Hurricane Ida have felt like an interior roller coaster. Wherever you are and whatever you are feeling, I want to be with you and invite you to hear the words of the Lord: “Comfort my people.” As we all continue to journey through the long and tedious recovery period after the hurricane, the Lord desires for us to know of his presence with us and to comfort us in various ways.
The Lord wants to comfort us in prayer. I invite you not to forget the power of prayer, Mass and other forms of liturgical worship in this time of uncertainty. As you watch the television or listen to the radio, as you deal with the many demands that are placed upon us in these days of challenge, may I invite you to consider praying a decade of the rosary or forms of prayer throughout the day. As you respond to many demands and attempt to meet various deadlines, do not forget to keep holy the Lord’s Day on Sunday by attendance at Mass. If you are a person who adores the Lord in eucharistic adoration, allow the Lord to comfort you during this time and pray for God’s comfort upon others for their benefit. Our attention to prayer in these ways roots us in our relationship with the Lord at this difficult time, and serves as a reminder to us of God’s comforting presence with us.
The Lord wants to comfort us with prudence. Times such as these can tempt us to act out of emotion rather than wisdom. We all know that difficult times can place before us the temptation to be disillusioned and act only on the emotion of the moment. As we make significant decisions, I urge us to use prudence in our decision making.
The Lord wants to comfort us with community. My friends in Christ, we will get through this. We will persevere together. Since my moving here in 2013, I have come to discover many things about the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, and one of them is that we are a strong people and a people of strong faith. God is with us, and often times we experience his presence through others. While I don’t know what our future holds post Hurricane Ida, what I do know is that we are stronger together.
With you, dear brothers and sisters, I believe that our hope is in the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord is with us now, and will be journeying with us in the coming weeks and months as we continue to recover from Hurricane Ida, bestowing upon us his comfort and his strength. As we seek God’s comfort, let us also be willing to comfort one another, to lift one another in prayer before the Lord, and to always remember that we will get through this together! I remain grateful for your faith, for your generosity, and for your presence in our community. Our help is in the name of the Lord, and our hope and our trust are rooted in the living God!
Blessings and peace to you all!