A Message from the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary in Light of COVID-19

Dear Friends,

We would like to begin by saying that we are in prayerful solidarity with everyone being impacted by the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, now a global pandemic. This virus has brought sickness and even death to a growing number of people. It has also brought worry, fear, shortages of medical supplies and food, economic hardship, and an unprecedented upheaval of our daily lives. Our prayers are with everyone who is suffering. We are also praying for our leaders who are making gravely important decisions about our health and well being.

For us personally, the foundation of our spirituality is the Abandonment Prayer of Charles de Foucauld. It begins: “Father, I abandon myself into Your hands, do with me what You will.” We start each day with this prayer. Under normal circumstances it can be hard to say these words, and now it feels like our faith is really being put to the test. We believe the policy with God is “come as you are.” Our faith may be great or little or somewhere in-between, but no matter what we take time during the day to remember God’s presence, who is always with us as a loving parent. Through every joy and sorrow in the past God was there, and God is here with us now in this present state of trial. Sometimes people say that prayer changes things, but more importantly prayer changes people, it makes us more attentive to the movement of grace in our lives. Every prayer also touches God’s heart. What we need for our greatest good will be given to us. (We have provided the full text of the Abandonment Prayer below.)

The next thing we would like to say is that the mission of the Joseph House continues. We are here to serve people who are poor, hungry, and homeless and to uphold their dignity and worth. Of course, we have had to adapt our operations because of the coronavirus. We are taking the necessary precautions to mitigate the risk of exposure for our volunteers, staff, and clients at the convent, the Joseph House Crisis Center, and the Joseph House Workshop.

Here are specific measures from each department at the Joseph House Crisis Center:

Soup Kitchen: This outreach is closed until further notice. Some of the churches and organizations that normally provide meals are now bringing bagged lunches that we distribute to homeless individuals.

Food Pantry: This continues with social distancing measures in place. People in need present their information at one door and receive their food at another.

Financial Assistance for Emergency Needs: This also continues with social distancing measures in place.

Hospitality Room: This outreach to homeless men and women also continues. We strictly limit the number of people who occupy the room at a given time.

We value to the utmost degree our volunteers and staff for their dedication and courage. They are just a few of the heroes we see all around us. Some of our volunteers have needed to take a temporary break because of their age or other circumstances. We understand and know that their hearts are with us.

In addition, we cannot express enough how much we value our benefactors. We depend on free-will offerings in order to serve the poorest members of our community. The generosity of people is the life blood of the Joseph House and is a sign to us every single day of the goodness that keeps our world from falling apart.

We are deeply grateful for everyone who gives. Whether it is the gift of service, material goods, a monetary contribution, prayer, or any other expression of support, it all makes a difference. The size of the gift is irrelevant–it is all a treasure in our eyes.

Every day we read the news with some trepidation. But underlying any passing fearful emotion is the confidence that we will get through this crisis by working together and caring for one another.

Thank you for reading this message. We will keep you updated on any changes we may need to implement in our ministry. Please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing. Send us your prayer requests and we will lift them up to the Lord.

May God bless all doctors, nurses, and health care workers. May all who work at essential jobs be kept safe. May everyone be sustained by good health in body, mind, and spirit.

All across the globe we see acts of generosity and self-sacrifice. The Holy Spirit is bringing out the best in people. Better days are coming. May we all have a safe passage to that time.

United with you in hope,

Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary

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The Abandonment Prayer of Charles de Foucauld

Father,

I abandon myself into Your hands;
do with me what You will.
Whatever You may do, I thank You:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
and in all Your creatures—
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into Your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to You with all the love of my heart,
for I love You Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into Your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for You are my Father.

Amen.