Reflection with Canon Pat Browne: I don't care!

I don’t care! Some people will say that straight out. They really don’t care about other people, their suffering, their hardship or anything else that is going on in the world. They are completely wrapped up in themselves and live selfish lives. As I say some of them will tell you straight out I don’t care.

Most are more subtle. They say they care but they don’t really. Problems of homelessness, refugees, climate change, whatever, are always something that other people should be doing something about. They say they care but they don’t. We have seen this recently when some people were complaining that residents of Grenfell Tower were being housed in their area. Yes house them but not in my street!

Our world is very beautiful and there are wonderful things happening in it. But there is a lot of sadness too. We have to care. For many, it is a place of tears.

The tears of bereavement. To lose that special person in our lives. A husband, wife, mother father, child, close friend. They are snatched from our lives and we feel part of us has died with them.

The tears that flow in times of anxiety. You went to the doctor and the doctor had bad news for you. And fear took you over. Fear of the future, for your health.

Then the tears that come as result of betrayal. Someone you had entrusted your innermost secrets to. I’ve heard it said of the awful tragedy of divorce - this person has gone away with my secrets. I’ve told that person things that I have never told another human being because I felt so close to them at that moment. I trusted them with my deepest secrets. Now they’re gone.

Tears were of disappointment. I had so many plans for my future. But my exam results were poor. I was made redundant, I didn’t get that promotion.

Or maybe those tears were just disappointment at yourself. A deep sorrow for your own sinfulness Yes you let God down. Yes you let the community down – but more than anything you let yourself down.

When these times hit us we need to have somewhere to go – for comfort, not for judgement but for acceptance, for understanding.

In today’s Gospel Jesus is saying I care. Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. And people do come to him. Our church here is open every weekday from 8 in the morning until 6 in the evening. And as I pass through it I find so many people have dropped in for a quiet time with the Lord. Sometimes it is just a good habit they have cultivated. Often it is a one-off because of what they are going through at the moment. It is not unuisal to fine some of them in tears. It is good we come to Jesus.

If Jesus cares for us when we are in need. Then he tells us we must also care. For others, for our world, for what is going on around us. We must not turn a blind eye to the needs of others, make sanctimonious noises and do nothing. Armchair Christians! Who have lots of ideas but do nothing. We have homeless people and refugees on our streets in Pimlico. People actually phone me up to tell me and pass the buck. Why don’t they get involved themselves. What is it I can do for that person that they could not do themselves.

There are many of you in our congregation today who care in a very particular way. You are looking after the elderly or the sick or the housebound. Some of you are doing it for a member of your family. Others among you work for a caring agency and wash, feed and shop for mostly elderly or disabled people. Others among you are nurses or doctors. And often, all you get for your trouble is not thanks but abuse. But no matter. You continue to do your best. You get tired. You try to maintain a kindness. You feel guilty that sometimes you are not as generous or kind as you could have been; that you are only doing it out of a sense of duty. But you don’t abandon them.

When you’re tired you too are invited to come to Jesus. He tells us my yoke is easy. My burden is light. He puts love in us and it is this love which makes this heavy work that bit lighter.

This work is God’s work. It is the basic Christian charity to which all of us are called. To be with people when they are most vulnerable.

I invite you now to come forward to have your hands blessed. We pray that the Lord will keep you generous and strong for those who need you and we send you out from this Mass strengthened to continue the good work you do.

(Homily given at Mass on Sunday 9 July 2017 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Canon Pat Browne is parish priest at Holy Apostles, Pimlico, and Roman Catholic Chaplain to the Houses of Parliament