When you think of the poor, is it someone unknown to you in a faraway land? That may be true, but that kind of thinking also puts a buffer between ourselves and those in need.
A stray reminder can lead us to relive a long-ago injury--one received, one given. It's humbling to recall that we acted or reacted in anger, with ugliness--that we even hold a grudging memory today.
So often we are kind to others, yet we do not extend that same kindness to ourselves. We should see ourselves with the same loving eyes as our Creator does.
Can you have joy in a difficult time? Can you experience wonder and beauty, and rejoice in a time of pandemic? For St. Paul, joy is trusting that in all things God is your companion.