By Sister Diane Heiss, SDSH
Can you see the name of JESUS in the picture?
Today is the eighth World Day of the Poor! Pope Francis established this at the end of the Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016 and it was first celebrated in 2017 on the thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year. He rightly states: “… Christian hope embraces the certainty that our prayer reaches God’s presence; not just any prayer but rather the prayer of the poor! Let us reflect on this word and “read” it on the faces and in the stories of the poor whom we encounter daily, so that prayer can become a path of communion with them and a sharing in their suffering.” (Read whole message here)
He was not the first, however, to focus on the absolute necessity of our mindfulness of the poor. Many Old Testament prophets repeatedly proclaimed the same message. Jesus himself referred to the poor: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In this Beatitude he is not advocating absolute poverty, for everyone has a right to the basic necessities of life, including adequate food, clothing, shelter, medicine and education. What then is he saying? What is his meaning? Without God, we have nothing, can do nothing, and are nothing. In fact, we would not even exist, for it is God whose loving care has brought each of us into being. Do we acknowledge our need for God?
So then, how to reconcile actual poverty and spiritual poverty? Not all of us are called to live as Saint Francis, not possessing anything. At the same time, none of us are called to forget God and make achievements, status, and wealth into our God. Hopefully, there are people in our lives whom we deeply love. Hopefully, we have God-given talents and abilities and use them to improve our own lives and the lives of others. Hopefully, we have an adequate amount of what we need so that we are not worrying about where we will sleep and what we will eat. If we do however, do we turn to God and acknowledge our absolute dependence on God? Do we surrender our lives and our very selves to God’s loving providence, trusting that, as it says in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God,” and that somehow, in some way, God is working not only for our own good but also for the good of others?
Who, what and where is our greatest Treasure? What takes the greatest amount of our time and attention? Jesus said that where our treasure is, there our heart is also. Is he our greatest treasure? Do we encounter God in daily prayer, attend Mass minimally on Sundays, receive Jesus in Holy Communion at each Mass, receive His merciful and loving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance (also called Confession or Reconciliation)? Do we recognize the face of Jesus in those around us and respond appropriately? We are all poor in one way or another. We all need God and others. Do we acknowledge this and live accordingly? If not, let’s start today. If so, let’s thank God and ask for the grace to continue.
For Your Family:
- Read the Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Eighth World Day of the Poor in its entirety.
- Decide on the ways your family can reach out to the poor, helping with your time, talent, and loving service, as well as financially.
- Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. Are there people who will be alone? Can you invite some to join your celebration?
- Encourage each family member to make a list of all their talents and treasures, then pray a Litany of Thanksgiving to God for these gifts and ask God’s pardon for ways in which these have been misused.
Published in Orange County Catholic paper 11/17/2024
