Jesus gives us an example of caring for the poor, the outcast, the sinner, the foreigner
and those in need. More than our foibles and weaknesses, St. Mathew’s Gospel
compels us to care for the poor. “When I was hungry, you gave me to eat, etc.” The
secret of this passage is contained in the last sentence. “When you did it to the least of
them, you did it to me.” The way we keep caring for others day in and day out, in good
times and bad times, without losing heart, is by doing it for Jesus and with the example
and energy that Jesus gives us.
It is in the poor that we can find a blessing for us. In their neediness they call forth in
us something that we long for. In their poverty we see our own poverty. This is a good
thing. Jesus tells us that those who have a poverty of spirit will see God. It is in our
own emptiness that God is able to enter our lives in a special way. It is in being needy
that we become open to God’s grace and God’s love. This love can overflow into
seeing Jesus in the poor and allow our giving to continue Jesus’ gift to our world.
- How is God calling you to care for the poor?
- Have you experienced caring for the poor as being a blessing for you?
- Is caring for the poor a part of bringing about the kingdom of God on earth?
O God, give me the grace to care for the poor in the way you are leading me.