Sunday 15 November will be the 4th World Day of the Poor and for the occasion Pope Francis has written a message to reflect on, entitled “Stretch forth your hand to the poor”. (Sir 7:32)
For Pope Francis, stretching forth the hand to the poor means first of all to love the poor, going against the globalization of indifference. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own”
The silent cry of so many poor men, women and children should find the people of God at the forefront, always and everywhere, in efforts to give them a voice, to protect and support them in the face of hypocrisy and so many unfulfilled promises, and to invite them to share in the life of the community.
We, as Christians, are responsible for serving others, especially the weakest. This is not an option, but rather a sign of the authenticity of the faith we profess. In fact, the Lord’s blessing descends upon us and prayer attains its goal when accompanied by service to the poor.