WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

Who are the poor?
The one who is without shelter through no fault of their own.
The one who is dependent on alcohol or pain medication.
The one who visits food banks in order to provide nourishment for their children.
The one who fears being deported because their refugee status is deemed unsubstantiated.
The one who is a pregnant teenager without parental support.
The one who feels like a zombie when they take their prescribed medication.
The one who is isolated from family and friends.
The one who is working two jobs at minimum wage in order to cover the rent.
The one who is trapped in illiteracy because they have an undiagnosed learning disability.
The one who is judged mentally challenged because they have a speech impediment.

Sometimes a person has multiple identities that make their life very complicated and the social services are ill equipped to intervene to assist. When our social safety net is itself compromised and not able to respond, individuals live with stress levels that break them. What can we do to help?

St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) directs us with this prayer:

Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on the world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands. Yours are the feet.
Yours are the eyes. You are his body.

What are you going to do today to respond to the cry of the poor?

Pat Carter, CSJ is a disciple, a teacher and an advocate for the poor. She has been a Sister of St. Joseph for more than half of her life and loves to use words to inspire faith and laughter. She is a cantor at her parish of St. Jerome’s in Sault Ste. Marie.