OPENING OUR EARS TO THE POOR
The first reading comes from the book of Proverbs. I invite you to reflect, especially on the last phrase of the text, which calls our attention to the poor. He who shuts his ear to the poor man’s cry shall himself plead and not be heard. (Proverbs 21:13)
Last month, the province of Saint Ann prepared a retreat commemorating the 40th anniversary of promulgating the Rule of Life of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Some concrete resolutions from the members’ reflections were that we could not live a complete Eucharistic spirituality without special attention to the poor. We should slowly move towards service as we form different prayer groups, uniting us in adoration and celebration – Service that starts with liturgy in all its dimensions. Then, we shall find satisfaction when our service is directed to the marginalized of our society.
The gospel explains this further. Jesus always had the poor in his mind. These take his time. For us to be in the mind of God, we should first be poor in heart. Then, always think of the poor, especially in action. May we always have the poor in our prayers and give any support for their wellbeing where we can. This could change the life of someone. Through this, we shall be counted as full members of the family of Jesus.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we praise you, especially in your presence among the poor. Help us to realize that the Eucharist is a sacrament of service. May we learn to serve you even more when we donate what we have to support those in need. We make this our prayer through Christ our Lord.
