the cry of the poor
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." —Proverbs 21:13
If we don't listen to the cry of the poor, our prayer will not be heard by God. If we give a beggar some money, have we heard his cry? If we don't give him money, have we not heard his cry? Jesus proclaimed that His mission was to preach good news to the poor (Lk 4:18). However, this good news was not only about providing immediate needs but also about freedom. Jesus described His good news for the poor as the proclamation of "liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners" (Lk 4:18). To hear the cry of the poor is more than giving a handout. It is giving "a year of favor," a Jubilee Year.
This is the long-awaited year of the Great Jubilee. This year should be the occasion for the best things that have ever happened to the poor of the world in many centuries. Let us ask for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon us and anoint us (Lk 4:18). Only then will we hear the cry of the poor according to the Lord's will.
Prayer: Father, may I love the poor in Your radically different way. May I always "be mindful of the poor" (Gal 2:10).
Promise: "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." —Lk 8:21
Praise: Sts. Cosmas and Damian, patron saints of doctors, were credited with many healings as a result of their skills as well as the result of their intercession.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, March 8, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 9, 2000