On this 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time we celebrate a few things. First, welcome to those being received into full communion with the Catholic Church today. We rejoice with you, along with your family and friends as you take this next important step in your journey of faith.
In addition, today is also celebrated universally as the World Day of the Poor. With the poor in mind this is a significant opportunity to reflect upon what the fullness of faith in Jesus Christ entails. Thus, I invite you to reflect with me on Pope Leo’s First Apostolic Exhortation, On Love For The Poor. (Dilexi Te)
In drawing our attention to the poor, the Holy Father reminds us that the poor are not outsiders to the Church, but are at the very heart. He begins with the words of the Book of Revelation: “I HAVE LOVED YOU” (Rev 3:9). These words, he tells us, were spoken to a community with no influence or resources, treated with violence and contempt. Yet Christ’s love was directed precisely to them.
Today, Christ speaks the same words to the poor in our midst: “I have loved you.”
This echoes Mary’s Magnificat: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.” The poor are not forgotten by God. They are the privileged recipients of His love. This same message resounds from our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Malachi today: “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble.”
When we look at the poor, we are not looking at strangers. We are looking at Christ himself, who chose poverty, who was born in a manger, who had nowhere to lay his head.
Pope Leo XIV writes: “The preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society.”(No. 7)
This is a striking claim. Renewal does not come from wealth, power, or prestige. Renewal comes from solidarity with the poor. The Church is renewed when she walks with those who suffer, when she listens to their cry, when she allows their faith to challenge her comfort.
Society is renewed when it places the dignity of the poor above profit, when it measures success not by GDP but by how the weakest are treated.
Pope Leo XIV says: “When we see the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself.” (No. 33)
This is not poetry; it is theology. The poor are living icons of Christ’s passion. To ignore them is to ignore Christ. To serve them is to serve Christ.
Think of Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” The poor are not simply recipients of charity; they are the sacramental presence of Christ in our world. Pope Leo states further: “serving the poor is not a gesture to be made “from above,” but an encounter between equals, where Christ is revealed and adored.” (No. 79)
Pope Leo reflects upon the spirituality of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who believed that compassion was not an option, but the true path of following Christ. Thus, the Church is only fully the bride of the Lord when she is also the sister of the poor. Similarly, Pope Leo reflects that St. Francis of Assisi held that holiness sprang from the conviction that Christ can be truly received only by giving oneself generously to one’s brothers and sisters. (No. 64)
Pope Leo XIV consoles us with these words: “No sign of affection, even the smallest, will ever be forgotten, especially if it is shown to those who are suffering, lonely or in need.”
This is good news for us. We may not be able to solve global poverty. But every act of kindness matters. A visit to the sick, a meal for the hungry, a word of encouragement to the lonely — these are remembered by God.
In a world obsessed with big achievements, the Pope reminds us that small acts of mercy have eternal value.
As I was traveling home from the bishops’ meeting in Baltimore this week, I had a personal opportunity to put this teaching into action. After I arrived at the airport, I noticed a man enter the building with a walking stick, indicating he was blind. I noticed he was a bit lost unable to read any of the signage. I went up to him and asked if I could help? He told me he was looking for the Frontier Airline counter, so I guided him through the people to the proper place where another gentleman took him through the waiting line to the ticket counter. While I’m sure he was relieved to find his way, I left the encounter grateful as well, having experienced seeing the face of Christ in this gentleman.
Pope Leo goes on in this exhortation to challenges us: “Charity is the source that must inspire and guide every effort to resolve the structural causes of poverty.”
Charity is not sentimental. It must move us to action. Feeding the hungry is essential, but so is asking why they are hungry. Visiting the homeless is holy, but so is asking why housing is unaffordable.
The Pope calls us to move from charity to justice — to transform systems that perpetuate poverty. This is the heart of our Catholic social teaching. This is the assurance of the Psalm we heard this morning: “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” (Psalm 98)
Earlier this summer I took two days to visit some of our Catholic Charities operations and those who serve the poor. It is quite amazing how the lives of those in need are truly being transformed by our ministries and the dedication of so many good people. In fact, later today, we will confer pontifical honors on 22 lay men and women who have demonstrated such generous service in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Pope Leo XIV assures us: “The hopes of the poor and the humble will receive a final and definitive answer from the Lord.” Again, this is heard in today’s first reading: “for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” (Malachi)
This is the promise of the Gospel. The poor may be ignored by the powerful, but they are never ignored by God. Their cry rises to heaven, and God will answer.
This hope sustains us. It reminds us that our work for justice is not in vain. God’s kingdom will come, and the poor will be vindicated.
So what does this mean for us today?
- It means we must see Christ in the poor — not as problems, but as gifts.
- It means we must act with mercy — small acts of kindness that will never be forgotten.
- It means we must work for justice — challenging systems that oppress and marginalize.
- It means we must live with hope — trusting that God will answer the cry of the poor.
Brothers and sisters, the World Day of the Poor is a reminder of our vocation as members of the Body of Christ, the Church. Pope Leo XIV’s Dilexi Te calls us back to the heart of the Gospel: love for the poor.
Let us hear Christ’s words anew: “I HAVE LOVED YOU.” Let us allow those words to shape our lives, our parishes, our society. And let us go forth to love the poor — not with words, but with deeds.
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