Monday of the
Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4: 16-30)
After his election as pope, Jorge Bergoglio was beseeched
by a fellow South American cardinal not to forget the poor. The new pope explained afterwards that he chose
the name Francis, the poor little one,
because he had every intention of assisting the poor. Today the world has to say that solidarity
with the poor is the hallmark of Francis’ papacy. In this way he is much like Jesus in the
Gospel of Luke.
Today we begin daily readings from the third gospel. Like political candidates often do when
beginning a campaign, Jesus has returned to his home town to outline his
purpose. He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying
that the Holy Spirit has anointed him to “bring good news to the poor.” Jesus will fulfill this intention throughout
the gospel. His solidarity to the poor is
most beautifully in his observation at the Temple in Jerusalem. A poor widow has just put all she had in the
Temple treasury. Like her, Jesus will
sacrifice his life on the cross to redeem humans.
We must not forget the poor. They need what so many of us have in
abundance – resources to live with dignity.
Many of them have precisely what we need – a simple faith that looks to
God for deliverance.
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