Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Sirach 5:1-8; Mark 9:41-50)
The Missionaries of Charity were founded by St. (Mother)
Teresa of Kolkata to work with the marginalized. Peeking into one of their chapels,
one notices a crucifix with the words, “I thirst” pasted at its side. The peeper will ask, “Why is that phrase
there?” Of course, Jesus emits those
words from the cross in the Gospel of John.
But why do the Missionaries of Charity focus on them and not on more
famous “last words” like “’Father, forgive them?”
The answer to these questions may be found in today’s
gospel. Jesus is identifying with those
who are in great need. They are Mark’s
gospel’s equivalent to what he says at the end of Matthew’s: “Whatever you do
to the least of these, you do unto me.’” The Missionaries of Charity rightly see
themselves as attending to the suffering Christ as they serve the
marginalized. As St. Teresa said, they
are “Christ in disguise.”
We see the marginalized on street corners begging for money. But these represent a small minority of their
number. They inhabit hovels and rented
rooms in most big cities. They live in
vastly disproportionate numbers in Africa and South America. Like Jesus on the cross, they cry out for assistance. As we would have wanted to give Jesus a drink
of water, we should move to help them.
