Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Luke 14:14

Jesus has always focused on the downtrodden, the oppressed and afflicted, the forgotten and the neglected. They cannot repay what we do for them — but because they cannot repay us, God will. Many people testify that serving or giving to the poor has changed their lives and that they have received a lot more than they have given. Pope Francis says that he wants a “Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us. [...] We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them. [...] We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.”

Quite often, the poor do not expect us to do great things for them. They are content if we simply acknowledge their presence and their dignity, show that we care, and share a friendly word with them.

Lord Jesus, I want to let myself be evangelized by the poorest of my brothers and sisters. Please help me to realize that it is you I encounter in and through them.