Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
In Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You), the Holy Father coincidentally begins his third chapter with the above quote from today’s second reading. Chapter Three is titled “A Church for the Poor.” The chapter emphasizes that the Church’s very identity and mission are inseparable from service to the poor. Throughout this section, the Holy Father demonstrates that care for the poor has always characterized the Church’s presence in the world. He concludes, therefore, that being a “Church for the poor” is not an optional ministry but a defining expression of what it means to follow Christ and to live out the Gospel.
The Holy Father begins this section by illustrating that the church’s earliest ministry was founded in response to the poor.
Already at the dawn of Christianity, the Apostles laid their hands on seven men chosen from the community. To a certain extent, they integrated them into their own ministry, instituting them for the service — diakonía in Greek — of the poorest.
Among the group of these first deacons was Saint Stephen, who was the first disciple to shed his blood for the faith. In Saint Stephen, Pope Leo says, “the witness of caring for the poor and of martyrdom are united.”
Throughout the chapter, Pope Leo traces the Church’s tradition of care for those in need, from the earliest Christian communities to the Fathers of the Church, who denounced luxury and called for sharing goods with the needy. He also highlights the witness of saints and Christian heroes whose lives embodied compassionate service, illustrating how love for the poor has been lived concretely through history. He also reflects on the various expressions of care for the poor that have become intrinsic to the church’s identity; including care for the sick, hospitality to the stranger, liberation of captives, education for the marginalized, and ministries to those on society’s fringes — all showing how service to the poor has shaped the Church’s life.
Of particular significance is the focus that Pope Leo gives to the witness and service of religious communities. While monastic communities laid the spiritual foundation for the church’s mission to the poor, it was the development of the mendicant orders who, through their itinerant life, “did not merely serve the poor: they made themselves poor with them.” Orders like the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and Carmelites represented an evangelization not simply in word but instead, a life lived “in which a simple and poor lifestyle became a prophetic sign for mission.”
A distinction Pope Leo makes in this chapter is that the Church is not simply as an institution that helps the poor, but as a community whose very life and mission are rooted in standing with the marginalized and fostering a more just and compassionate society — drawing on the Church’s history, tradition, and lived witness. The church is not simply for the poor, but with the poor, of the poor, and “a project which can bring people back together.” For me, this is one of the most important aspects of this reflection – it is through living our mission as a church for the poor that we can truly unite our broken world
You can find Dilexi Ti on the Vatican website, www.vatican.va.
Some reflection questions based on Chapter 3:
- What kind of Church do others experience through us?
When people in need encounter my parish or ministry, do they feel welcomed, listened to, and treated as part of the community—or primarily as recipients of services? - What gives credibility to our witness?
In what concrete ways do our choices—personally and communally—show that love for the poor is central to our faith rather than an “extra” activity?
LET IT SNOW? – None of us is singing that seasonal tune anymore because we have been inundated with two weekend storms already, and as I write this column, we are anticipating another round of this unwanted frozen precipitation. As I am sure you may be aware, the weather has had an adverse effect on parish finances. Decreased attendance and snow removal costs place a heavy burden on our operating budget. Last weekend’s plowing costs were over $4,000, and we had to spend an additional $4,500 to remove snow from the parking lot, as snow piles not only reduced available parking spaces but created driving obstacles. With anticipated snowfall again, these problems would have only worsened. I am, therefore, asking you to “make up” for the offertory contributions you may have missed due to weather, and consider generously supporting this weekend’s second collection in support of our winter costs. Thank you, stay safe, stay warm … and stop praying for snow!
Peace!
