Pope calls on a group of poor to pray for those who are rich and those who have no compassion
The “Church, who loves and prefers the ones whom Jesus loved and preferred, cannot stay quiet until it has reached all those who experience rejection, exclusion, and do not matter to anyone.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis met on Wednesday with a large group of people involved in a pilgrimage of the poor from the French dioceses of the Lyon province, organised by the association of the Friends of Fr Joseph Wresinski, a priest who dedicated his life to the poor, on the centenary of this birth.
In his address, the pontiff told them their mission is “to pray for the many rich people who dress in purple and fine linen and celebrate in big banquets, without realising that there are so many Lazarus at their door eager to eat the leftovers from their table. Pray also for the priests, and the Levites, who – seeing a beaten man left half dead – pass by, looking the other way, because they have no compassion.”
"Jesus,” Francis said, “wanted to share your condition. Out of love, he became one of you: despised by men, forgotten, one who did not count. When you happen to experience all this, do not forget that Jesus went through it just like you. This shows that you are precious in his sight, that He is near you. You are in the Church’s heart, as Father Joseph Wresinski used to say, because Jesus, in his life, always gave priority to people like you, who went through situations like yours.
“And the Church, who loves and prefers the ones whom Jesus loved and preferred, cannot stay quiet until it has reached all those who experience rejection, exclusion, and do not matter to anyone. In the Church’s heart, you allow us to meet Jesus because you talk to us about him, not so much in words, but with your whole life. You bear witness to the importance of small deeds, which are in everyone’s reach, that help build peace, and remind us that we are brothers, and that God is the Father of us all. I remember what people thought when they saw Mary, Joseph and Jesus on the road, fleeing to Egypt. They were poor, troubled because of persecution, but God was there."
"Beloved brothers and sisters, I ask you above all to keep your courage and, right in the midst of your troubles, maintain the joy of hope. May the flame that lives in you never be extinguished, because we believe in a God who puts right all injustice, who brings comfort out of all sorrows, who knows how to reward those who maintain their trust in Him. As we wait for the day of peace and light, your contribution is essential for the Church and for the world: you are Christ’s witnesses; you are intercessors before God who heeds your prayers in a very special way."
"Finally I would like to ask you a favour; more than a favour, [I want to] give you a mission, a mission that only you, in your poverty, can carry out. Let me explain: Jesus, at times, was very strict and strongly reprimanded people who did not accept the Father’s message. Just as He uttered that beautiful word 'blessed' to the poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who are hated and persecuted, he also said another, which is scary when uttered by him! He said, 'Woe!' And he said it to the rich, to the sages, to those who laugh now, to those who like to be flattered, to the hypocrites.
“I give you the mission to pray for them that the Lord may change their heart. I ask you to pray for those responsible for your poverty, that they may convert! Pray for the many rich people who dress in purple and fine linen and celebrate in big banquets, without realising that there are so many Lazarus at their door eager to eat the leftovers from their table. Pray also for the priests, and the Levites, who – seeing a beaten man left half dead – pass by, looking the other way, because they have no compassion. To all these people, [. . .] smile, express hope for their well-being and ask Jesus that they may convert. I assure you that if you do this, there will be great joy in the Church, in your heart, and even in our beloved France."
Turning to the group’s handlers, Francis thanked them for what they do, "faithful to the intuition of Father Joseph Wresinski, who wanted to start out from shared life, not abstract theories. Abstract theories lead us to ideologies, and ideologies lead us to deny that God became Flesh, one of us! It is shared life with the poor that transforms and converts us. Think about this, eh! Not only are you going towards them, making an effort to understand their suffering, and their desperation, but you also make an effort to get inside their desperation. What is more you build up a community around them, so as to give back to them an existence, identity, and dignity. The Year of Mercy is the time to rediscover and experience this dimension of solidarity, fraternity, mutual help and support."
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