33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
World Day of the Poor 2022
“May this 2022 World Day of the Poor be for us a moment of grace. May it enable us to make a personal and communal examination of conscience and to ask ourselves whether the poverty of Jesus Christ is our faithful companion in life” (Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of the Poor 2022).
In the Gospel, Jesus says, ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said, ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” These words of Jesus are good to meditate on this World Day of the Poor. We forget the poor when we embrace the wrong person as Jesus. We forget the poor when we take the wrong idea as gospel. We fall in deception when we don’t see the poor person right next to me. We fall in deception when we talk so much and do nothing to help the needy. Again, Jesus says, “Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you…” We forget the poor when we prepare our defence forgetting the role of God. We forget the poor when we prepare our plans and projects forgetting the plan of God. We forget the word of Jesus and we are busy preparing. He said that he will provide. When we forget the providence of God, we forget the poor. Let’s reflect: am I living in deception forgetting the poor near to me?