Pope Leo XIV has released his message for the 10th World Day of the Poor, to be observed on November 15, with the theme of God as “the refuge of the poor”. Source: Vatican News.
Reflecting on Psalm 14, “The Lord is the refuge of the poor,” the Pope notes that the psalms were written during a dramatic period marked by the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, when the people “felt deprived of God’s presence and experienced unprecedented material and moral misery”.
In his message released on Sunday and dated June 13, the feast of St Anthony of Padua, the Pope observes that Psalm 14 continues to speak to every generation.
The opening verses, he says, point to the contrast between those who live wisely and those who “go through life as if there were nothing greater than themselves.”
“Sadly,” he writes, “we see that even today there is widespread social injustice arising from arrogant corruption, which is as deplorable as it is discriminatory”.
The Pope goes on to note that the consequences often fall first upon the poor, whose numbers continue to grow in many societies.
In his message, Pope Leo says that the poor are often more capable than others of recognising what is essential because “they live on the essentials”.
For this reason, he says, they are especially able to recognise God as their refuge and place their hope in His justice.
Reflecting on contemporary poverty, Pope Leo says that “the poor of our day are the forgotten and the marginalised: robbed not only of bread, but also of a voice and a face.”
With this in mind, he prays that they may encounter Christ, particularly through Christians and through the Church, where “it is Jesus who offers bread and friendship; He brings light and opens a horizon of hope; He calls each person by name and restores dignity to all.”
The Pope goes on to stress that Christians are called not only to seek refuge in God, but also “to be a refuge for the poor”.
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Pope’s World Day of Poor message: The Lord is refuge of the poor (Vatican News)
