Pope Francis has decreed that the 33rd Sunday of every year should be dedicated to the poor. The first World Day of the Poor falls on November 19 this year. I join the Holy Father in a urging all of us to celebrate that day in a meaningful way: it is a day to rediscover our call to be a church of the poor, for the poor.
Our Lord gave us the striking example of simplicity and poverty in His own life. He taught His disciples to value poverty. The first beatitude us, "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." He strongly urges us to reach out to the poor.
Pope Francis has ceaselessly been reminding us about special care for the poor. In our Archdiocese, all parishes have received an invitation to have at least one programme for the poor, big or small, depending on the possibilities of the parish.
The celebrations on November 19 recommended by the Holy Father are another ocassion to remind us of our special option for the poor: the special heart that we should have for the poor. I encourage all our parishes to celebrate the World Day of the Poor; if not on November 19, on any day leading upto the feast of Christ the King, the following Sunday or even after that. May we be effective instruments in making the world more humane and the Church more Christ-like.
+ Oswald Cardinal Gracias Archbishop of Bombay