Father of goodness, at the beginning of this new day, I thank you for the beauty of the little things that you give me. By the action of Your Spirit in me, make me alert and sensitive to the world in which I live; I offer you my day for the Church and for the Pope's Intentions this month.
That consecrated religious men and women may bestir themselves, and be present among the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice.
Pope Francis knows what the poor suffer and he recognises that their marginalisation and exclusion is a product of our time and lifestyle. He is also aware of the prophetic and powerful role of religious involvement.
He is inviting us to take account of the transformative power of the Gospel for the poor of our time, if we let it.
Pope Francis is also reminding us of the hidden power of the poor to transform us religious.
The poor and vulnerable people have a kind of a secret power which may be secret even from themselves. They can change us, when we listen deeply to them. Only then can we be their voice.
The poor are our teachers. When we listen to the poor we hear their strength, their pain, their wisdom and learn the potential that is there for change. Listening to the poor frees us from being locked into our prejudices. This is the gift of the poor and the vulnerable to us. When we listen to the poor with an open heart we discover that the poor are our brothers and sisters in humanity and through our relationship with them we can be transformed.
- Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, extracted from Living Prayer