They Are Our Brothers and Sisters

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Friday morning, 17 November 2017)

Good Morning!

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

This Sunday is the First World Day of the Poor as established by Pope Francis. All week we have been focusing on instances where we see God in the marginalized. Today, I’m asking you to remember those who have to stand in line at soup kitchens to get enough food to eat and those who have to go each day to find a place to sleep at night at shelters. Who are “these people”? They’re just like you and I. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to do a Lasallian Social Justice week on homelessness in San Francisco. The first day we stood in line with those waiting at a soup kitchen to get food. To my surprise, there were teenagers in line, one who had a stack of books she had just gotten at the local library. There were elderly people like your grandparents, men in business suits, and families with little children. The little children brought tears to my eyes as I thought on a time when my own children were young and if they had had to go to a soup kitchen to get food, how that would’ve made me feel. The gospel asks us to not only give out of our surplus, but to give from our want. Think of all of the money that we waste in a week and if we could just sacrifice one trip to get a drink or sweet, what that would mean collectively to the soup kitchens and shelters. They could give a little more to those waiting in line and to allow second helpings for the little child who says they’re still hungry!

So, on Tuesday, for our Thanksgiving Dress Down Day, please be generous. Give not only the $5, but perhaps there’s a little more that we can sacrifice for those most in need. Let’s listen to the words of Pope Francis:

Let us Pray.

“I invite the whole Church, and men and women of good will everywhere, to turn their gaze on this day to all those who stretch out their hands and plead for our help and solidarity.  They are our brothers and sisters, created and loved by the one Heavenly Father. This Day is meant, above all, to encourage believers to react against a culture of discard and waste, and to embrace the culture of encounterso that we can become an even greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.” –Pope Francis

St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.

Live, Jesus, in our hearts, forever.

Leslie Martinelli–Science Teacher and Co-Moderator of Social Concerns Committee

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *