As I was preparing for Liturgy for the weekend, I began to read again from the Book of Psalms. I am not sure how many Orthodox view this book, but I have always found comfort in this little treasure trove. I settled on Psalm 41.
“Happy the man who considered the poor and the weak. The Lord will save him in the day of evil, Will guard him, give him life, make him happy in the land and will not give him up to the will of his foes.”
The Jesuits have a saying that is sort of the mission statement. A Jesuit must have a Preferential Option for the Poor. Everything that a Jesuit does must be aimed at alleviating the suffering of the poor and less fortunate. Is this not the call of all Christians, or dare I say the call of all humans?
As I begin to focus on the sort of monasticism I am being called to begin here in Southbridge, I am reminded of this motto daily. We must have a preferential option for the poor. In the Rule of St. Benedict, he makes the point clear that we must receive all visitors as Christ. Another point well taken. How many of us have had interruptions during the day and cursed that interruption. I believe that Benedict wants us not only to put up the stranger over night, as it was, but also deal with those little interruptions, and savor the moment. I am rambling again.
I invite comments on the point of the preferential Option for the Poor. Is this an Orthodox thing? And if not why? Should it be? And if so how do we begin?
Have a blessed Sunday.
Define “poor.”
I guess one could use the classical definition, and I think that is what I was trying to get at. Althought in the Jesuit tradition, it not only means economic poor but spiritual poor also.