The theme for the 4th World Day of the Poor is “Stretch forth your hand to the poor”, taken from the book of Sirach. The Message was released on Saturday, while the actual World Day is observed on 15 November 2020.
Drawing from this text, Pope Francis observes that “its author presents his advice concerning many concrete situations in life, one of which is poverty. He insists that even amid hardship we must continue to trust in God.”
The Pope points out that from these pages we see, “prayer to God and solidarity with the poor and suffering are inseparable.”
He also notes that “time devoted to prayer can never become an alibi for neglecting our neighbour in need.”
Devoting a significant part of his message to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pope Francis draws attention to the many “outstretched hands” in the form of doctors and nurses who have been caring for patients in these difficult months. He also commends the outstretched hands of administrators, pharmacists, priests, volunteers and others who have given of themselves day and night and without fanfare.
“The present experience,” says the Pope, “has challenged many of our assumptions. We feel poorer and less self-sufficient because we have come to sense our limitations and the restriction of our freedom.”
“The loss of employment, and of opportunities to be close to our loved ones and our regular acquaintances, suddenly opened our eyes to horizons that we had long since taken for granted.”
However, Pope Francis stresses, “now is a good time to recover ‘the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world’.”
In a word, he continues, “until we revive our sense of responsibility for our neighbour and for every person, grave economic, financial and political crises will continue.”
