You are my inheritance, O Lord
Every so often the news makes us think of the end of the world. Illness, global warming, disasters, calamities, wars, cruelty make us ponder on the reality of the finitude of our world. Many get caught up in the midst of the somber news. Our natural tendency drives us to worry, to be downtrodden by these sorts of events. But The Lord has a different message.
The Lord urges his disciples and us to not lower our guard, to always be ready, for “of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mk 13:32). Making an analogy, He encourages us to “learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near” (Mk 13:28).
As followers of Christ, we have to be wise to take every moment of our lives to be ready for the encounter with the Lord. There are many ways to be ready: Praying; receiving the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession; practicing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy; ministering to the less fortunate.
Our ministry to the poor, as today we celebrate the World Day of the Poor, is a way to constantly meet our Lord and to be prepared. Pope Francis reminds us: “The face of God revealed by Jesus is that of a Father concerned for and close to the poor. In everything, Jesus teaches that poverty is not the result of fate, but a concrete sign pointing to his presence among us. We do not find him when and where we want, but see him in the lives of the poor, in their sufferings and needs, in the often inhuman conditions in which they are forced to live. As I never tire of repeating, the poor are true evangelizers, for they were the first to be evangelized and called to share in the Lord’s joy and his kingdom (cf. Mt 5:3)” (Message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the Fifth World Day of the Poor, June 13, 2021).
The news or the thoughts of the end of the world should not keep us away from our ministry to the poor and to each other. This time is a time of preparation and readiness. By way of constant preparation, the Christian will proclaim: “You are my inheritance, O Lord” (Ps 16:5).