The Option for the Poor & Vulnerable

The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me… to let the oppressed go free.

Luke 4:18

We believe that all resources on earth should be shared with all. We find ways to work together to support the poor and vulnerable.

We show a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable by:

• fundraising for charitable causes
• raising awareness
• treating others with dignity and respect
• thinking of the needs of others

Our Saint for The Option of the Poor & Vulnerable is St. Teresa of Calcutta

Prayers for the Poor & Vulnerable

A Prayer for Food Justice

Lord Jesus,
You understand what it is like to be hungry.
Teach us to have grateful and generous hearts.
Forgive us when we make selfish choices
or remain silent in the face of injustice.

Lord Jesus,
You welcomed all to your table.
May we recognise our interconnectedness,
with our common home and our global neighbours,
so all are invited to share the feast.

Lord Jesus,
You come to us as bread and wine.
Fill us with your compassion.
Nourish us as we advocate for change,
and seek to make your Kingdom a reality in our world.
Amen.

A Prayer for the Poor and the Earth

God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognise that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle,
for justice, love and peace.

Amen.

- Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 2015

 Your Voice is Calling Me

From all around, your voice is calling me.
I feel your glance in the many eyes that are looking at me.
I hear your words in the many voices that are yelling at me.
And in those who need me, I see your hand reaching out.
You are the one who questions me when I see that hungry child,
or that mother bent over with her child on her back.

I know of many people do not hear your gospel, others who live
miserable lives in smelly shacks and many more who steal to
survive. And all of them scream at me in silence that they don’t
live in peace.

What can I do? Those children who play in the mud because
there is no room for them at school. That man who doesn’t want
to live because he sees no point in life. So many others who
suffer in prison or who are free, but have no freedom because
they are denied a voice.
In all of these people and from every corner of the earth, your
voice is calling me.

- Salvadoran community of the Sisters of St. Clare