Personal responsibility. This won't make the media. Doesn't fit the narrative.
“Faced with some news and especially certain images, the public feels touched and responds occasionally with solidarity campaigns. The generous donations made this way, can help alleviate the suffering of so many.”
Charity, in forms of solidarity campaigns, donations, and so on, is important, but perhaps does not involve us directly enough, the Pope observed.
“But when, going down the street,” he explained, “we cross a person in need, or a poor man comes knocking at the door of our house, it is very different, because they are no longer in front of an image, but we are personally involved. There is no longer any distance between me and him or her.”
“In these cases, what is my reaction?” he asked those present to consider.
He told those present to ponder how often we say when praying the Our Father, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and yet we do not really focus on those words.
Every day, Francis lamented, many are starving, right next to abundance and waste.
Citing the Apostle James, he reminded those gathered that faith without works is dead, and that we cannot delegate our responsibility to help the starving and thirsty.
“This poor [person],” he urged those to realize, “needs me, my help, my word, my commitment.” He reminded them how Jesus instructs us to do so in Gospel.
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