cry of the poor

The response of the psalm for the day is "The Lord hears the cry of the poor."

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

What a beautiful reality to meditate on for this 2nd week of easter.

Today I celebrated mass at one of the local Nursing and Rehab centers.  We do this every Thursday and we rotate amongst the three nursing and rehab centers.

It is no longer correct to call then nursing homes but rather they are resident or assisted living places along with rehab.

As I looked out today form behind the altar I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of being in the presence of a unique poverty that comes for us.

Often we reduce poverty to material wealth or lack there of, bit poverty much broader and deeper than this reality.

As I looked out behind the altar, before me I encountered poverty: poverty in the inability to walk, to stay awake and alert, to control bodily functions that we take for granted.

I encountered poverty in being forced to be at this place rather than being at home because for whatever reason the family decided this is where the parents or grandparents needed to be either for their sake or even for convenience.

I encountered the poverty of the mind growing dark and feeble and the body following suit.

I encountered the poverty of wheel chairs and drool and smells of all kinds.

I encountered the poverty of dementia and lack of muscle control.

Poverty was all around me.

The lord hears the cry of the poor.  I thought what privileged place to be as the psalm was being recited.

It is out of our poverty we cry out to God.  It is out of our poverty God draws close to us.

Today think about your poverty?  Where do we lack control and independence?  Here in these places God intersects with our lives.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.  May we cry out from our poverty and trust in the God who hears.