"In the face of contempt for human dignity, we often remain with arms folded or stretched out as a sign of our frustration". It is in these gestures that Francis identifies the attitude of men and women, of the Christian, towards those in need today. The cry of the poor daily grows louder but is heard less and less, for it is drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich”.

The Pope celebrates the second World Day of the Poor, a recurrence he instituted at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy, with a great mass in St Peter's Basilica during which he asks for the "grace" to hear "the cry of the poor, the stifled cry of the unborn, of starving children, of young people more used to the explosion of bombs than happy shouts of the playground. It is the cry of the elderly, cast off and abandoned to themselves. It is the cry of all those who face the storms of life without the presence of a friend. It is the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal. It is the cry of every Lazarus who weeps while the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all" the Pontiff affirms.

"Injustice is the perverse root of poverty," Francis says. "The cry of the poor daily grows louder but is heard less and less. Every day that cry gets louder, but every day heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich". And, in the face of contempt for human dignity, “we often remain with arms folded or stretched out as a sign of our frustration before the grim power of evil. Yet we Christians cannot stand with arms folded in indifference, or with arms outstretched in helplessness. No. As believers, we must stretch out our hands, as Jesus does with us”.

“Christ himself appeals to the charity of his disciples in the person of the poor, He asks us to recognize him in all those who are hungry and thirsty, in the stranger and those stripped of dignity, in the sick and those in prison”. We are called to reach out to them," says Francis. The Lord stretches out his hand, freely and not out of duty. And so it must be with us. We are not called to do good only to those who like us. That is normal, but Jesus demands that we do something more: to give to those who have nothing to give back, to love gratuitously. Let us look around in our own day. For all that we do, do we ever do anything completely for free, something for a person who cannot repay us? That will be our outstretched hand, our true treasure in heaven”.

Pope Bergoglio dwells on the three actions of Jesus in today's Gospel. The first is "to leave": He leaves the crowds at the height of his success, acclaimed for his multiplication of the loaves. Though the disciples wanted to bask in the glory, he tells them to go ahead and then dismisses the crowd”. In all things Jesus "Jesus goes against the current: first, he leaves behind success, and then tranquillity. He teaches us the courage to leave: to leave behind the success that swells the heart and the tranquillity that deadens the soul”.

"He tears us away from grazing undisturbed in the comfortable meadows of life, from living a life of ease amid little daily pleasures", the Pope says. The disciples of Jesus, in fact, "are not meant for the carefree calm of a normal life. Like Jesus, they make their way travelling light, ready to leave momentary glories behind, careful not to cling to fleeting goods". The Christian "is a wayfarer" and " does not live to accumulate; our glory lies in leaving behind the things that pass away in order to hold on to those that last”.

“Let us ask God, the Pontiff urges, to be a Church "always on the move, good at leaving and faithful in serving. Rouse us, Lord, from our idle calm, from the quiet lull of our safe harbours. Set us free from the moorings of self-absorption that weigh life down; free us from constantly seeking success. Teach us, Lord, to know how to “leave” in order to set out on the road you have shown us: to God and to our neighbour”.

The second thing: “in the heart of the night, Jesus reassures. He goes to his disciples, in the dark, walking “on the sea”. The “sea” in this case was really a lake, but the idea of the “sea”, with its murky depths, evokes the forces of evil. Jesus, in effect, goes to meet his disciples by trampling on the malign foes of humanity. And this is the meaning of the sign: rather than a triumphant display of power, it is a revelation of the reassuring certainty that Jesus, and Jesus alone, triumphs over our greatest enemies: the devil, sin, death, fear, worldliness. Today, and to us, he says: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid”

"The boat of our life is often storm-tossed and buffeted by winds. Even when the waters are calm, they quickly grow agitated. When we are caught up in those storms, they seem to be our only problem. But the issue is not the momentary storm, but how we are navigating through life. The secret of navigating well is to invite Jesus on board. The rudder of life must be surrendered to him, so that he can steer the route. He alone gives life in death and hope in suffering; he alone heals our heart by his forgiveness and frees us from fear by instilling confidence. Today, let us invite Jesus into the boat of our life. Like the disciples, we will realize that once he is on board, the winds die down and there can be no shipwreck. With him on board, there will never be a shipwreck!" the Pope says again. “Only with Jesus do we then become capable of offering reassurance. How greatly we need people who can comfort others not with empty words, but with words of life, with deeds of life”.

Finally, the third action: to "reach out". In the midst of the storm, Jesus stretches out his hand. He takes hold of Peter who, in his fear and doubt, was sinking, and cried out: “Lord, save me!”. We can put ourselves in Peter’s place: we are people of little faith, pleading for salvation. We are wanting in true life and we need the outstretched hand of the Lord to draw us out from evil. This is the beginning of faith: to cast off the pride that makes us feel self-sufficient, and to realize that we are in need of salvation", the Pontiff says.

Faith grows in this climate, “to which we adapt ourselves by taking our place beside those who do not set themselves on a pedestal but are needy and cry out for help. This is why it is important for all of us to live our faith in contact with those in need. This is not a sociological option, the fashion of a single pontificate; it is a theological requirement. It entails acknowledging that we are beggars pleading for salvation, brothers and sisters of all, but especially of the poor whom the Lord loves”.

At the end of the mass and after the Angelus in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope went to the Paul VI Hall to have lunch with more than 3,000 homeless people, refugees and families in financial difficulties. At the same time in Rome and in the dioceses of the whole world similar initiatives took place. And then there is the temporary health clinic, set up on Monday 12 November, in Saint Peter's Square and personally visited by the Pope, which will continue throughout the day today to offer free specialist medical care.

Finally, we must not forget the tireless work carried out by Cardinal almoner, Konrad Krajewski who, on behalf of the Pope, has intensified in recent days his visits to the railway stations and the lesser known streets of Rome where homeless and migrants find refuge, to bring them sleeping bags and some offers, always privileging personal contact.

POPE EATS LUNCH WITH THE POOR

Pope Francis on Sunday joined about 1,500 poor people and a group of volunteers for lunch to mark the World Day of the Poor.

After Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, during which he urged believers to heed the cry of the poor and said that “the cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich”, the Pope addressed the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, and then went to a beautifully decked out Paul VI Hall and took his seat at the main table.

Before lunch was served, the Pope asked for thanks for those who prepared the lunch and for those who were serving and prayed for the Lord’s blessing for all those present.

A youth band from the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei provided musical accompaniment and the menu included lasagna, chicken morsels, mashed potatoes and tiramisu.