Advent: 6 lessons from serving those most in need Escrito por: Álvaro Díaz

Loving and serving the little ones and those most in need is one of the most beautiful works we can do, especially during th time of Advent, when the Church invites us to prepare for the arrival of the Child Jesus.

Serving fills our hearts with joy and makes us experience that we are, in reality, the most needy ; that we always receive more than we give and that, in reality, the face and gaze of God – when we see him in heaven – will be very similar to that of one of those simple people we love.

«Christian poverty is that I give of what is mine and not of what is superfluous, even of what is necessary to the poor, because I know that he enriches me. And why does the poor enrich me? Because Jesus said that He Himself is in the poor. When I divest myself of something, but not only of what is superfluous, to give to a poor person, to a poor community, this “enriches me”. Jesus acts in me when I do this and Jesus works in him, to enrich me when I do this» (Pope Francis)

I leave you with 6 lessons when I approach a poor person, a small person or someone who suffers:

1. We are both Children of God, therefore we are brothers

The dignity and worth of a person does not lie in what he has, in his material condition, nor in his capabilities; he is simply worth being a human being, the fruit of a loving thought from God, our Father. How can we not go out to meet him if we are children of the same Father? How can we not love him if he has the same dignity as me?

2. They show me the face of Christ and helps me realize how much I love him

Throughout his life, the Lord Jesus showed a preferential love for the poorest, for those who suffered the most. He became incarnate, he became man to unite himself with the man who suffers. He takes on suffering in order to be in solidarity with the pain and suffering of every man. How can we fail to perceive that he who suffers and is poor is a reflection of the face of the suffering Christ, who invites me to serve him and welcome him with the same love that He has had for me? In this way, His Word is fulfilled when He tells us: “Every time you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.”

3. When I welcome someone who is suffering, my heart always fills with joy

“There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” This is a reality that can only be believed when it is lived. Sometimes we think that we are the ones who are going to help others, but on the contrary, we realize that when we serve with love, dedication and generosity some of these poorer brothers, we receive more, we realize how much we need and that we also have our poverty. In this way, our hearts are filled with authentic and profound joy, our hope that it is possible to transform the world is renewed and our hearts burn with greater love and a greater desire to give to others. When you get on this “roller coaster” it is difficult to stop.

4. They teach me to…

Discovering the richness of others and my own richness in every place where I find myself, because without a doubt we all lack something, but at the same time we are so rich, those of us who have God and see his presence in the mystery of the life of each person! Let us remember that our first vocation is Love.

5. They remind me that the essential thing in life is not material

Sometimes when we meet people who lack material things, we think that they are the poorest and most needy: “They don’t have enough money, they don’t have enough food, they can’t buy a dress, a toy… they are so miserable!” However, it is very common that those who lack what the world values as the most important thing, such as money or material things, perceive that what is essential is that which cannot be bought with all the money in the world: love, family, friendship, hope, the joy of simple things, etc.

6. And that I am always able to listen and welcome

Maybe I don’t have anything material, maybe the material things I can offer are not enough to help someone who is suffering, but I find that what is more important is the time I can dedicate to someone who is suffering, the availability to listen and address their concerns and worries, a listening that comes from an open and willing heart, a sincere welcome or a simple gesture of love. Listening is a sign of attention, of concern; it is a sign that someone is important to me.