Order of Malta joins Pope in
inviting all to mark World Day of the Poor
 |
| A group of members of the Sovereign Order of Malta organize a tea-party for the elderly to mark the World Day of the Poor. |
Sunday, 18 November is the second World Day of the Poor,
established by Pope Francis to mark the end of the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee
of Mercy.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis has invited everyone to mark
the World Day of the Poor to be celebrated on Sunday,
18 November.
Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for
the Angelus, the Pope said that, for the occasion, a “First Aid Station” will
be set up in the Square, where those in need will be able to receive medical
care.
“I hope” he added, “that this Day will encourage greater
attention to the needs of the least and the marginalized”.
Amongst the many organizations making sure the Day does not
pass unnoticed is the Sovereign Order of Malta, whose core mission
is to uphold human dignity and care for people in need.
Prince Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel, Grand
Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, says each of us can find ways to celebrate
the occasion by honouring the poor, the sick and the marginalized.
For over 900 years it has been the Order of Malta’s mission
to reach out to people in need. The Grand Hospitaller pointed out that at the
heart of the Order’s charism, through which members strive to grow spiritually,
is the commitment to serve the poor.
In a world in which self-centeredness and selfishness often
seem to be in the forefront, where the poor are increasingly neglected and
deemed useless, Prince de La Rochefoucauld invites all men and women of
goodwill to read Pope Francis’ Message for
this second ‘World Day of the Poor’ in which, he says, “we are called to honour
the poor and give them precedence, out of the conviction that they are a true
presence of Jesus in our midst”.
Noting that Order of Malta members across the world have
organized events and initiatives to celebrate this special day, he points out
that the very foundation of the Order of Malta stems from the words of Jesus
and on the actions of its members to take care for those in need, seeing Christ
in each of them, and being grateful for the opportunity to follow His words
that we know so well: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and
you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you
clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
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