St. Paul of the Cross told us to identify with the poor. Pope Francis is telling us today to identify with the poor. In today’s TED talk Stephen Ritz demonstrates how that identification with the poor can lead to new life. New life not just in the spirit (that’s important) but in the pocket book and the real world as well.
Today, our Community of Passionist Partners is…
It’s up to us in each of our communities to complete the above paragraph. I wonder if we couldn’t learn something from Mr. Ritz and move to the deserts around our communities to bring them to life by identifying with the poor, the marginalized. Of course that means going out to the desert where the poor live, getting to know them as people and working with them to spread the Good News. Maybe one little step like moving our meetings from the comfort of our well-established homes or retreat centers to the desert and when we get there inviting those who live there to join us. I suspect that would lead to many new members of all ages and all sorts of new life. Most importantly we’d be a witness that the desert (suffering) is fertile ground for new life.
Under the cities lies, a heart made of ground,
But the humans will give no love. (lyrics from America’s “A Horse with No Name”)
We are a community of laymen and laywomen who, with vowed Passionists, seek to share in the charism of St. Paul of the Cross through prayer, ongoing spiritual formation, and proclamation of the message of Christ Crucified.
