Christ Stumbles through Our Streets

Something to think about | I hold that every poor man, every vagrant, every beggar is Christ carrying his cross. And as Christ, we must love and help him. We must treat him as a brother, a human being like ourselves. If we were to start a campaign of love for the poor and homeless, we would, in a short time, do away with depressing scenes of begging, children sleeping in doorways and women with babies in their arms fainting in our streets.

There are many sufferings to heal. Christ stumbles through our streets in the person of so many poor who are hungry, thrown out of their miserable lodgings because of sickness and destitution. Christ has no home!  And we who have the good fortune to have one and have food to satisfy our hunger, what are we doing about it?

St. Alberto Hurtado, SJ

4 COMMENTS

  1. Ah, that is the biggest heartache of my life, that I have not been able to sell all in order to serve the poorest of the poor. I feel like I’m haunted by the poor – the vision of the suffering and desperation are never far from my mind. I live a simple life, have a wonderful ministry I am involved in but my heart continues to be tugged toward the poor. So many things get in the way of an ability to say “yes.” A great sadness is that there are so few who truly understand the Gospel imperative of care for the poorest of the poor. I have the highest esteem for those who have been able to give their lives away for another.

  2. I saw a vhs or DVD of Blessed Alberto Hurtado 10 – 15 years ago and it was one of the most inspiring lives I have ever seen. Where can I get a copy of that for my childcare?
    Thank you!
    Mary V. O’Mara

  3. It is real a problem especial in Africa, I am now thinking on how I can dedicate my life to serve the poor,Lord help me!.But am also thinking on the teachings of Jesus about giving oneself to such life, is there any need to be poor in order to serve the poor, ‘becoming beggar for beggars’?.

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