Dilexi Te speaks directly to the Society of Jesus, not only because it has very publicly over many years made the option for the poor one of its primary concerns and primary works in all its apostolates, but because recently the Society has taken up what they call the four Universal Apostolic Preferences. They’re all guided by the first apostolic preference, which is the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, which again opens us to the genuineness, the depth of the humanity of Christ but also Christ’s work and also Christ’s own poverty, especially on the Cross, but also the way in which Christ sends us into this world as consolers, as part of the mission of the Risen Christ. So from that primary apostolic preference comes the other three, and one of them is to walk with the poor.
Watch Fr. Hanvey’s reflection video below.
