The poor are shunned even by their neighbors. But the rich have many friends. It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy… Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. —Proverbs 14: 20-21, 31, NIV
Dear Lord, we come before you today with humble hearts knowing that many times we fall short with regards to sharing our time and resources with the poor. Help us to realize that the first step towards your wisdom is to know that we are greatly blessed.
(As we continue to pray, consider the above painting by Raphael, paired with today’s scripture)
Holy Father, as we gaze at the above scene, we are reminded of how you sent your son to live and walk among us. At first, we can be charmed by the idyllic nature of the picture of Mary with Jesus and his cousin John. We know there must have been many tender moments between Jesus and his mother. Zooming in, we notice his bare feet and the sweet nature of how he has propped his little foot upon his mother’s foot. Pausing in this thought, we can relate this to our own intimate experiences with babies, and in this way begin to understand in a new way that Jesus was real… and that he lived among us. By this, we can see how your heart for the poor is such that you gave us your greatest gift, Emmanuel, to dwell among us... especially the poor. Let the knowledge of your gift shine a light into your magnificent grace. Help us to be changed by this insight so that we might seek out the poor to dwell among them. As we remember “...whatever you did for one of the least of these…”(See Matthew 25:40)
In Christ Our Lord We Pray, Amen.
Consider journaling about your experience during this time of prayer. What are the things we find uncomfortable about spending time with the poor? Can you think of someone you need to reach out to today?
Your likes, comments, shares, and prayers are welcomed. God bless your day.
Today’s Holy Lens was written by Jennifer Rundlett. Check out the post on her blog where she offers further reflections on this beautiful painting: God Thru The Arts.
Jennifer has two books available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback editions:
 | A guest post by
|
Thank you Jennifer!