Scripture Reflections

October 24, 2025
By:  Father Conrad S. Pecevich

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor” (Psalm 34:6).

As a young seminarian, I had the privilege of working for several summers with the elderly at a nursing home in New York City operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. My first day on the job, I received what I consider a very important “life lesson” from the sister-administrator regarding the “poor.” The sister assured me that the “poor” were not only impoverished people living in our inner cities and streets. The “poor” also included the often-forgotten folks such as those who filled our nursing homes, who so often are forgotten, abandoned and lonely. Her brief lecture would influence the way in which I would regard these elderly and others confined to our nursing facilities today. I’m ever grateful for that insight offered me back then. It helped to broaden my vision in terms of defining the “poor.”

I mention these “poor” first because they are so often the forgotten who reside behind concrete walls, abandoned by their families, left to live their last days in solitude. As the sister said to me, they are the “forgotten poor.”

It is a reality that there is always war somewhere in the world. No matter when or where we look, there is conflict, and a struggle for power and control somewhere in our world. As a result, there are horrific casualties. Most victims of these wars are the defenseless: women, children, the elderly, and the marginalized. They are the ones who cry out for justice and peace.

In today’s reading from the Book of Sirach, the author writes, “Though not unduly partial to the weak, yet [God] hears the cry of the oppressed.” And then our responsorial Psalm states: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Father Jude Winkler writes in the Handbook for Lectors and Proclaimers of the Word that “they are the chosen ones of God for they recognize that they cannot survive without his intervention.”

The Book of Sirach speaks about God’s “preferential option for the poor.”

“Though not unduly partial towards the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.” Later, the author writes, “The prayers of the lowly pierce the clouds.”

Throughout the Old Testament, it is abundantly clear that God stands in solidarity with the poor. This is most clear in the Book of Exodus where God hears the cries of the oppressed Hebrews and leads them in freedom to the Promised Land. The author of Exodus writes, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come to deliver them” (Exodus 3:7-8).

The Old Testament contains countless references about the poor, “emphasizing the importance of justice, compassion, and helping those in need through commands like sharing harvest, lending to the poor, and speaking up for the destitute. Key themes include God’s care for the poor, the rich’s responsibility for the poor, and the consequences of oppressing them” (Wikipedia). Sacred books such as Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Proverbs express these concerns.

Throughout the ages, the Church has stood at the forefront defending the dignity and rights of the poor. Current-day pontiffs have been stalwart in defending the poor and condemning their plight. Pope Leo XIV continues this tradition in his recently published apostolic exhortation, “Dilexi Te.”

Pope Leo XIV writes, “The condition of the poor is a condition that, throughout human history, challenges our lives, societies and political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church. On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself.”

“Pope Leo’s Dilexi draws directly from the biblical tradition, reaffirming that concern for the poor is not just a historical or theological idea, but a living mandate for believers today. His letter calls for a renewed commitment to justice, mercy and solidarity with the poor, full continuity with the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophetic tradition” (Pilot, vol. 46, no.40. p.19).