Saturday in the Fifth Week of Easter

“Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). A dream gave birth to a missionary journey. We have a lot to learn from Saint Paul and his companions. They believed God could and would communicate with them, even through a dream. The dream struck a chord in their hearts, and they acted. They knew they were disciples of Christ, and the dream guided their next step. Are we willing to follow the promptings of our hearts?

When we see people needing help, we should not ignore them. Pope Francis encouraged people to have a personal and respectful approach when giving alms. He told us to look the person asking for alms in the eye and touch the individual’s hand when offering help. The poor and needy are human beings worthy of dignity and respect. When we give alms, we are to manifest the heart of God to the person asking for help. 

God is not an anonymous donor. He is a loving Father who calls us by name. Having been made in God’s image and likeness, we should engage with each person we help. As the Father looks at us in love, we should look at the person asking for our help. As the Father speaks heart-to-heart with us, we should strive to understand the individual standing before us so our heartstrings might vibrate in a single melody.

I’ll leave you with a few words from Pope Leo. “We want to be a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity within the world. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one… This is the hour for love! The heart of the Gospel is the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters…Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk towards God and love one another” (Inauguration Mass homily).