Cardinal Tobin: Recognizing Jesus in the faces of the poor
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Vol. 6. No.15
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
St. John Paul II once wrote, “The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich.” As Archbishop of Newark, I have been challenged to be more attentive to the ways in which poverty impacts the individuals, families, and communities that I am called to serve here in our four northern New Jersey counties.
The social and economic conditions caused by poverty in many of the communities in our archdiocese have had serious consequences, including an increase in the manufacture, sale and use of drugs; violence in our homes and in our streets; and the resulting increase in our state’s prison population.
Multigenerational poverty, measured by the number of individuals under economic stress whose parents, grandparents and perhaps great-grandparents also suffered severe economic instability, is a serious issue. Its impact on human dignity, family stability and healthy communities is immeasurable.
Individual family members who experience multigenerational poverty are far less likely to possess the internal, intangible resources that will allow them to realize their hopes and dreams, or to pursue and acquire the education, life skills and employment opportunities that are available to other members of their communities and that are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty. Without the skills and experiences necessary to make positive personal and employment decisions, poor choices appear predetermined, and the vicious cycle of poverty remains unbroken.
The Gospels reveal that our Lord had a special love for the poor. He recognized their suffering, and he had compassion for their loneliness and fear. He never looked away from their plight or acted like it didn’t concern him. Always, our Lord stood with the poor—comforting their sorrows, healing their wounds and feeding their bodies and their souls.
All disciples of Jesus Christ are called to love the poor as he did. We are invited and challenged to see the poor, to illuminate the reality of poverty and to respond with transformed hearts.
We believe that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, that each life is sacred, from conception to natural death, and that human dignity comes from who we are as persons rather than from what we do or possess.
We believe that all people should enjoy a quality of life commensurate with the demands of human dignity. That’s why the social teaching of our Church welcomes the poor and oppressed as members of the family of God who deserve a voice in their future. Christ taught that those with the greatest need should be attended to first. Through his words and example, he showed us that caring for the poor is both a matter of justice and charity.
Catholics in all regions of our archdiocese are deeply committed to serving those in immediate need through our Catholic Charities agencies and our parishes, schools, and healthcare organizations. The generosity of our people is extraordinary, making possible thousands of hours of love and service every week in all regions of our archdiocese. As archbishop, I recognize and applaud the goodness of diverse people and institutions throughout northern New Jersey, and I thank God for the love and compassion shown to so many of our brothers and sisters in their time of serious need.
I also know that much more is needed. What can you and I do to help alleviate poverty—both now and in the future? We can “storm heaven” with confidence that our prayers will be heard and answered. We can work to strengthen families. We can advocate for economic vitality and for access to affordable, top-quality education and healthcare. And we can support Catholic social ministries through generous and sacrificial gifts of time, talent and treasure!
As Christians, we are called to recognize Jesus in the faces of the poor. Seeing our brothers and sisters as they are—members of God’s family who have gifts to share with us and who compel us to share our gifts in return—is an essential element of Christian charity. Seeing ourselves as stewards of all God’s gifts is integral to authentic Christian discipleship.
Let’s acknowledge the poverty all around us. Let’s respond with open and generous hearts to the immediate and long-term needs of our brothers and sisters. And let us recognize Christ in all who are poor, vulnerable, and in need of our love.
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
Jubilee of the Poor: A Spiritual Reflection
The Jubilee of the Poor is an invitation to embody the spirit of Jubilee, a time to recommit ourselves to uplifting and supporting the poor and ensuring that all people can live with dignity. In the United States, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is at the forefront of this effort, supporting programs and initiatives that empower communities to overcome poverty and achieve lasting change.
Supported through a national collection that occurs annually on World Day of the Poor each November, the work of CCHD allows the Church to actively participate in bringing the good news to the poor, echoing the mission of Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
Through grants to community-driven, low-income-led economic and community development initiatives, CCHD uplifts the voices of the poor and empowers them to create sustainable solutions to the challenges they face. This work reflects a deep commitment by the U.S. Church to the preferential option for the poor, a foundational principle of Catholic Social Teaching that calls us to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable and to uphold their God-given dignity. As the Catechism reminds us, “The Church’s love for the poor . . . is a part of her constant tradition.’ This love is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, of the poverty of Jesus, and of his concern for the poor…. ‘Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2444, 2448, quoting Centesimus annus, no. 57, and Libertatis conscientia, no. 68).
The Jubilee of the Poor is not only an opportunity to recommit to the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, but also an invitation to take one step further into the challenge of living in true solidarity with the poor, something Pope Francis explains “‘means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land, and housing, the denial of social and labor rights. It means confronting the destructive effects of the empire of money…Solidarity, understood in its most profound meaning, is a way of making history’” (Fratelli Tutti no. 116, quoting Address to the Meeting of Popular Movements).
As we anticipate the Jubilee of the Poor, this invitation to solidarity with those poor and most vulnerable in our communities is also an opportunity to support the vital work of programs like CCHD, which embodies this solidarity by addressing the root causes of poverty in communities across America. The Jubilee of the Poor is a time to renew our commitment to the Church’s mission to walk with the poor and bring about transformative change. Together, we can live out the Gospel call to serve our brothers and sisters most in need, ensuring that all may experience the fullness of God’s love and mercy.
(A selection from “Pilgrims on the Way of Hope: A Resource for the Jubilee of the Poor, Jubilee 2025,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).
A Message from Pope Francis: Words of Challenge and Hope
The prayer of the poor rises up to God (cf. Sir 21:5)
It is beautiful to recall the testimony left to us by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a woman who gave her life for the poor. Saint Teresa continually repeated that it was from prayer that she drew the strength and faith for her mission of service to the least among us. When she spoke at the General Assembly of the UN on October 26, 1985, showing everyone the rosary she always held in her hand, she said: “I am only a poor sister who prays. By praying, Jesus puts his love in my heart, and I go to give it to all the poor I meet along the way. Pray too! Pray, and you will notice the poor who are beside you. Perhaps on the same floor in your apartment building. Perhaps even in your houses, someone is waiting for your love. Pray, and your eyes will open, and your heart will fill with love”.
How can we not recall here in the city of Rome, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783), whose body rests and is venerated in the parish church of Santa Maria ai Monti. A pilgrim from France to Rome, rejected by many monasteries, he spent the last years of his life poor among the poor, spending hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, with the rosary, reciting the breviary, reading the New Testament and the Imitation of Christ. Having no place to stay, he usually slept in a corner of the ruins of the Colosseum like a “vagabond of God,” making his life a ceaseless prayer that rose up to God.
As we journey towards the Holy Year, I urge everyone to become pilgrims of hope, setting tangible goals for a better future. Let us not forget to keep “the little details of love” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 145): stopping, drawing near, giving a little attention, a smile, a caress, a word of comfort. These gestures are not automatic; they require a daily commitment and are often hidden and silent but strengthened by prayer. In this time, when the song of hope seems to give way to the clamor of arms, to the cry of many innocent wounded, and the silence of the countless victims of wars, we turn to God with our plea for peace. We stretch out our hands to receive peace as a precious gift for we are “poor” in this regard, while at the same time committing ourselves to weave it back into daily life.
We are called in every circumstance to be friends of the poor, following in the footsteps of Jesus who always began by showing solidarity when dealing with the least among us. May the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, who appeared at Banneux and left a message not to be forgotten: “I am the Virgin of the poor,” sustain us on this journey. To Mary, whom God has looked upon with favor for her humble poverty, accomplishing great things through her obedience, we entrust our prayers, convinced that they will rise to heaven and be heard.
(A selection from the Message for the Eighth World Day of the Poor, November 17, 2024)
My Prayer for You
Please join me in this Jubilee Prayer for the poor:
Holy Spirit,
We praise and thank you!
You anoint us to
bring glad tidings to the poor
proclaim liberty to captives
recover sight for the blind
free the oppressed
and build communities in keeping
with God’s vision of justice.
Show us how to be
light of the world
salt of the earth
seeds that sprout love
and leaven that infuses humanity
with the desire to promote
human dignity and solidarity.
Help us to listen so that
those in poverty can lead our efforts to
proclaim a more hopeful vision
liberate captives from injustice
heal the blindness of the powerful
free us all from self-centeredness
and build community to overcome poverty.
Amen.