The growth of the SVD lay partners groups around the world continues to bring fresh energy to the Society of the Divine Word, and one initiative they have undertaken is to promote an international ‘Prayer Bridge’ to mark the World Day of the Poor.

The worldwide prayer initiative was an idea conceived by the lay partners of the SVD in Germany and embraced by lay partners and SVD members in a range of countries and this year it will take place on Sunday, November 17.

An initiative of Pope Francis, the third World Day of the Poor will be held under the theme: ‘The Hope of the Poor shall not Perish Forever’ (Psalm 9:19).

The lay partners group here in the AUS Province joined in the Prayer Bridge last year and this year, on November 17, the whole Province will again be encouraged to take part, in solidarity with the poor of the world.

As Divine Word Missionaries, we and our lay partners are called to accompany the poor and the marginalised in both practical ways and in prayer. The Prayer Bridge is a great way of sharing this solidarity with the poor in communities all around the world.

In his Message for this year’s World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis has said the ‘Option for the poor’ is a priority of Christian life.

“The option for those who are least, those whom society discards” (Evangelii Gaudium, 195) is a priority that Christ’s followers are called to pursue, so as not to impugn the Church’s credibility but to give real hope to many of our vulnerable brothers and sisters. Christian charity finds concrete expression in them, for by their compassion and their willingness to share the love of Christ with those in need, they are themselves strengthened and confirm the preaching of the Gospel,” he says.

“The involvement of Christians in this World Day of the Poor and especially in the events of everyday life, goes beyond initiatives of assistance. Praiseworthy and necessary as the latter may be, they should have the goal of encouraging in everyone a greater concern for individuals in any kind of distress. ‘Loving attentiveness is the beginning of true concern’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 199) for the poor and the promotion of their genuine welfare. It is not easy to be witnesses of Christian hope in the context of a consumerist culture, a culture of waste concerned only for the spread of a shallow and ephemeral wellbeing. A change of mentality is needed, in order to rediscover what is essential and to give substance and verve to the preaching of the kingdom of God.

“Hope is also communicated by the sense of fulfilment born of accompanying the poor not for a brief moment of enthusiasm, but through a constant commitment over time. The poor acquire genuine hope, not from seeing us gratified by giving them a few moments of our time, but from recognising in our sacrifice an act of gratuitous love that seeks no reward.”

I invite you and your family or parish group to join us in the World Day of the Poor Prayer Bridge (Prayer Resources available here) and in sharing our ongoing commitment to walking with the poor and the marginalised wherever we meet them in our lives.

Yours in the Word,
Fr Henry Adler SVD,
Provincial.