Pope Francis has asked the entire Catholic community worldwide to observe the World Day of the Poor for the first time on 19 November 2017. Pope Francis made his intention to do this at the close of the Year of Mercy in 2016.
The World Day of the Poor will be observed each year on the 33rd Sunday of the Church’s liturgical calendar.
“The poor are not a problem,” the Pope wrote in the statement. “They are a resource from which to draw as we strive to accept and practice in our lives the essence of the Gospel.”
In the Apostolic Letter introducing the day, Francis mentions three things:
- Hear the voice of the poor and welcome them into the Church: “we need to hear the cry of the poor and commit ourselves to ending their marginalization.” (Paragraph 4)
- Pray for those suffering poverty: “At the heart of all the many concrete initiatives carried out on this day should always be prayer.” (Paragraph 8)
- Reflect and then act: “Let us love, not with words but with deeds” (Subtitle)
Resources are available on the CSAN website www.csan.org.uk/worlddayofthepoor:
Liturgy resources
– Prayer card – Poster
– Moments of Encounter card encouraging action
– Homily Notes
– Prayers of Intercession
– Newsletter Inserts
– Notes for Liturgy Teams
– Children’s Liturgy Notes – Films and testimonies of those living in poverty
– Links to the Say it with your Life booklet: six faith-sharing sessions to prepare for the Day on the principles of CST, from the Diocese of Westminster
Share the testimonies on the CSAN website: http://www.csan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Testimonies-Hear-the-Cry-of-the-Poor.pdf
Resources available on the CAFOD website:
Prayers on poverty – https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/World-Day-of-the-Poor