The life of St. Josephine Bakhita is truly inspirational. Raised as a slave – she fought for and won her freedom then spent her life in service to those in need as a religious sister. Of the many things that St. Josephine can teach us, I think her perspective on the poor is so instructive for our own day. She said, “It is an act of justice for the rich to help the poor.” As a former slave, she knew that just because you have control of something does not mean you have a right to it. You may now have slaves, but you do have resources. The Gospel convicts us that what we have has been entrusted to us and that we are called to use what we have to assist those who lack. For the Christian, care for the poor is more than generosity; it is a duty. To fail in this is to reject obedience to the Gospel.
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