Sight of the Poor

Today's quote comes from Frances Warde, American founder of the Sisters of Mercy and protege of Catherine McAuley:


The sight of the poor should fill us with compassion.

This past year we had a homeless man die in one of our neighboring cities. He had been refused admittance tot a shelter because of his inebriated state. For the good of the people already there, it was a wise move, but for him it was not. He died of exposure to the elements.

One could argue the pros and cons of the situation. Nevertheless it was a situation, one that did not sit well with a lot of folks both pro and con. In the aftermath of it all, there were policies that were reviewed and s smaller shelter was opened for those who would be a danger in the regular shelter.
What was more interesting was the response by the homeless veterans. This man had been a veteran, too. They rallied and came together to support one another even in their homelessness. It was heartening to see.

The sight of the poor should fill us with compassion, despite whatever we may be thinking of being taken advantage of, being pushed out of our comfort zone, of being inconvenienced. Catherine McAuley said it was better to feed one hundred impostors than to leave one person go hungry. It was Frances Warde's philosophy as well...and should be ours.

Today if you see someone who is poor, do something, anything, just do it!

www.sistersofmercy.org