Ministering to the Poor and the Marginalised

Evangelising the Laity for Mission

Talk Four: Ministering to the Poor and Marginalized

Fr Pat Collins, C.M.

30 Sept 2026 

Introduction

Jesus tells us in his mission statement which is recounted in Lk 4:18-19, that he received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during his baptism in order to evangelise by bringing Good News to the poor. Who exactly were the poor? The word used in the Greek text of Luke’s gospel is ptochos. William Barclay says in his New Testament Words, that it has three interrelated meanings.

·       Firstly, it refers to those who have very few worldly possessions.

·       Secondly, it refers to the downtrodden and oppressed.

·       Thirdly, it refers to those who have little or no worldly power or prestige.

As a number of Old Testament texts make clear, the poor are those who recognise that they have to trust in the Lord for help. As Pope Benedict XVI has pointed out in his Jesus of Nazareth, as a result of their experiences of suffering and deprivation,  “Israel recognises that its poverty is exactly what brings it close to God; it recognises that the poor, in their humility, are the ones closest to God’s heart, whereas the opposite is true of the arrogant pride of the rich, who rely only on themselves.”     

Speaking in 2016, Pope Francis said in an angelus address, 

"What does it mean to evangelise the poor? It means to be close to them, to serve them, to free them from oppression, and all this in the name and with the Spirit of Christ, because he is the Gospel of God, he is the mercy of God, and he is the liberation of God." 

There are many ways of helping those who are materially poor and oppressed by the unjust structures of society.  

A] Deeds of mercy. We can respond to the needs of those who are materially poor by means of the corporal works of mercy. There are seven of them.

1.         to feed the hungry,

2.         to give drink to the thirsty,

3.         to clothe the naked,

4.         to give shelter to travellers,

5.         to visit the sick,

6.         to visit the imprisoned,

7.         and to bury the dead.

An organisation like the St Vincent de Paul society, and many other Christian charities   do great work in helping to alleviate material need. 

B] Action for justice. Many of the problems that afflict the poor are due to the unjust, oppressive and discriminatory structures of society. So, one way of bringing good news to the least, the last and the lost is by means of action for justice. It is not enough to tell the poor that God loves them and to perform deeds of mercy, we have to work hard to lessen the burden of injustice that so often weighs them down. We need to identify the unjust structures of society and do what we can to change them. Rule 7.1 of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society reads, 

“The Society is concerned not only with alleviating need but also with identifying the unjust structures that cause it. It is, therefore, committed to identifying the root causes of poverty and to contributing to their elimination. In all its charitable actions there should be a search for justice; in its struggle for justice, the society must keep in mind the demands of charity.” 

Each year in Ireland a number of Christian groups commission research into injustices and makes submissions, e.g., at budget time, which affords them an opportunity to propose changes in the law and social policy.  As Pope Leo XIV said in par 121 of his Apostolic Exhortation I Have Loved You, 

“Through your work, your efforts to change unjust social structures or your simple, heartfelt gesture of closeness and support, the poor will come to realise that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: “I have loved you” (Rev 3:9).” 

Spiritual care of the poor

Although it is important that the poor are helped in the ways described, there is another way in which they need assistance. Pope Francis wrote in par. 200 of his The Joy of the Gospel,  

"I want to say, with regret, that the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care. The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith; they need God and we must not fail to offer them his friendship, his blessing, his word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith. Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into privileged and preferential religious care." 

To help satisfy those spiritual needs is an integral part of the new evangelisation.  What in practical terms can we do to help the poor in a spiritual way?   

A] Helping the poor develop a relationship with Jesus

Over the years, I have noticed that although many of the people who are poor in material as well as psycho-spiritual ways, haven’t yet formed a personal relationship with Jesus. I remember responding to that need in the course of a mission I conducted for poor, largely illiterate, gypsy people in London. At one point I invited them to invite Jesus into their lives. They were asked to come up to the altar to hold a crucifix over their hearts as they invited the Lord to dwell in their innermost selves in a new and conscious way. More recently, we have done something similar in a number of Dublin churches which are located in poorer parts of Dublin city. The services have had a remarkable effect. A number of former drug addicts with loads to tattoos on their bodies are running Life in the Spirit Seminars with success. 

B] Helping the poor experience God’s spirit of love

Speaking to CHARIS on November 4, 2023 Pope Francis strongly encouraged that Life in the Spirit Seminars be made available “in all places and for everyone. ” Having said this he asked a pointed question: 

“Are the Life in the Spirit Seminars being offered in a variety of ecclesial contexts, in small and more remote places, and among the poor and on the peripheries?” 

When we minister in poorer areas, we often focus on the need to be baptised in the Spirit, by inviting those present to open their hearts to the infilling of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens people inwardly in their vulnerability and neediness as a result of experiencing the length and breadth, the height and depth of Christ’s incomprehensible love for them. As a result, some poor people are now exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit among their relatives and neighbours.

 C] Helping the poor experience divine healing

We also run a lot of healing services. I have noticed that many of the poor, needy people who come to our services yearn for God’s help. They are often deeply wounded and painfully aware of their need for healing of mind and body as well as deliverance from addiction and spiritual oppression and obsession. We know that besides telling the poor of his day about the free gift of God’s mercy and love, Jesus demonstrated the genuineness of that merciful love by healing the sick and driving out evil spirits. The members of the lay community to which I belong believe that we are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the same in our own times. As Jesus promised, “the things I do you will do” (Jn 14:12). One scripture scholar has said that such deeds of power are the good news in action, healing such things as anxiety, depression, physical problems, addictions, bad memories, physical ailments and the like. 

 As St Paul said, 

“My message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor 2:4)

and again, 

“God's kingdom isn't just a lot of words. It is power” (1 Cor 4:20). 

By the grace of God, we have heard of a number of reports about people who were healed in the church or at home as they listened to the healing services on a Catholic Radio station and webcam.   

Conclusion

Pope Francis maintains that not only should we evangelise the least, the last and the lost, they in turn will help to evangelise us.  As he said in par. 198 of his Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel,

"They have much to teach us. Not only do they share in the sensus fidei (sense of faith), but in their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelised by them. The new evangelisation is an invitation to acknowledge the saving power at work in their lives and to put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way. We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them."

I want to conclude with two striking statements. The first is attributed to St John Chrysostom, one of the Fathers of the Church.  

"If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice." 

The second is attributed to St Gregory of Nyssa, who taught that the poor will act as our accusers and judges on the Last Day—not in place of Christ, but as witnesses whose suffering will testify either for us or against us.  He said,

“The poor are the ones who store away the good things that we look upon. They are the gatekeepers of the Kingdom. They open the gates before the merciful and shut them in the face of the cruel one. They are the strongest accusers and the best defenders.”