Dilexi Te On Love for the Poor
Pope Leo XIV
ISBN 9781784698591
CTS Booklet DO981
I picked up this volume for a few reasons, first it was the first formal document from our New Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, second it was the next volume in Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. This is available on the Vatican website for free, and the Opus Dei site as well, but I prefer the CTS Booklet version, I just wish they could publish an eBook edition. I worked through two different versions of this book, this physical edition and the eBook edition available from Opus Dei. I used text-to-speech to listen to the eBook and read this version. Father Mark gave some sound advice before we even began reading it as a group. He recommended that we not read or listen to much commentary about it until we have read it ourselves. I read it through with that in mind. Then I worked through the video lessons with Father Mark and guests, and then I listened to it while following along using adaptive technology.
About this volume we are informed that:
““[Love for the poor] is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us.” (Pope Leo XIV)
The description of this volume is:
“In his final months, Pope Francis was preparing an Apostolic Exhortation on the Church's care for the poor. Giving it the title "Dilexi Te", he intended it to be a follow-up to his final encyclical, "Dilexit Nos". The title is a message of love from Jesus to the poor, referring to the Book of Revelation: "You have but little power," yet "I have loved you" (3:9).
Now, at the start of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has chosen to make this document his own, by adding his own reflections to those of Pope Francis, "since I share the desire of my beloved predecessor that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor."
"Love for the Lord, then, is one with love for the poor. The same Jesus who tells us, "The poor you will always have with you" (Mt 26:11), also promises the disciples: "I am with you always" (Mt 28:20). We likewise think of his saying: "Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40). This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us." (§5)”
The chapters in this volume are:
Introduction
A Few Essential Words
God Chooses the Poor
A Church for the Poor
A History That Continues
A Constant Challenge
I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume the second time, they are:
“It was a small gesture, of course, but those who suffer know how great even a small gesture of affection can be, and how much relief it can bring. Jesus understood this and told the disciples that the memory of her gesture would endure:”
“The simplicity of that woman’s gesture speaks volumes. No sign of affection, even the smallest, will ever be forgotten, especially if it is shown to those who are suffering, lonely or in need, as was the Lord at that time.”
“Care for the poor was also a great concern of Saint Francis of Assisi: in the person of a leper, Christ himself embraced Francis and changed his life. Even today, Saint Francis, as the Poor Man of Assisi, continues to inspire us by his outstanding example.”
“The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.”
“In general, we are witnessing an increase in different kinds of poverty, which is no longer a single, uniform reality but now involves multiple forms of economic and social impoverishment, reflecting the spread of inequality even in largely affluent contexts.”
“Of course, among the poor there are also those who do not want to work, perhaps because their ancestors, who worked all their lives, died poor. However, there are so many others—men and women—who nonetheless work from dawn to dusk, perhaps collecting scraps or the like, even though they know that their hard work will only help them to scrape by, but never really improve their lives.”
“The poor cannot be neglected if we are to remain within the great current of the Church’s life that has its source in the Gospel and bears fruit in every time and place.”
“This “preference” never indicates exclusivity or discrimination towards other groups, which would be impossible for God. It is meant to emphasize God’s actions, which are moved by compassion toward the poverty and weakness of all humanity.”
“From the beginning of Scripture, God’s love is vividly demonstrated by his protection of the weak and the poor, to the extent that he can be said to have a particular fondness for them.”
“Indeed, that is how Jesus’ poverty is best described: he experienced the same exclusion that is the lot of the poor, the outcast of society. Jesus is a manifestation of this privilegium pauperum. He presented himself to the world not only as a poor Messiah, but also as the Messiah of and for the poor.”
“Here the intrinsic value of respect for others is expressly stated: anyone in need, even an enemy, always deserves our assistance.”
“Jesus’ teaching on the primacy of love for God is clearly complemented by his insistence that one cannot love God without extending one’s love to the poor.”
“It is significant that the first disciple to bear witness to his faith in Christ to the point of shedding his blood was Stephen, who belonged to this group. In him, the witness of caring for the poor and of martyrdom are united.”
“A little less than two centuries later, another deacon, Saint Lawrence, will demonstrate his fidelity to Jesus Christ in a similar way by uniting martyrdom and service to the poor.”
“From the first centuries, the Fathers of the Church recognized in the poor a privileged way to reach God, a special way to meet him. Charity shown to those in need was not only seen as a moral virtue, but a concrete expression of faith in the incarnate Word.”
“The Almighty will not be outdone in generosity to those who serve the people most in need: the greater the love for the poor, the greater the reward from God.”
“When the Church kneels beside a leper, a malnourished child or an anonymous dying person, she fulfills her deepest vocation: to love the Lord where he is most disfigured.”
“The monks’ witness showed that voluntary poverty, far from being misery, is a path of freedom and communion.”
“By forming consciences and transmitting wisdom, monks contributed to a Christian pedagogy of inclusion. Culture, marked by faith, was shared with simplicity. Knowledge, illuminated by charity, became service. Monastic life thus revealed itself as a style of holiness and a concrete way to transform society.”
“The monastic tradition teaches us that prayer and charity, silence and service, cells and hospitals form a single spiritual fabric. The monastery is a place of listening and action, of worship and sharing.”
“Christian holiness often flourishes in the most forgotten and wounded places of humanity. The poorest of the poor—those who lack not only material goods but also a voice and the recognition of their dignity—have a special place in God’s heart.”
“We could also mention individuals such as Saint Benedict Menni and the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who worked alongside people with disabilities; Saint Charles de Foucauld among the communities of the Sahara; Saint Katharine Drexel for the most underprivileged groups in North America; Sister Emmanuelle, with the garbage collectors in the Ezbet El Nakhl neighborhood of Cairo; and many others.”
“Let me state once again that the most important way to help the disadvantaged is to assist them in finding a good job, so that they can lead a more dignified life by developing their abilities and contributing their fair share. In this sense, “lack of work means far more than simply not having a steady source of income. Work is also this, but it is much, much more. By working we become a fuller person, our humanity flourishes, young people become adults only by working.”
“Our love and our deepest convictions need to be continually cultivated, and we do so through our concrete actions. Remaining in the realm of ideas and theories, while failing to give them expression through frequent and practical acts of charity, will eventually cause even our most cherished hopes and aspirations to weaken and fade away.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for the content of this Apostolic Letter. I admit I was unsure of what to expect when I began reading this. I am thankful I gave it a read. This was an interesting document to read. And to be honest at times not an easy one. I paused several times to really think on specific points or to pray. And I can say it is one that has spurred me to action.
I am thankful I gave this a read and for the video’s from Father Mark and team. It was well worth working through.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
Note: Father Mark Goring used a few guest speakers while covering the material in this volume. They were: Sister Elizabeth Marie and Father Isaac Longworth. It again really added to the experience of reading this and the School of Reading Lessons on the volume.
For a list of all books that are part of Father Mark Goring's Saint Mark’s School of Reading click here.
Books about Pope Leo XIV:
LEO XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope - Matthew Bunson
Pope Leo XIV Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy - Christopher White
Books By Pope Leo XVI:
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Related Posts:
Rerum Novarum: Encyclical Letter Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour - Pope Leo XIII - CTS Books
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