Serving The Least Favored

At the heart of our Marist Mission to make Jesus known and loved are "the least favored."  These are the poor who live on the margins of society, or to draw an analogy for today's Gospel, sit at the gate alongside Lazarus.  He was verily neglected, indeed, he was not even seen by the rich man who, clothed in fine purple,  dined at his sumptuous table.  His wealth caused blindness; it was only when he lost his wealth and found himself in Hades did he begin to see. Although we do not find ourselves wrapped in purple and gouging ourselves with gourmet delights, our complacency can cause a similar blindness.  However, to be true to Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Marcellin, we need not only to sharpen our vision to see those in need, but we must do something about alleviating their needs, their ignorance, their poverty. Marists around the world, as well as in the United States are doing that in our schools, by providing tuition assistance to those who cannot afford it, by our mission collections, which directly help the poor, and by giving our students experiences in serving them, experiences, which in many cases continue to be a pattern for the rest of their lives.
Br. Todd Patenaude, writing from a poor orphanage/school in Jamaica, The Alpha Boys School, said  that we can all help with this particular work first by prayer, and then by financial contributions, either directly or by sending information about partnerships, grants, or foundations that assist such institutions.  We can all pray, and through our prayer  prevent the blinders which might creep over our eyes as we fill our lives and our days with our own concerns as well as help those in those in the Alpha School, or our other works among "the least favored."
Bro. Rene