Lenten Reading for March 22

The story concludes.

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Jesus recognizes bullying within his followers. Judas attacks Mary, lacking understanding of her actions. Those whose actions we do not understand, we often bully.

Jesus’ last words can be puzzling.  “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”  People have sometimes heard Jesus’ words as giving permission to ignore the poor — to give up attempts to relieve their plight.

Precisely the opposite is true. Jesus is saying that the caring for the poor will always be a surefire way to do God’s will. If we are looking for a reliable way to please God, you can’t go wrong with caring for the poor.

How do we relate to the poor among us?