Written by Christ’s Compassion for the Marginalised
And Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion for them. Thinking not of his own needs, he completely saw them as they were: vulnerable, thirsty, hungry, and wanting of spiritual sustenance and love. To him they were subjects with inherent dignity and worth—above all they were children of God.
But in his world, they were outcasts, impure, not worthy of mixing with or of being subjects in any kingdom—they were, to the majority, just disenfranchised nobodies. Yet in Jesus’ actions, they found worth; they were seen as subjects. Through sustained following and listening to his words, they eventually saw they had a king—a servant King—and they came to realise they were indeed subjects in a kingdom that had come near.
Their king didn’t judge or marginalise; instead he mixed with them, healed them, ate with them and blessed them. He saw them—saw through the dirt and grime brought about by social deprivation—and he loved them. They had royal patronage.
And he asks us to do the same.
Prayer for Belonging
And so, we pray:
May those who walk the edges of society feel the warmth of belonging. May every person who has been pushed aside, overlooked, or unheard discover a place where their voice matters and their presence is honoured.
Help me to set aside my own desires, so that I may truly encounter your face in those who suffer.
Lord, in your mercy.
Dorothy Day and the Call to Serve
Dorothy Day faced criticism for her work with the poor. It was said her actions were not motivated by compassion or genuine Christian charity, but by a desire to follow a communist ideology. But this was far from the truth.
In her conversion to Christ, she modelled his work and no other, becoming a servant of the poor—and in this servanthood lay her redemption. In working with the marginalised and the oppressed, she saw the face of Christ, and in her ministry she became his hands, bringing God’s love and compassion.
And she asked us to do the same.
Prayer for True Charity
And so, we pray:
Lord, help us to realise that acts of kindness and charity are not merely moral obligations, but are deeply theological and reflect your divine nature. Help us to imitate your love and loving kindness and become conduits of your love, forsaking secular ideologies and desires that ultimately focus on utilitarian ends.
Lord, in your mercy.
The Widow of Nain: Restoring Life
Jesus went to a town called Nain, having walked 25 miles from Capernaum with a crowd following him. As he approached, he encountered a funeral procession.
He saw the woman, her hands shaking, tears in her eyes at the death of her son. She was on her way to bury him beside her husband. Moved with deep compassion, Jesus understood her plight: in that economic climate, the loss of both husband and son would leave her destitute.
He touched the bier, confirming the young man’s death, and said with authority, “Young man, get up.” The young man sat up, and quietly, with dignity, Jesus gave him back to his mother.
He restored her livelihood—her life—in more ways than one.
While this miracle foreshadows his own death and resurrection, it also models a way of being: that we too, in Christian charity, can give back life to others.
And he asks us to do the same.
Prayer for Encounter
Lord Jesus, when the woman holding The Big Issue under the shadow of the cathedral asks for money, let me not be judgemental, but give me the courage to encounter her.
Grant me the wisdom to recognise that time is a human construct, and that I need not be its slave—prevented from seeing your face in her.
Let me not give charity with hesitation or arrogance, but instead be your love, your hands, and your voice—offering hope and life.
Lord, in your mercy.
Mother Teresa and Radical Charity
In seeking to emulate Christ’s love for the poor, Mother Teresa established the Missionaries of Charity, who take a fourth vow: to care for the poorest of the poor.
The widow of Nain would likely have died in poverty had Jesus not intervened. Similarly, Mother Teresa sought to prevent such suffering for those on the streets.
Unlike secular charity, often driven by ego or recognition, her work was rooted in prayer and self-emptying. She emphasised that Christian charity is God working through us.
She wrote:
“If our poor die of hunger, it is not because God does not care… but because we are not instruments of love in the hands of God.”
Prayer for Shared Suffering
And so, we pray:
Help us, dear Lord, to go where it hurts—to places of pain—and to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.
Help us to cry out with the distressed, to mourn with the lonely, and to weep with those in misery.
Lord, in your mercy.
The Cross: The Ultimate Model of Compassion
In his love for the poor and marginalised, Jesus took up his cross. He emptied himself of human desire and surrendered to God’s will:
“Father, if this cup may pass… yet not my will, but yours be done.”
In doing so, he revealed true humanity—Ecce Homo. Love conquers. As Pope Francis reminds us, there is a greater love that comes from God and enables us to love others as God does.
Jesus lived this love—and died for it.
And he asks us to do the same.
Prayer for Self-Giving Love
Dear Lord, help us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless.
May we recognise that compassion means full immersion in the human condition. Help us to take up our cross, die to self, and live for others.
Lord, in your mercy.
Conclusion: Living Christian Charity
Christian charity is challenging. As Pope Francis says, we will be judged not by what we give, but by the love we give—how we empty ourselves and become instruments of Christ.
Christian charity is not a feeling, but a way of life. It calls us to love even those who are difficult to love—even our enemies.
It is a divine calling—a theological drive rooted in God.
If the journey feels overwhelming, begin small. As St Teresa teaches, it is the small acts of compassion that matter most. A single gesture of kindness can transform a life.
Practise the little things, grow into greater sacrifices, and above all, live as vessels of God’s compassion.
Final Prayer
For those carrying invisible burdens, grant rest.
For those who have been told they are “less than,” restore their worth.
For those who feel unseen, surround them with care and presence.
Where there is loneliness, sow connection.
Where there is fear, plant courage.
Where there is injustice, stir compassion and action.
Help us to walk alongside one another—recognising the sacredness in every life.
May hope rise quietly in every place it has been dimmed.
Amen.