11 February 2022 Mark 7:31-37
Friday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
PREFERENTIAL LOVE
“He took him off by himself away from the crowd” V.33
Jesus “taking the deaf man off by himself away from the crowd” could be seen as a gesture of preferential love of God for the poor, suffering and vulnerable.
It is part of God’s universal love to ensure equal human dignity to all human beings. God cannot be neutral in faces of oppression, marginalization, poverty and assaults against human dignity. It means God shows preferential love for people who are poor, suffering and vulnerable. God’s is only preferential, not partial. God’ preferential love for them is not because they are better than others – morally or religiously – but because their poverty/vulnerability is contrary to Divine will. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ tells Beatitudes. But never tells that poverty is blessedness.
Love for the poor, suffering and vulnerable is an essential aspect of Christian life. Pope Francis’ emphasis on this matter has created a renewed awareness of it in the whole church. While talking about Care for the poor Pope Francis said leaders in the church, “without caring for the poor we cannot be Christians, we can be only Popes, Cardinals, bishops, priests, professionals etc.”
Let it be a pervasive reality to be practiced every day in homes, offices, factories, schools, and businesses across our land, especially through preferential option for the poor. Amen.