The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor

The Lord hears the cry of the poor,

Blessed be the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times

With praise ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the Lord,

Who will hear the cry of the poor. (John Foley SJ, cf. Psalm 34)

The above song, written in 1978, has become a classic in Catholic worship. The gospel message, proclaimed to all nations, assures us that God hears and answers our prayers, especially in the poor among us. An argument could be made that all are poor in God’s eyes without his saving grace. The good news contained in the Gospel is that this grace is accessible to all humankind through Christ. The Jewish people, once exclusively God’s chosen, would now be joined by the gentile (non-Jewish) nations to form one holy people in the house of prayer which is the Kingdom of God.

The Universal Call to Salvation

The following passage foretells the coming of the Messianic Kingdom:

And foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

to minister to him,

To love the name of the Lord,

to become his servants—

All who keep the sabbath without profaning it

and hold fast to my covenant,

Them I will bring to my holy mountain

and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

will be acceptable on my altar,

For my house shall be called

a house of prayer for all peoples.

Oracle of the Lord God,

who gathers the dispersed of Israel—

Others will I gather to them

besides those already gathered. (Isaiah 56:6-8)

The universal call to salvation extends to all humans, past, present, and future. Made in the image and likeness of God, all are invited to be adopted through Baptism into Christ. Just before ascending into Heaven, Jesus gave his “marching orders” to go forth, make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

We Are the Poor

If the song’s title were modified, it could read “The Lord Hears the Prayers of All Humankind.” The connection to God is accomplished through faith in Christ. In Baptism, the theological virtue of Faith (along with Hope and Love) is bestowed, and baptismal dignity is established. The good news of the Gospel is that anyone can approach God through faith by virtue of their human dignity.

The Lord hears the prayers that emanate from our hearts, even those that cannot be heard by anyone else. There are many examples in scripture where people, recognizing their poverty, cried out to Jesus. The call and response of their prayers traveled through the conduit of faith. The account of Blind Bartimaeus is one of many examples of nascent faith in action:

And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52    )

Prayer to God

Praying a short, heartfelt prayer through faith in Christ is far more efficacious than a long, drawn-out prayer rooted in self-righteousness:

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-8)

Let us pray for the grace to live out our baptismal vows while reaching out to all we meet, with a preferential option for the poor and marginalized. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord.