May 25 – Learning from the Least of These
The poor have much to teach us. Not only do they share in the sense of the faith, but in their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them. Pope Francis
Gregg’s Reflection
The eight-month pregnant refugee dropped off at our church with a three-year-old, an eighteen-month-old, and one black garbage bag of belongings transformed my attitude toward healthcare for undocumented immigrants. Helping a homeless man off the street, and discovering he was a gifted artist awakened me to gifts I would not expect to see. Encounters like these have been some of my deepest classrooms.
When I slow down long enough to listen, I realize how much I still have to learn from those whose lives look nothing like mine. They carry wisdom forged in fires I have never had to walk through. Too often, my own privilege insulates me from seeing their worth—and blinds me to the image of God they bear.
Jesus didn’t say, “Learn from the accomplished and the polished,” but “Learn from the least.” When I take that seriously, it changes the way I move through the world. The people I might otherwise pass by become mentors in the kingdom of God, offering me glimpses of grace that textbooks and conferences could never provide.
Scripture
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
James 2:5
Ancient Quotes
Do not disdain the small things, for they too are part of the whole.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.1
The best of men are those who are most useful to others.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 9.8
Modern Quotes
The poor have much to teach us. Not only do they share in the sense of the faith, but in their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them.
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, §198
The least teach us because they have nothing left to protect, and so they speak truth without pretense.
Richard Rohr, CAC Daily Meditation, 11/21/18
Journaling Prompts
- Who are the “least of these” in your life right now?
- What is one lesson you’ve learned from someone the world might overlook?
- How can you intentionally put yourself in places to learn from those with less power or privilege?
- How might these encounters shape your understanding of the kingdom of God?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 21 Reflection: Humility vs Ego