The Master is here; He is calling you!

In a well-known discourse, St. John Chrysostom stressed the close connection that exists between Jesus present on the altar and Jesus present in the poor: “Do you,” he asks, “wish to honor the Body of Christ? Then do not allow it to be scorned in its members, in the poor, who have nothing to clothe themselves with. Do not honor him in the church with silk and then neglect him outside when he is cold and naked…What does Christ gain from a sacrificial table full of golden vessels when he then dies of hunger in the persons of the poor? First of all feed the hungry and only then dress the altar with what is left. Would you offer him a golden chalice and refuse him a glass of water? What need is there to dress the altar in gold, if then you fail to offer him some necessary clothing? …Therefore, while you adorn the place of worship, do not lock your heart to your suffering brother. This is a more precious living temple than the other.”

Card. R. Cantalamessa; The Eucharist Our Sanctification; Liturgical Press; p.74