Being homeless is a form of extreme poverty. One is denied privacy due to limited personal space. One suffers discomfort for a lack of access to basic human necessities. One is left vulnerable to the possible risks around him or her. They are stripped of their human dignity for living in such squalid conditions. Homeless people are one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society.
Through this prayer, we ask God to provide for the needs of the homeless. Those who are displaced by natural calamities. Those who are victims of conflict and wars. And those whom we encounter in our community. May our hearts grow in charity towards them. May our hands reach out to aid their needs. And may our eyes see Christ in the faces of our homeless brothers and sisters.
Prayer for the hungry and homeless
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
As You went out to proclaim God’s love throughout Israel, You also showed us Your preferential love for the poor. You would not hesitate to heal those exiled who are suffering from leprosy. You would stretch out Your hand to give alms to the beggar on the streets. Your heart was moved with pity for the multitude of poor and hungry people who followed You on Your journey.
You yourself, Lord Jesus, were homeless, yet You found a home among the company of Your apostles, through Your generous benefactors, and in prayer towards our heavenly Father. The Father’s loving providence never failed to aid in Your every need in fulfilling Your mission here on earth. God has sustained You and continuously sustains the Church in serving the needs of the hungry and the homeless.
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for the times when I turn a blind eye to the poor and the homeless, for You are in them; You are them. When I fail to give alms, I deny You of Your needs. When I treat them disrespectfully, I contribute more to Your suffering. When I chose not to help in any manner, my heart becomes numb for You.
Grant me, Lord Jesus, the grace of greater sensitivity and heartfelt charity towards the hungry and the homeless. May I become a channel of Your sustaining grace to the poor and needy. May the food that I can give nourish the beggar’s weak body. May the help that I can provide comfort the homeless’ weary souls. And may this prayer that I offer assure the poor that God will provide for their daily bread.
Lord Jesus, grant comfort and peace to all the homeless people of the world.
Amen.
Short prayer for the homeless
Lord Jesus, let my eyes see you in their weathered faces. Let my arm stretch out to reach for their cold hands. Let my heart grow in charity to love You among the hungry and the homeless. Amen.
The Word of God
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Matthew 8:20 NRSVUE
Prayer to Saint Benedict Joseph Labre for the homeless.
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, I come to you to intercede for the hungry and the homeless. You answered God’s call to disown the riches of the world and chose to become a mendicant for Christ. Your pilgrimage on foot to the places of Christian devotion throughout Europe exemplified your magnanimous faith and filial trust in God’s providence. Living solely from the alms, you continued to practice charity by sharing the little amount you had with others. The countless hours you spent in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament showed how the Bread of Life was sufficient to fill your daily needs.
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, may you accompany the hungry and homeless. May your pious example draw them nearer to the Father, our heavenly benefactor. May you also inspire people to reach out to the needs of the hungry and the homeless. Let their hearts be filled with compassion to help our brothers and sisters in need. And let the promise of heavenly merit lead them closer to enjoying the treasures of God’s Kingdom.
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, pray for us.
Amen.
Further reflection
Jesus, during His public ministry, is not far from being considered a homeless person. Due to the great demand of His work, he spent most of His time travelling around the cities and towns of Israel. Bringing nothing but a walking staff with Him, Jesus might have relied on God’s providence through the generous benefactors who attended to His basic needs. We have seen them through the persons of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who are close friends with Jesus and his apostles. Jesus also instructed his disciples not to bring anything whenever they would visit towns to proclaim God in households.
Our encounter with the hungry and the homeless is an invitation for us to serve Jesus outside the celebration of the sacraments. Jesus’ life is evident in the plight of the poor. Jesus’ sufferings mirror the adversities the homeless face every day. Jesus’ thirst is comparable to the hunger of those who have nothing to eat. The hungry and the homeless may not be able to give back what we have given them; we only hope that our selfless acts be merited before God in his heavenly courts.
We are called to love and serve those who are in need, especially the hungry and the homeless. May we never doubt them. No one is too poor who is not able to give, and no one is too rich who is not to receive. May our love for Christ urge us to extend our hands and to expand our hearts to our unfortunate brothers and sisters. Let us remind ourselves that we are all beggars before God, constantly asking for His blessings and guidance in our lives. And hopefully, we may enjoy the fruits of our sacrifices and of our labors with the Father, with Jesus, with Mary, and with the saints in heaven.
