Let us stand side by side with the poor
The German painter and priest, Sieger Köder, painted a 4 by 4 wall mural in the Frederic Ozanam room in the St. Vincent parish church in Graz, Austria. With great sensitivity and ability, he portrayed the commitment of Frederic Ozanam (1813-1853), the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to the poor.
The poor have been pushed to the fringes of society throughout history. Even the Church has not always been clearly on their side and has not always used its influence for the benefit of their rights and dignity. Instead of committing to change their living conditions, one often contented oneself with alms for the poor.
So it was during the time of Frederic Ozanam. The windows of Notre Dame cathedral were dark. There was no light of hope which came from the church. It's no wonder that, in their despair, people turned to other ideologies (the red flags of communism) and, in their need, turned to violence in order to fight for their rights.
Frederic Ozanam, professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris, was one of the few to recognize that it was essential for society as well as for the church to look after the weak and exploited
He said, " The question which divides people in our time is…whether society will continue to exploit the many to the advantage of the strong or to sacrifice a few for the good of the whole, especially for the protection of the meek. On one side is the power of wealth, on the other, the power of despair."
He called on the church in particular to fully commit itself to the protection and comfort of the poor. He also stood for the principles of the French Revolution: freedom, equality, and brotherhood appeared to him to be the perfect expression of the gospels' challenge
The houses, painted in three colors, point to this conviction. The church's lack of interest in the sorrow of the industrial workers deeply concerned him. He wrote, "Had Christians cared more about workers in the last few years, we could now look with confidence to the future." Desperate people stormed the church St. Germain-Auxerrois and shot Archbishop Affre, killing him.
On February 10th, 1848, in the newspaper Le Correspondent, Ozanam responded, "Let us align ourselves with the barbarians ("passons aux barbares"), instead of complying with the interests of the egotistical bourgeoisie."
It was important to him not only to develop social ideas, but also to go to the people, in order to understand their lot and to truly be able to help them. "It is of little value to pore over books and listen to speeches when it comes to social welfare and charity reform. Much more must one climb up the steps of the poor houses. One must sit on the beds of the poor, one must feel the cold with them...only then can one think of a solution to their problems."
With one hand he touches the children and, with that gesture, touches all those whom no one wanted anything to do with, neither at that time nor today.
It was important to him not only to develop social ideas, but also to go to the people, in order to understand their lot and to truly be able to help them. "It is of little value to pore over books and listen to speeches when it comes to social welfare and charity reform. Much more must one climb up the steps of the poor houses. One must sit on the beds of the poor, one must feel the cold with them...only then can one think of a solution to their problems." With one hand he touches the children and, with that gesture, touches all those whom no one wanted anything to do with, neither at that time nor today.
everywhere among us
going by
looking on
looking away
meeting
and yet different somehow, -foreign,
what separates us?
What binds us?
and you comforted me.
who sold cheap wares,
and you did not chase me away
instead, you bought something from me.
and you
gave me work.
as you are no longer with us,
when once you were of flesh and blood,
then so it was your will,
that we should take up your presence amid the people
of today.
You no longer have your hands,
rather, you have ours.
rather, you have ours.
(Longer pause to view the painting and meditate)
with which to soothe the brows
of the sick and the elderly.
Our eyes,
with which to look upon them,
to look upon the one,
who before now no one has really seen.
You have our smile
to awaken anew the taste for life,
so that each of our mortal acts,
Lord,
can be a holy act,
a true sacrament.
in the very anticipation of being saved
and living in sheer poverty,
we stand here
in this world
just as did a young professor at the Sorbonne
170 years ago, one Frederic Ozanam,
who said
which divides people in our time is
whether society will continue to exploit the many
to the advantage of the strong or
to sacrifice a few for the protection of the week.
In plain speech:
one must sit on the beds of poor, one must feel the cold with them.
Only then can one understand their lot
and truly be able to help them."
For that reason Henri Boulad speaks of "The sacrament of a look."
Vincent de Paul said, "The poor are beautiful to look upon,
if we see them in God,
if we esteem them as Jesus Christ did."
You must see God in them."
"To serve the poor is to serve God."
