Blessed Are Those Who Find Jesus in the Poor

O

n September 24, 2026, Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was beatified in St. Louis, Missouri. Around 50,000 people gathered for the celebration, presided over by our very own Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, representing Pope Leo XIV.

Many remember Fulton Sheen as the famous American bishop who brought the Gospel into millions of homes through radio and television. But Cardinal Tagle reminded everyone that Sheen's greatness was not simply his popularity. Being famous is not the same as being blessed.

In his homily, Cardinal Tagle spoke about two important aspects of the blessedness of a missionary evangelizer.

First, a missionary evangelizer is blessed because of communion with Jesus. This is the very foundation of blessedness. Before we can proclaim Jesus to others, we must first be united with him.

As Cardinal Tagle explained, the risen Lord chooses and sends his friends to proclaim the Gospel. We are blessed because the Lord himself has seen us, chosen us, and sent us. But to choose ourselves and simply go wherever we want is not necessarily mission.

Think of someone who volunteers for a Church ministry. At first, the person is enthusiastic and generous. But what happens when the assignment is no longer exciting, when nobody notices the effort, or when someone else receives the recognition? Do we continue serving with the same joy?

Perhaps this is one way of discovering whether our service is truly rooted in Jesus or simply in our desire to feel important. The blessing is not that we have been given an important position. The blessing is that Jesus has called us to share in his mission.

Second, a missionary evangelizer is blessed through communion with people, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Cardinal Tagle reminded everyone that Jesus sends his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to every creature—not to some distant, imaginary world, but to real people with real lives, struggles, and hopes.

This means that evangelization is not simply about speaking to people about God. It is also about recognizing how God is already present and working in their lives.

For example, we may organize an outreach program for a poor community. We bring food, supplies, and perhaps even a short reflection on the Gospel. These are good things. But suppose we leave without ever sitting down to listen to the people themselves. We may have brought them something, but have we truly encountered them?

The poor are not simply people to whom we bring Jesus. They are also people in whom Jesus is waiting to meet us.

Cardinal Tagle warned that preaching must never become an excuse to avoid real people or to overlook God's presence in them. Neither should ministry become a way of exercising power or making ourselves important. Like St Paul, we are called to become servants of others for the sake of Jesus.

This concern for the poor was deeply present in Fulton Sheen himself. During the Second Vatican Council, on November 9, 1964, he appealed to the bishops to give greater importance to poverty in the life of the Church.

He pointed out that much of the world's prosperity was concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, while many people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America continued to live in poverty. He also reminded the Council that many bishops came from communities experiencing poverty and persecution.

Then he offered this powerful comparison: “As only a wounded Christ could convert a doubting Thomas, so only a Church wounded by poverty can convert a doubting world.”

What a striking image! The Church does not become more convincing simply by becoming richer, more powerful, or more influential. The Church becomes a credible witness to Christ when it is willing to share in the struggles and wounds of the poor.

And perhaps this brings together Cardinal Tagle's two points. Communion with Jesus must lead us into communion with others. The closer we come to Jesus, the more we should find ourselves drawn toward the people he loves, especially those who are easily forgotten.

This was the blessedness of Fulton Sheen: not merely his ability to reach millions through television, but his deep communion with Jesus and his concern for the poor.

Cardinal Tagle ended his homily with these beautiful words: “Blessed is the missionary who digs deep into the heart of the poor to meet Jesus there.”

Perhaps we can ask ourselves today: Do I allow God to use me to draw others closer to him? Can I still recognize God's blessings in moments of humiliation and defeat? And can I find joy, not only in my own happiness, but also in the happiness of others?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, deepen our communion with you and teach us to recognize and serve you in the poor. Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ