Living The Message Of Dilexi Te

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I've been reflecting deeply on Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I have loved you”), and how I truly apply its principles—the preferential choice for the poor—to my daily life. The core challenge is overcoming my own self-centeredness and moving past pity. The Pope insists that love for the Lord is one with love for the poor (Rev 3:9), demanding that I treat charity not as an optional good work, but as the essential expression of my relationship with Christ. This calls me to start my day with a "Morning Prayer Check," asking the Holy Spirit to reveal one person or situation of need I might otherwise overlook, thereby keeping my faith from becoming a private comfort.

The most profound shift required is seeing the poor not as objects of my compassion, but as "teachers of the Gospel"—a sacramental presence of the Lord. This means the focus of my action must be on encounter and listening, not just "giving and going." If I volunteer, I need to dedicate time to hearing their stories and learning from their perspective, recognizing that their material poverty often grants them a spiritual clarity I lack. Furthermore, Dilexi Te broadens my understanding of poverty beyond mere material lack to include social exclusion, lack of voice and rights, and personal fragility. I must apply the "preferential option" to these "new subtle forms of poverty," actively working to advocate for the lonely, the marginalized, or the unseen in my immediate community.

Ultimately, Dilexi Te presents a blueprint for renewal. By embracing the preferential option for the poor, I am actively choosing Christ, which helps me to shed the spiritual ailment of self-centeredness. This isn't a new program; it’s a commitment to transform my entire existence into an act of agape—a love that is tangible, informed, and transformative for both the giver and the receiver. I pray my daily life, through every intentional act of justice and charity, will reflect Christ’s own words back to those in need: Dilexi Te.

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