The largest "state" in the United States is PovertyUSA. Nearly one in six Americans (46 million people), and one in four children, live there. The government's official poverty threshold for a family of four is $22,314. Trying to live on this number are people working at minimum wage (often with more than one job), seniors on fixed incomes, unemployed people, those suffering from illnesses, and others. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has designated January as Poverty Awareness Month.

And so we pray this news . . .

Holding the Poor in Our Hearts

by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

We hold in our hearts
all those who have
lost their homes
and have no shelter
from the storms of life.

We hold in our hearts
all those who do not
have enough food to
feed their loved ones.

We hold in our hearts
the increasing number
of children showing up at
soup kitchens and shelters.

We hold in our hearts
all those who have no
medical insurance
and are at the mercy
of illness and dread.

We hold in our hearts
all those who have to
make hard choices
about which bills to pay
in a constant battle
against financial disaster.

We hold in our hearts
all those who have
been forced into
bankruptcy and
engulfed in feelings
of failure and shame.

We hold in our hearts
all those who have
lost their jobs and feel
useless and depressed
in the face of a faltering
economy and an
uncertain future.

We hold in our hearts
all those low-income
families that due to
circumstances beyond
their control are one-step
away from life on the streets.

And we hold in our hearts
with esteem all those
who have defended the poor,
stood by them, and pleaded
their cause in the name of
justice, freedom, peace,
and hope.


Next Post: Our First Year of "Praying the News" and a Prayer for Humankind