DILEXI TE TAKEAWAYS
Gustavo Gutierrez, the father of liberation theology, expressed the idea that a gospel message that is not good news for the poor is not an authentic gospel at all. This is founded in the first appearance of Our Lord as he presents Himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free" (Luke 4:18). This explains the main objective of Jesus as he begins his public ministry. Therefore, it speaks a lot to his intention to go forth and extend his presence to the poor, captives, and the oppressed. In the first apostolic exhortation of Pope Leo XIV, here, he extended what his predecessor concluded to us in the wake of his life about God's human and divine love, which now extends to the poor who tells us: "I have loved you."
Gutierrez’s insight finds deep resonance in the lived experiences of countless Filipinos who continue to struggle with poverty, injustice, and marginalization. The message of the gospel becomes truly authentic when it speaks hope to those living in the peripheries. The Philippine Church, following the spirit of Gaudium et Spes and Dilexi Te, is called to be a “Church of the Poor,” not only ministering to the poor but journeying with them. When faith communities stand with the oppressed, when parishes open their doors to those in need, and when Christians advocate for justice and peace, the gospel becomes flesh in our local realities.
One pressing example of this call can be seen concretely in the ongoing struggle of many Filipino communities affected by floods. Flood control concerns human dignity and the stewardship of creation. When the poor are the first to suffer from floods due to inadequate infrastructure, corruption, or neglect, the Church must stand in solidarity with them. Advocacy for just environmental policies, and sustainable flood management can be an impetus for the change that we desire. This is how the gospel remains good news for the poor in a nation repeatedly battered by corruption, when love is not only spoken but concretely lived through justice especially to the poor, when love becomes our way of living.
REMARKABLE QUOTES
Love for the Lord, then, is one with love for the poor. (5)
This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us. (5)
I am convinced that the preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society, if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness and open our ears to their cry. (7)
I am convinced that the preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society, if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness and open our ears to their cry. (9)
“God’s heart has a special place for the poor... The entire history of our redemption is marked by the presence of the poor.” (17)
He experienced the same exclusion that is the lot of the poor, the outcast of society. Jesus is a manifestation of this privilegium pauperum. He presented himself to the world not only as a poor Messiah, but also as the Messiah of and for the poor. (19)
Jesus’ teaching on the primacy of love for God is clearly complemented by his insistence that one cannot love God without extending one’s love to the poor. Love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God. (26)
The community of the faithful, sustained by the strength of the Holy Spirit, was rooted in being close to the poor, whom they considered not just an “appendage,” but an essential part of Christ’s living body. (39)
The Eucharist, therefore, as a sacramental expression of the charity and justice that both preceded and accompanied it. That same charity and justice should perpetuate the Eucharist through love and attention to the poor. (42)
Sharing of goods therefore stems from theological charity and has as its ultimate goal the love of Christ. For Augustine, the poor are not just people to be helped, but the sacramental presence of the Lord. (44)
The Christian tradition of visiting the sick, washing their wounds, and comforting the afflicted is not simply a philanthropic endeavor, but an ecclesial action through which the members of the Church “touch the suffering flesh of Christ." (49)
When the Church kneels beside a leper, a malnourished child or an anonymous dying person, she fulfills her deepest vocation: to love the Lord where he is most disfigured. (52)
Antonio Rosmini founded the Institute of Charity, in which “intellectual charity” was placed alongside “material charity,” with “spiritual-pastoral charity” at the top, as an indispensable dimension of any charitable action aimed at the good and integral development of the person. (71)
For the Christian faith, the education of the poor is not a favor but a duty. Children have a right to knowledge as a fundamental requirement for the recognition of human dignity. Teaching them affirms their value, giving them the tools to transform their reality. (72)
Christian holiness often flourishes in the most forgotten and wounded places of humanity. The poorest of the poor — those who lack not only material goods but also a voice and the recognition of their dignity — have a special place in God’s heart. (76)
The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them.” (88)
The Church, to be fully faithful to her vocation, must not only share the condition of the poor, but also stand at their side and work actively for their integral development. (90)
Charity has the power to change reality; it is a genuine force for change in history. It is the source that must inspire and guide every effort to “resolve the structural causes of poverty,” and to do so with urgency. (91)
The concern for the purity of the faith demands giving the answer of effective witness in the service of one’s neighbor, the poor and the oppressed in particular, in an integral theological fashion.” (98)
The Church’s preferential option for the poor “is implicit in the Christological faith in the God who became poor for us, so as to enrich us with his poverty.” (99)
“Only the closeness that makes us friends enables us to appreciate deeply the values of the poor today, their legitimate desires, and their own manner of living the faith." (100)
Love for the poor is an essential element of the history of God’s dealings with us; it rises up from the heart of the Church as a constant appeal to the hearts of the faithful, both individually and in our communities. (103)
No Christian can regard the poor simply as a societal problem; they are part of our “family.” They are “one of us.” (104)
Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today. (120)
