what is blessing?

Jesus did not say: “Blessed are those who care for the poor,” but “Blessed are the poor.” Simple as this remark may seem, it offers the key to the kingdom. I want to help. I want to do something for people in need. I want to offer consolation to those who are in grief and alleviate the suffering of those who are in pain. There is obviously nothing wrong with that desire. It is a noble and grace-filled desire. But unless I realize that God’s blessing is coming to me from those I want to serve, my help will be short-lived, and soon I will be “burned out.” How is it possible to keep caring for the poor when the poor only get poorer? How is it possible to keep nursing the sick when they are not getting better? How can I keep consoling the dying when their deaths only bring me more grief? The answer is that they all hold a blessing for me.

Ministry is, first of all, receiving God’s blessing from those to whom we minister. What is this blessing? It is a glimpse of the face of God. Seeing God is what heaven is all about! We can see God in the face of Jesus, and we can see the face of Jesus in all those who need our care. Once I asked Jean Vanier: “How do you find the strength to see so many people each day and listen to their many problems and pains?” He gently smiled and said: “They show me Jesus and give me life.” Here lies the great mystery of Christian service. Those who serve Jesus in the poor will be fed by him whom they serve: “He will put on an apron, set them down at table and wait on them” (Luke 12:37). We so much need a blessing. The poor are waiting to bless us.