Our lives, to be fruitful, must be full of Christ; to be able to bring His peace, joy and love we must have it ourselves, for we cannot give what we have not got – the blind leading the blind. The poor in the slums are without Jesus and we have the privilege of entering their homes. What they think of us does matter, but what we are to them does matter. To go the slums merely for the sake of going will not be enough to draw them to Jesus. If you are preoccupied with yourself and with your own affairs, you will not be able to live up to this ideal.
Lord, give us patience as we wait in hope for Your coming. Help us to receive all Your gifts with gratitude and to share them with those in need. Amen.