Poverty December
A profession of this poverty without concrete human solidarity would no longer be a poverty in the Spirit of Christ (Const. 12.2).
Looking at the face of Christ in the Byzantine icons of the Oriental Church, one is immediately attracted by the eyes that look back at the visitor from a fascinating world. The eyes of the Oriental Christ invite to contemplation of the mystery of his person. And what does the visitor see? Christ is serious. He takes his visitor seriously. His eyes are full of attention. His welcome communicates a call to come close, to stay, to understand. It is the engaging look of the one who loves. It is the compassionate look of the one who embraces the human condition. It is the determined look of the one ready to lose all in order to save the life of the one contemplating him. His eyes do not stray. They are the eyes of God. Eventually, the visitor senses the invitation to share the same sentiments and to get involved—to take on Christ’s manner of looking at others.
The sun does not bypass a village because it is small. (Ivory Coast)
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