Dear sisters and brothers, good morning!

I am deeply grateful for Sister’s words of welcome, and for the hospitality shown by all of you. Hospitality is a gift of this home! It is truly a gift that comes from God and is brought to fruition by the Little Sisters of the Poor, the staff, the benefactors, and also by all the residents, in your daily life together. Thank you to everyone!

I would like to share two brief reflections with you.

The first is inspired by your name, dear Sisters, for you are “Little Sisters of the Poor.” This is a beautiful name, and one that makes us think! Yes, the Lord has called you not only to assist or help the poor, but has also called you to be their “sisters!” You are to be like Jesus, whom the Father sent to us not only to help and serve us, but also to be our brother. The secret of Christian charity is that before being for others, we must first be with others in a communion based on fraternity.

The second reflection was suggested to me by you, the dear residents of this house. You are the elderly. This word, “elderly,” today risks losing its truest meaning. In many social contexts, where efficiency and materialism dominate, the sense of respect for elderly people has been lost. In contrast, Sacred Scripture and good traditions teach us that – as Pope Francis loved to repeat – the elderly are the wisdom of a people, a treasure for their grandchildren, families and society as a whole.

Therefore, a double thank you to this home, which welcomes people in the name of fraternity, and does so particularly with the elderly. We know that this is not easy as it requires a lot of patience and prayer. So now, let us pray to the Lord to accompany and sustain you. Upon all of you, I invoke God’s blessings.