BELMONT — On the feast of St. Valentine, Feb. 14, about 80 people met at the Sisters of Mercy campus to focus not on their own intimate relationships but on love for “the least of His people” – the poor and marginalized.
Deacon Scott Gilfillan, founder and executive director of Font of Mercy, a nonprofit supporting the homeless and marginalized, led the discussion into “Dilexi Te” which was sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte and the Font of Mercy.
“Deacon Gilfillan, in his presentation, ‘Dilexi Te: The Love that Calls us Back,’ beautifully shared Pope Leo XIV’s message of God’s unconditional love which calls us to respond with hearts of love for those who suffer and who are poor,” said Joseph T. Purello, director of Catholic Charities’ office of social concerns and advocacy.
“Dilexi Te” is a call to action stemming from Pope Francis’ encyclical “Dilexit Nos” and an invitation to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. Lawrence.
“If you love Jesus, you have to love the poor,” said Deacon Gilfillan, who also serves at St. Joseph Parish in Newton.
Deacon Gilfillan intertwined Bible passages mentioned in “Dilexi Te” in his message, to illustrate that serving the poor is at the core of discipleship.
The burning bush Moses encountered symbolized where God saw the affliction and heard the cry of His people. Mary Magdalene’s anointing of Jesus acknowledged the poor would always be with us. And, of course, Jesus worked as a carpenter and gleaned in fields for food.
“Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem were homeless. Jesus was born in an animal feeding trough, exiled as a refugee to Egypt,” Deacon Gilfillan said. “Taking care of the poor is not just what we do, but who we are.”
Deacon Gilfillan said if Jesus were to come into this world today, He would be at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and curing the sick.
“God loves us so much, but He especially loves us when we are poor, and when we are broken,” Deacon Gilfillan said.
Deacon Gilfillan shared his experiences as a volunteer for Strong Life Rescue Mission in Hickory. He said he intended to be a spiritual director but instead spends most Wednesdays driving a bus filled with unhoused people from the transport station to the day center or to government social services offices. The volunteer work seems tedious, yet it is on this bus where connections are made, evangelism takes place and he sees Christ’s face in the poor, he said. And in his work, he has learned he does not always play the role of evangelist.
“All of us should let ourselves be evangelized by the poor,” he urged.
For example, Lauren, a homeless woman with multiple sclerosis, has a daily mission of making Deacon Gilfillan smile, despite her own challenges, he said.
Showing him the tattoo of her ex-husband’s name on her neck, which she later changed to a Bible verse by adding 1:9 to the end of the word “Joshua,” did make him grin.
“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go,” Deacon Gilfillan recalled with a smile.
While he does a lot for the homeless who are easily seen on the streets, he noted that the socially marginalized, the morally and spiritually poor, and those who are culturally or medically impoverished, may be hiding unnoticed.
He encouraged participants to look around and ask who they can help – and how.
Though many came to the seminar for different reasons, they found a new way to spread God’s love thanks to Deacon Gilfillan’s inspirational words.
“Deacon Gilfillan reminded me of what Christ did,” Mark Walters, a parishioner of St. Aloysius in Hickory, reflected. “Christ asked, ‘What can I do for you?’ and that is probably how I should start greeting every person.”
— Lisa M. Geraci