“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Whenever we hear the word poverty, we often think of hunger, homelessness, or financial hardship. However, during my years of missionary service in the United States, I have come to realize that poverty has many faces. Some people have comfortable homes and successful careers but struggle with loneliness, anxiety, broken relationships, or the loss of hope. These hidden forms of poverty can be just as painful as material need.
As a sister of St. Joseph and a mother-baby Registered Nurse at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, I have been privileged to encounter Christ every day through the people I serve. Caring for mothers and newborns has taught me that healing is not limited to medicine. A listening ear, a reassuring smile, a gentle touch, and words of encouragement often become powerful instruments of God's healing love.
My ministry also extends beyond the hospital. One of the greatest blessings of my vocation has been accompanying new immigrants as they begin life in America. I have helped them learn to drive, prepare professional résumés, connect with community resources, search for employment, and believe in their own abilities. Watching someone regain confidence, secure a job, and build a new future reminds me that authentic charity empowers people rather than simply meeting immediate needs.
I have also found great joy in mentoring fellow nurses. Sharing knowledge, encouraging professional growth, and supporting colleagues in their journey allows us to build a stronger nursing community and provide even better care for our patients. Every act of encouragement strengthens not only an individual nurse but also the families they serve.
The charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph calls us to love the 'dear neighbor' without distinction. Whether I meet a patient, a coworker, an immigrant family, or someone silently carrying emotional pain, I try to recognize the face of Christ in each person. “Pope Francis reminds us that the Church is called to be a field hospital for a wounded world, and each of us is invited to participate in Christ's mission of healing and reconciliation”.
Perhaps the deepest poverty of our time is spiritual poverty. Many people possess material abundance yet live without a sense of purpose, faith, belonging, or hope. They hunger for love, forgiveness, inner peace, and a meaningful relationship with God. This silent emptiness often manifests as isolation, fear, addiction, anxiety, or despair. As Christians, we are called not only to respond to physical needs but also to accompany those who thirst for God's presence through compassionate listening, prayer, encouragement, and authentic witness. By sharing Christ's love with humility and mercy, we help restore the dignity, hope, and joy that only God can fully provide.
True wealth is not measured by what we possess but by the hope we inspire, the dignity we restore, and the love we generously share. As we become more attentive to the visible and invisible forms of poverty, material, emotional, relational, and spiritual, we begin to see Christ in every person we encounter. May we respond with compassionate hearts, generous hands, and faith-filled lives. In serving others with mercy, respect, and love, we become living witnesses of the Gospel and faithful instruments of God's healing presence in our wounded world.
 

Sr. Justina Mathew CSJ

Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery, Nagpur Province, India
Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital