Pope Francis always encourages us to place ourselves at the side of those who are marginalized and cast out, those who never make the headlines.

In the video containing the prayer intention for September, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, he asks us a question that should not leave us indifferent.

“How is it that we allow the ‘throwaway culture’ – in which millions of men and women are worth nothing compared to economic goods – to dominate our lives, our cities, our way of life?

And continuing on, he pleads with us: “Let’s stop making invisible those who are on the margins of society, whether it’s due to poverty, addictions, mental illness or disability.”

Let us listen carefully to his message and do what we can substitute the “throwaway culture” with a “culture of welcoming.”