Pope Francis on Sunday said that the needy are at the heart of the Gospel as he celebrated a Mass marking the World Day of the Poor.

In his homily in St. Peter’s Basilica Nov. 15, the pope urged Catholics to take risks to help the millions of people worldwide who live below the poverty line.

“Do not forget: the poor are at the center of the Gospel; the Gospel cannot be understood without the poor,” he said, adding: “The poor guarantee us an eternal income and even now they help us become rich in love. For the worst kind of poverty needing to be combatted is our poverty of love.”

Pope Francis celebrated the Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica on the fourth annual observance of the World Day of the Poor, which falls on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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