“Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid.”
(Evangelii Gaudium 187)
This month you might feel like you are being hounded with requests for donations. There are a lot of groups doing various good works. The Junior St. Vincent de Paul is having a warm clothing drive for the homeless; warm wool socks, hats and gloves are needed. The Girl Scouts and grade school students are creatively
finding ways to raise money for the Walk in Sisters’ Shoes campaign. There are still spots left on the CYO mission trip. If there are others, I apologize, I get a lot of emails. There is a temptation to shut it all out, or to give once and call it good. I would like to encourage you on two fronts. First, as such an integral part of the Gospel and of our evangelization it’s important that our children are raised with a concern for the poor.
These activities are a hands-on way for them to experience both the plight and the joy of doing something for the poor. Each “drive” that you are asked to donate to means that these kids have been educated about some aspect of need in our society, and how their efforts mean something. Why do the homeless need wool socks? Well the homeless are out in the cold, do not have a lot of changes of clothes, and they need the properties of a wool sock that cotton socks don’t have. Second, the poor are not going to go away anytime soon. These drives highlight a need, but you’ll notice other groups throughout the year. The Knight’s of Columbus offer their brawn and brains. The St. Vincent de Paul works tirelessly, often in the shadows, helping those in need. Circles groups engage the effort in a very personal way. There is a fundamental need for us to address the issue of poverty. It can get overwhelming, and I know that eventually you might run out of “extra” to give to these groups, but persevere. As long as the problem of poverty remains we have an obligation to address it. I encourage you to take up the efforts yourself. Join one of these groups, or get creative. In the end we aren't throwing clothing, money, time, food, or whatever else at a problem, we are giving to a person. We are giving to a very real, very serious need, that undermines the dignity of one of God’s loved ones. Feel free to say no when you have to, as long as you can say yes, I have done what I can in my heart.
The Church has realized that the need to heed this plea is itself born of the liberating action of grace within each of us, and thus it is not a question of a mission reserved only to a few. “ The Church, guided by the Gospel of mercy and by love for mankind, hears the cry for justice and intends to respond to it with all her might.” In this context we can understand Jesus’ command to his disciples: “You yourselves give them something to eat!” It means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we encounter. The word “solidarity” is a little worn and at times poorly understood, but it refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few. ” (Evangelii Gaudium 188) -Fr. Benjamin Green
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