Daily Reflection Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
-
July 10, 2024God wants to meet us in the messiest parts of our lives! Perhaps the mess “out there” in the world signals each one of us to scan the mess inside us. In our first reading, the prophet, Hosea encourages us to care for the poor and the migrant—a hot political topic in our country right now! If we do not correct societal problems through justice, then we will suffer. So, we need to look at economics and social justice through the microscope of the gospel teachings.
In his classic, Wrestling with God, Ronald Rolheiser begins a chapter with a quote from James Forbes: “Nobody gets to heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.” The spirit of the prophets and the gospel teaching are that we can’t continue to be “charitable” in giving material food and goods without questioning the root of poverty. That query and accompanying action require deepening our relationship with God in prayer, so that our decisions are not biased or selfish.
In the gospel, Matthew tells us that Jesus instructed his disciples to go only to the Israelites who have fallen away. He knows that they don’t have the energy and resources to stretch among the many. Yet, this is the beginning of “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We, too, are sent to our local neighborhoods and parishes not only to help those impoverished, but also to find the root and reason for the poverty. No matter what our own economic status is, we can help those poorer than ourselves by electing public officials who subscribe to justice in economics and law. We can also write letters or email our locally elected public servants to enlighten them on the devastating conditions of poor housing. In addition, we can support organizations that sponsor programs to uplift those suffering from lack of education and job opportunities. Yes, I admit that following the gospel mandate to help those poorer than ourselves takes energy and patience.
If we do not out the root of poverty and discrimination, our human life will continue to deteriorate. Jesus knew he could not accomplish alone the social justice he preached. He called his followers. Now he is calling us. What will be our response?
