32st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 11, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Growing up it was always interesting to listen to my grandparents about “How things use to be.” To be sure a lot has changed since the 1950’s — some for the better and some for the worse. My grandparents on my mom’s side lived in rural Pennsylvania on a farm in the 1940’s and 50’s. They often told us stories about a simpler time.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the .
Visit the Mercedarians’
In some ways, those times had a better sense of human and Christian brotherhood. Neighbors would get together on Sunday afternoons to just to relax and chat. If one farmer had a problem they would call on their neighbors for help. No one locked their doors or had any great fears of serious crime. In fact, on occasion “poor souls,” as my grandparents referred to them, would wander onto their property looking for a “little help.”
Taking in a worker
Grandma and grandpa would give them a hot meal and a place to sleep for a while. The homeless man would work the farm and get a just wage. However, within a month or so, they would wander off again probably to the next farm or neighboring town. Certainly, this was a different time and taking strangers in today would not be prudent, but there is a real lesson of Christianity to be found in this open door policy.
The preceding story is a great example of the Catholic social justice principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. Solidarity is defined as the sharing of both spiritual and material goods with others. It is seeing the other as created in the image and likeness of God. We share a common human dignity with each person from which flows a vision of everyone as a brother or sister. Subsidiarity says that local communities should take care of those in need at the local level. They are the closest to the persons in need and, presumably, have the most at stake in the welfare of their neighbors. Those closest to the trouble usually are the most informed and can provide the best and most effective solutions. This is especially the case with local religious institutions whose deeply held beliefs often encourage them to reach out to their neighbors with genuine compassion and zeal.
Elijah asks for food
We hear about those in need in our scriptures today. Specifically our first reading and Gospel focus on widows who in ancient times were often quite vulnerable. They could not own property or even inherit from their deceased husbands. The case is direr if the widow has small children. In the first reading, Elijah comes to the house of such a poor widow and asks for food. The drought has left her and child in serious danger of starvation. Through the intercession of Elijah, God will provide a miracle for this widow and her child. The nation of Israel had been told by God to take care of the widow and those who were marginalized. This comes from the Book of Exodus where God commands that, “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.” Those who do harm to the most vulnerable will receive “a very serious condemnation.”
This command to care for the poorest was not only true in the ancient times, but has been a part of the Judeo-Christian tradition throughout the centuries. Those most vulnerable because of health, poverty, or marginalization are to be taken care of by the local community. This was especially the case with the Early Church, where the widows were housed and taken care of by the donations of each Christian. This is solidarity and subsidiarity in action.
Catholic or not
We see those around us, Catholic or not, as our brothers and sisters. Those closest to them especially the Church have an obligation to assist them. For us it is not a job or a government program, but it is a command of God. This is why our nation has benefited from so many religious organizations working at the local level such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Catholic orphanages, Parochial Schools, Catholic Hospitals, and the list goes on and on…. These people ran non-profit organizations out of the love for Jesus. They saw Christ in the widows, the orphans, the homeless, and the sick.
Certainly, times do change. Problems today are different than they were in the past. Over time we must reevaluate the needs of the community trying to provide the best for each person. But, the command of God to love our neighbor endures forever. We all have a stake in our local community and those who are suffering within it. The problems around us are not first the government’s job. The principle of subsidarity and Judeo-Christian tradition tell us that it is first our job to take care of those around us.
Allowing local help
The government should, in justice, support those working at the local level that can best provide for the needy around them. This is the legacy passed down to us by our ancestors! These are the stories of Christian charity that they tell us! We, for our part, must reach out to those around us give example that Christ is still in our mist. Then, the next generation will have a story to tell. They will be inspired to promote justice for those in their community.
Read all of Fr. Joseph”s sermons.