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 In the book of Micah, it is stated simply : You
know what the Lord requires of you, but to love kindness, do justice,
and walk humbly with God.
Seems pretty cut
and dry that as believers, we are to carry out our faith by acting with
kindness and justice toward each other.
The words “Social
Justice” are at the forefront of Christian thought. There is so much
that is ‘unjust’ in our communities, that we are called and challenged
to pay attention to it. Even in the relatively affluent community of
Denville, people are not just hungry for food, but for help, for
kindness, for someone to spend some time with them. Poverty, sickness,
loneliness, sadness; the needs are there, and they are more common than
we think.
How we respond to
these needs is how we answer the call, and the challenge to do what God
requires of us. It is really that simple.
We have established
a Social Justice Ministry here in our parish. Our goal is to not only
identify and answer these needs in our community, but to live the Gospel
message “what ever you do to these the least of my brothers, you do unto
me’, and to give others the opportunity to do the same.
When you’re home
with your family around you, do you ever think of those who have no
one? When you are going out to dinner, or buying something brand new,
do you think of those who have nothing? When you’re remodeling your
homes, or going to the doctors, or getting in your car to go where you
need to go, do you ever consider those who aren’t blessed with the same
opportunities?
What we are hoping
to accomplish is to give everyone an opportunity to reach out to others
who are in need. Simple things, from raking some leaves or planting
some flowers, to picking up a few things at the grocery store. Maybe
putting a coat of paint on a porch railing, or sitting and chatting with
someone for a half hour. We may have nurses that will visit and refer,
or carpenters that will help plan for needed repairs.
On the surface, it
may seem like this Social Justice ministry is for the ones we help, but
its not. Look deeper, and you’ll find that this ministry is for every
one of us, to help us do what God requires. Ask anyone who’s ever
visited the sick, or listened to the stories of an elderly person, or
gave time helping some one who really needed it. Ask them who benefited
the most from the experience, and they’ll say “I did”.
In the pews are the
cards that are your opportunity to share your gift. What ever you can
think of that you can offer, pray about it, and write it down. Bring
them to mass with you next week, and they’ll be collected. These little
cards are your pass to “do what the Lord requires of you”. Remember,
what ever you choose to do for these the least, in a very real way, you
do for Christ.
“We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the
life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10.
Poverty comes in
many different forms. It manifests itself as hunger and homelessness,
loneliness and sickness, ignorance and prejudice.
We become painfully
aware of it in times like these, when a disaster like Katrina throws our
country into turmoil, and it is given a face through the media.
It is easy to focus
our efforts, our hearts and our minds on the images of the poor and
destitute as we rally to help those in need. Through our awareness,
generosity and service, we have a chance of winning this particular
battle, and hopefully helping the people of these southern cities
survive this terrible time.
But poverty wages a
silent war that is more difficult to fight. It is a series of quiet,
unnoticed battles, among people who have no identity, no media coverage
and no voice. These are people in need that are living in fear,
loneliness, and hunger. They are living in our town, under our bridges
and in our institutions. They are physically shut in, or socially shut
out.
The very nature of
our church, our catholicity, is a call to community outreach.
We are given the
much less public and tangible task of seeking out this particular aspect
of poverty, identifying it, giving it a face, and addressing it. This
is what Social Justice is all about.
So whether it’s a
call to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, visit the sick or lonely,
or simply to use our talents and time to provide simple services to
others, we are “created in Christ Jesus” to do just that.
This section of our
website will be dedicated to our Outreach efforts. Please check it
often, and join in the fight against every kind of poverty in our
community.
Trish Vitaletti
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