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Home / Economic Crisis / Christ Our Hope Pastoral Letter / Part Two: Charity, our hope and joy
Part Two: Charity, our hope and joy
Building on Scriptures from St. Paul and St. John, in his first encyclical, "God is Love," Pope Benedict the XVI reminded us that each of us has been "loved into being" by God's surprising and unmerited, selfless love. We were made for love. Naturally and spontaneously from childhood we reach out for a loving connection with others.
At Christmas, we contemplate the mystery of God sending His son to live like us, with us and for us — a God of solidarity. The infant in the manger cannot help but fill us with gratitude and then move us to deeds of charity. Once we realize how deeply we have been loved, we cannot help but want to love others in return. Our very custom of gift-giving at Christmas is truly a reflection of God's divine gift-giving that we celebrate at Christmas.
Being charitable means more than just being generous on an occasional basis or feeling a stirring of empathy for another person in urgent need. Charity is ultimately about our need to give. Charity is indeed a vocation, a life-long calling which comes from being baptized sons and daughters of God. It is a way of giving in which the other is always affirmed and strengthened, ennobled and dignified. In Christian charity, we strive to see the face of Christ in the other and we want the person receiving our charity to see Christ's face in us. As St. Augustine once put it, we should speak of "one Christ loving Himself" through us.
Pope Benedict stresses, even though there is a legitimate role for government to ensure the rights of all, especially the most vulnerable, the state cannot possibly provide for everyone. As he says, there are many other "living forces" that must respond to the needs of people, needs which often go beyond our desire for "bread alone." The Church as an organized institution has a role and a responsibility to be one means of such charitable outreach and service.
Here in the archdiocese, in our parishes and through many social service agencies, we have a long and distinguished track record of service for people of all backgrounds. Many of our parishes have been offering job-fairs and discussion groups and counseling for those who are seeking new employment opportunities. We are proud to have an active St. Vincent de Paul Society, our Catholic Social Services agencies, and other faith-based programs that provide resources for body and spirit.
The Catholic Church partners with many civic and ecumenical organizations to address the immediate and long-term needs of people of all ages and circumstances. We also commend the many other non-profits who provide "daily bread" to individuals and families, day in and day out. We can take justifiable pride in the 40-year history of Focus: HOPE, which was a creative response to challenges at a time when our nation was going through political and sociological transition. We need the same kind of creative strategies today.
There is something each of us can, and must do, every single day for one another. While we may not have the economic means to help others, every one of us has the ability to pray and find a way to be of service. Charity is a way of life, a virtue to be nurtured daily through prayer and action. We give love to God for His own sake and love to our neighbors on account of God.
Hope dawns as we cooperate with the grace of God that calls us to conversion and turning away from anxiety about self. God asks us to be purified and simplified so that our awareness of His presence and love will be all the more vital and dynamic.
Prayer, alone or with others. is one of the most powerful "medicines" or therapies of all; as we pray, we discover a sense of peace and a fresh perspective. We begin to see ourselves and our circumstances as God does. As Pope Benedict says, "seeing with the eyes of Christ" we can give to others "the look of love they crave."
Let us consider God's love for us and our ability to love one another. In the context of the Christmas season, I ask you to meditate on the Christ Child in the crib, giving thanks to God for the many ways you have been touched and loved by the charity and goodness of others in the past. Consider also how God has used you in very specific ways to be a sign and source of hope and healing for others and how you might – even now – be more generous in giving of your time, talents, or treasure.
For prayerful reflection:
- How might I show charity to others immediately around me?
- How might my choices for celebrating Christmas this year be different?
- Do I need to consider a simpler style of living?
 Data: Economic crisis
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