Wednesday, June 26, 2013
520. By what is love for the poor inspired? (part 2 continuation)
(Comp 520 repetition) Love for the poor is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes and by the
example of Jesus in his constant concern for the poor. Jesus said, “Whatever
you have done to the least of my brethren, you have done to me” (Matthew
25:40). Love for the poor shows itself through the struggle against material
poverty and also against the many forms of cultural, moral, and religious
poverty. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy and the many charitable
institutions formed throughout the centuries are a concrete witness to the preferential
love for the poor which characterizes the disciples of Jesus.
“In brief”
(CCC 2463) How can we not recognize Lazarus, the hungry
beggar in the parable (cf. Lk 17:19-31), in the multitude of human beings
without bread, a roof or a place to stay? How can we fail to hear Jesus:
"As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to
me" (Mt 25:45)?
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2447) The works
of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor
in his spiritual and bodily necessities (Cf. Isa 58:6-7; Heb 13:3). Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting
are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently.
The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry,
sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned,
and burying the dead (Cf. Mt 25:31-46). Among all these, giving alms to the
poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of
justice pleasing to God (Cf. Tob 4:5-11; Sir 17:22; Mt 6:2-4): He who has two
coats, let him share with him who has none and he who has food must do likewise
(Lk 3:11). But give for alms those things which are within; and behold,
everything is clean for you (Lk 11:41).
If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you
says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving
them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? (Jas 2:15-16; cf. 1
Jn 3:17).
Reflection
(CCC 2446) St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this:
"Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and
deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs" (St.
John Chrysostom, Hom. in Lazaro 2, 5:
PG 48, 992). "The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that
which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity"
(AA 8 § 5): When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is
theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of
justice (St. Gregory the Great, Regula
Pastoralis. 3, 21: PL 77, 87). [IT CONTINUES]
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