Fr. Michael Williams

The prophet Amos in the first reading, and Jesus in St Luke’s gospel, join forces ‘in a scathing attack on smug complacency and soft living’ in today’s readings (O’Flynn). Amos says, ‘Woe to those ensconced snugly in Zion and to those who feel so safe on the mountain of Samaria’. And in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus Jesus warns us of the consequences of gratifying ourselves, whilst ignoring the needs of those who have nothing. ‘The most detestable thing in the parable that Jesus tells is the rich man’s ostentation, the way he makes a show of his wealth with no consideration for the poor man, Lazarus. It’s a contrast between a person who stuffs himself with food and a person who dies of hunger; it’s a contrast between one who changes his clothes every day and one who does not own a thread; it’s a contrast between a healthy person and a sick person’ (Cantalemessa).

Both Jesus and the prophet Amos are clear in their disapproval of ways of living, that ignores the plight of the poor. They are very clear in denouncing the wrongdoing which they witnessed. We too are called to speak out against the injustices of our day- abortion, the arms trade, unjust trade laws, the illegal drugs trade, the gun culture- to name a but a few. Yet Jesus and the prophets did not just condemn wrongdoing, they also offered solutions to unjust behaviour.

St James says in his New Testament letter puts it very simply and very practically when he says:

‘If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, “I wish you well keep yourself warm”, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead’.

It is clear that our faith in God, demands that we reach out to those in need; our faith must have a social dimension, if it is authentic faith. We cannot stand idly by watching people suffering, ‘both on the large scale of world society and on the small scale of our everyday life’ (Pope Benedict XVI). We are called to help the poor countries of the world by campaigning against unjust trade laws and providing money for food, and we are also called to help those in any kind of need in our family and local community.

The saints of the Church provide us with good examples on how to be disciples of Christ. St Vincent de Paul, whose feast day was last week, wanted to help the many abandoned children in sixteenth century France, who were unwanted and left to die. Vincent set up special homes for these children where they were fed, educated and cared for. If he had not have done this many of these little children would not have survived. In the same way saints like Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa reached out to the poor of body and soul.

The saints show us the way to live; they fulfil the commandment, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’; they ‘hunt down poverty in order to give humanity its dignity’ (Blessed Sr. Rosalie Rendu). We too are called to be saints who fulfil the commandment, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’; who hunt down poverty in order to give people the dignity that is their birthright.

In the nineteenth century Sr Rosalie Rendu, Daughter of Charity, told of a dream she had:

‘One night I dreamed that I stood at the judgement seat of God; God received me with great severity and was about to pronounce my sentence when, suddenly, I was surrounded by an immense crowd of people carrying old boots, shoes and hats. They presented all these things to God saying: “She was the one who gave us all these things”. Then Jesus Christ turned to me and said: Because you have given all these second hand clothes in my name, I open heaven to you. Enter for all eternity’.

The Scriptures are clear in telling us, that how we care for the sick, the hungry, the strangers, the children, will determine our eternal destiny; the scriptures impel us to care for those in need both locally and globally. So let’s pray and work to alleviate suffering whenever we encounter it; let’s follow the advice of St Luke, ‘Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it’.