Our Inseparable Bond
An inseparable bond exists between our accepting God’s message of salvation and the charity we show toward others. The former Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation praises God “who has joined himself through Christ to the human family by a bond that can never be broken.” Pope Francis quotes several Scripture passages that teach the closest connection between Christ and all people based upon his taking on our human nature.
Matthew 25:40 proclaims, “As you did it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it to me.” Luke 6:36-38 teaches, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you… For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” “These passages make absolutely clear the priority of going forth from ourselves towards our brothers and sisters” (Evangelii Gaudium 179).
Pope Francis continues that, “Reading the Scriptures also makes it clear that the Gospel is not merely about our personal relationship with God. Nor should our loving response to God be seen simply as an accumulation of small personal gestures to individuals in need, a kind of ‘charity a la carte,’ or a series of acts aimed solely at easing our conscience. The Gospel is about the kingdom of God (cf. Luke 4:43); it is about loving God who reigns in the world. To the extent that he reigns within us, the life of society will be a setting for universal fraternity, justice, peace and dignity. Both Christian preaching and life, then, are meant to have an impact on society” (E.G. 180).
I was privileged to see Pope Francis’ instruction in action at the recent 2015 Nehemiah Gathering in Evansville with more than 1,000 persons from various Christian denominations and other faiths. The Nehemiah Gathering is the annual meeting of parishes and congregations belonging to Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment. While individual acts of mercy (food assistance, rent payments, etc.) are important for people of faith to carry out, mercy keeps people returning for endless help, which some eventually can feel entitled to. CAJE attempts to bring about “just” change in the social structures that keep people impoverished.
CAJE presented two issues to civic leaders – mental health and affordable housing. Mental health focused on criminal offenders with mental health issues. Law enforcement officers have only two options at present – take them to the emergency room or to jail. Vanderburgh County Council member Tom Shetler and Vanderburgh County Sheriff David Wedding agreed to serve on a task force for the creation of a crisis care center where offenders may first be screened for mental health issues before placement either in the proper healthcare facility or jail.
Affordable Housing focused on the fact that Evansville needs 10,000 additional housing units. City Councilman Conor O’Daniel agreed to sponsor a proposal by June 2015 mandating bi-monthly meetings of the city’s Affordable Housing Fund Advisory Committee with an annual committee report recommending funding sources for the trust fund to the mayor and city council. Statistics reveal that families often must choose whether to pay rent, buy food, or get medical care because they are paying too much for high-risk, low-quality housing. Justice, not mercy, demands that people’s basic need for housing be provided.
CAJE is doing what Pope Francis calls the entire church to do, “allow our faith to make an impact on society” (E.G. 180).
