Matthew 26:11: “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” Mark 14:7: “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me.” John 12:8: “The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” At different times, Jesus’s statement concerning the poor’s ubiquity has been amplified by the assertion that the poor in the United States today live better than the royalty of antiquity. These statements seem to be justifying a certain lethargy concerning addressing the needs of the poor. A closer look at the context of Our Lord’s statement may help contextualize our perceptions of poverty and our responsibilities thereto. What is the context within which Jesus Christ asserted this? It was six days before the Passover and Christ’s Passion and Death. Christ was in Bethany and attended a dinner in his honor at the home of Simon, a Pharisee, whom Christ had healed of lepro
Working towards a more effective catechesis for native-born Catholics in the United States living in the first half of the 21st Century involves arriving at an understanding about the culture in which Catholics are living and participating and, therefore, the culture within which that catechesis takes place. At the same time many Catholics talk about establishing Catholic culture or re-establishing Catholic culture. Both discussions require a definition of culture and some idea of the purpose of culture. From understanding these then can come a broader discussion as to whether or not the current culture in which Catholics are participating is beneficial for them, whether a Catholic culture existed in the United States, and whether one could exist now and how does that develop. This conversation must begin, though, with an understanding of culture and the reasons for culture. Dr. Amos Wilson defines culture as the "...set of rules and procedures together with a supporting set of i
Photo by Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. -1 Peter 5:8-10 The LORD said to Satan, "Whence have you come?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it." And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nought?...touch all that he has, and he will curse thee to thy face." -Job 1:7-11 St. Pe
Comments
Post a Comment