My main purpose for writing my weekly blog is to help all those who read it to find the purpose for which God created them and in turn to use the God-given gifts and talents they possess to fulfill that purpose. Our Gospel and readings for this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time call us to do just that.
In our first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, he writes: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” Trust is the basic ingredient for any foundation to pursue a path that leads us to God’s call to discipleship. This Scripture helps us to realize there is an eternal benefit in following God versus a disastrous end with no hope when we seek human ideas that come from desperation.
St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians writes: “…if Christ has not been raised (from the dead), your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.” Denying proof of a belief causes us to question if there is any hope and stilts our growth moving forward in faith.
St. Luke’s Gospel with the Beatitudes on the Plain bring into focus what we are called to do so we can maintain trust in a faith for which Christ sacrificed His life for our salvation. We are to devote our lives to those in need; especially the poor, hungry, homeless, incarcerated, sick, dying, widows, orphans, impoverished, disenfranchised and maligned. We are to reach out beyond our comfort zone by participating in an active discipleship of ensuring their needs are met.
Based on 2020 statistics in Orange County, California, where I live, there is a population of 3.2 million people. Of that, 12.1 percent of residents are living in poverty or nearly 400,000 individuals. Of that number, there are nearly 7,000 homeless people any given night. There are 34 incorporated cities, hundreds of churches and multiple organizations of all sorts working to help the poor and end homelessness. The Catholic Church in the Diocese of Orange represents 1.3 million parishioners equaling 40 percent of the population. It is the single largest social justice dilemma in the diocese.
From 2005 to 2019 I facilitated the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a division of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in the Diocese of Orange. Its purpose is to use donated funds by parishioners in a special Thanksgiving collection to grant money to qualified non-profit organizations that help those in need to make systemic changes. From 56 parishes and six centers CCHD averages $120,000.00 in annual collections of which one fourth is retained by the Diocese and the remaining money is used to fund national organizations for larger programs.
My reason for sharing this is to illustrate the immensity of the dilemma and how Catholic Christians are addressing it on both a local and national level in just one organization. The question for us to answer is in regards to how do we fulfill our purpose for being created to help those in need in addition to sending money for grants or direct services?
Many parishioners visit organizations that feed the homeless daily or weekly and work in the kitchens, serving the hungry, talking with them and then clean up afterwards. Other groups of parishioners drop off food and goods monthly or periodically in large areas where homeless congregate. Many parishes have food pantries and clothes for those in need. There is no lack in needing volunteers to do provide loving tasks of reaching out.
At whatever Mass we attend this weekend, let us pray and think about what we can do to help those in need. If we have not done so yet, let us consider contacting our parish, center or diocese about what they are doing and offering to volunteer based upon when they are open and our availability to help.
In St. Luke’s Gospel today and throughout his public ministry, Jesus
promises great rewards and satisfaction to those who do good for those in need because
of their belief in times of difficulty.
Let us be one of those who take that extra step to make a
difference. It could positively change those we serve and our lives for the better.
Reading 2: First Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20
Gospel: Luke 6: 17, 20-26
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