As believers and followers of Jesus, the Incarnate
Word, we are naturally led to share the good news of the gospel. Through this
reflection we hope to get closer to the reality of the poor in our midst, live
into our responsibility to put our faith into action, and continue to respond
to signs of the time, remembering that justice is charity in action.
Father Gustavo Gutierrez, OP emphasizes the
importance of reflecting on this topic when he says, “Poverty is not only a social issue, it is a theological issue, a
central issue in the Christian message.” It is from this understanding that
we present our reflection and hope it will aid you in your own spiritual
journey.
EXTREME POVERTY
For I was hungry and you gave me food
/ Matthew 25:35
Poverty reflects to us the faces of those who have
been denied their basic human rights. This
is expressed in various realities of their lives including economic, social,
cultural, etc. It is a wonder that in countries full of believers, inequality seems
to manifest itself as the separation between one’s spirituality and their
concrete actions. For example, it is unacceptable that in Latin America 1% of
the population owns 43% of the country's wealth as is the case in Mexico[1], and in Zambia 42% of the population lives in
extreme poverty[2].
"... Because the root of all evil is the love
of money, which while some coveted after, they have wandered from the
faith" (1 Tim
6:10)
It is interesting to reflect on the reality that in
our societies the desire to “get rich” is fostering increased consumerism and
'development' at the expense of the most vulnerable. And it is not only those
who top the lists of the world’s richest people in economic magazines (such as
Forbes) who are responsible for the current human and ecological situation of
our planet; it is also the lack of interest of many of us ranging from a comfortable
resignation, or denial of the problem, to indifference or blind faith in
technological solutions as Pope Francis mentions in his encyclical Laudato Si.
"Which of these do you think was neighbor unto
him that fell among the thieves? The one who had mercy on him said. Go then and
do likewise concluded Jesus" (Lk 10:36-37)
Unlike spiritual poverty, understood as putting
one’s life in God's hands; real poverty strictly speaking, is never good
because is abuses, exploits and excludes.
In Peru, characteristics of those most likely to
live in poverty include being a person who speaks their native/indigenous language,
someone who performs unpaid family work, or engages in basic or extractive work
such as agriculture, fishing and mining[4]. In the United States, poverty has a
darker and feminine face, with greater percentages of minorities living in
poverty: 26% of African-Americans and
24% of Hispanics, as compared to only 10% of Whites, and higher percentages of
women living in poverty than men, particularly single mothers who are heads of
their household[5]. In Ireland it is children who are most
vulnerable with 11% living in poverty.
This social fragmentation shows that the 'growth'
of the last two centuries has not led to an integral improvement in the quality
of life for all[6], as Pope Francis mentions in his
encyclical. We cannot ignore the poor in
our midst, and we cannot wait for someone else to act. As the U.S. Bishops declared in their 1986
statement Economic Justice for All: “As followers of Christ, we are challenged to
make a fundamental “option for the poor” — to speak for the voiceless, to
defend the defenseless, to assess life styles, policies, and social
institutions in terms of their impact on the poor.”
We must hear the cry of the poor and respond. And to do that we first must engage; we must
encounter the poor and through that encounter be converted to act and speak
differently so that all have equal opportunity to not only have their basic
needs met, but to thrive. Irenaeus
reminds us that, “The glory of God is the human being fully alive,” and so we
must break the chains that keep our brothers and sisters in poverty and deny
their human dignity, so that together in our collective liberation and fullness
of life we can rejoice and give glory to God.
Questions for personal or communal reflection
1) What can you do to change the unjust structures
that keep people in poverty?
2) How does our Spirituality of the Incarnation
call us to respond to the poor in our midst?
3) In your encounter with the poor, what are the
graces and challenges you experience that affect the way you live?
“It
is not from your own possessions that you are bestowing alms on the poor,
you
are but restoring to them what is theirs by right. For what was given to
everyone for the use of all, you have taken for your exclusive use. The earth
belongs not to the rich, but to everyone. Thus, far from giving lavishly, you
are but paying part of your debt.”
St Ambrose
No comments:
Post a Comment