lightison2014talk4.docx

In the last three talks, I have spoken about the Christian ideal of joy, the call to share the joy of the Gospel with others, and some challenges to this joy and evangelization in the modern world. But there is also the calling to transform the world around us, to make this world more like the kingdom of God. As Pope Francis says in his apostolic exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, “at the very heart of the Gospel is life in community and engagement with the world. ” Evangelii Gaudium 177. Or, as the Vatican II Council said, “We have been warned that it profits us nothing if we gain the whole world and lose of forfeit ourselves. Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth this expectation of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age that is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God.” Gaudium et Spes 39. I initially intended to describe more comprehensively how The Joy of The Gospel addresses the call to transform the world. But, as I was writing this talk, I realized that there is only time for two of the four topics from this writing regarding this social calling of the Gospel. In particular, I will speak of: (1) the universal call to bring the love of God to the world; and (2) the specific focus on love of the poor and those in need. Pope Francis also describes the Christian idea of promoting peace, and the Christian value of dialogue in a manner that seeks the truth; and I highly recommend reading the entire apostolic exhortation for this wisdom as well.

Regarding the Gospel call to make this world a better place, Pope Francis emphasizes that our faith should profoundly enrich our dealings with each person and with society, leading us to recognize each person as a son or daughter of God and to deal with them accordingly. Thus, he says, “To believe that Jesus shed His blood for us removes any doubt about the boundless love which ennobles each human person.” And thus all of our interaction with others and with society as a whole must be guided by the Holy Spirit, whose influence should “penetrate every human situation and all human bonds.” Evangelii Gaudium 178. As he points out Scriptures constantly remind us that our love of God and faith in Him is inseparable from our love of neighbor, as Jesus indicated when He answered the question about what is the greatest commandment by also adding love of neighbor next to it and later telling us that when He comes to judge all people and all nations, He will tell them, “Whatever you did for the least of My brethren, that you did for Me”; and, by extension, it should also be noted that He will say, “Whatever you did not do for the least of My brethren, you did not do for Me.” See Matt. 22:34-40, 25:31-46; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 20:27-40. As Pope Francis goes on to say, although individual acts of charity are important, this call to love our neighbor cannot be reduced simply what he calls “a la carte charity, or a series of acts aimed at easing our consciences.” Rather, we are meant to make the kingdom of God present in all of our lives and in the world around us, to make, as Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven at hand.” Evangelii Gaudium 180 (quoting Matthew 10:7.)

In this context, Pope Francis gives a broad interpretation to the statement in St. Paul’s letter to Romans when he says that “creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the kingdom of God.” Rom 8:19. That statement follows on St. Paul’s description of all of creation as groaning in travail. Most theologians have focused on the realm of nature as being fallen along with humanity and awaiting redemption; and certainly that is one aspect of what St. Paul is saying. But, as Pope Francis points out, human society is also a part of creation and is likewise groaning in travail, awaiting for the children of the kingdom to reveal its love. See Evangelii Gaudium 181. Although he does not put it quite this way, we can sense the personality, the spirit of each society calling for us to liberate it from the chains of sin, as for example, St. Patrick heard the children of Ireland calling for him to bring the Gospel there.

As for the argument that the secular realm should be independent of Christianity or any faith, and thus not changed by Christians, we should draw a careful distinction. On the one hand, as Pope Francis will later say in his section on dialogue with other religions, we certainly have respect for other people’s faith, and recognize their right to practice them. See Evangelii Gaudium 244-54. But such respect and freedom of religion should not mean a reluctance to bring the riches of our faith into the world; that would be a constriction, not liberty. And so he says, “no one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of person life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society.” As he points out such widely loved figures as St. Francis of Assisi and Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta would have considered such a notion to be bizarre. Evangelii Gaudium 182-83.

And, in this nation, our Founding Fathers certainly brought their faith into public, speaking in the Declaration of Independence of “the laws of nature and of nature’s God,” of the inalienable rights given by our Creator, and of the Providence to which they entrusted the Revolution. Likewise, the greatest societal changes in this nation, such as the abolitionist movement, the social justice cause starting of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and the Civil Rights movement of the postwar era were all guided by people of faith, and often by ministers. As George Washington said in his farewell address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute or Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness.” Regarding the Church’s overall teachings regarding the social order, Pope Francis said that he does not need to add to what is in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which he recommends to everyone. Rather he wants to focus on ways in which Christians can make the modern world shine more with the light of heaven. And central to that idea of true progress is care for the poor.

The idea that we should care for the poor in some way is now a popular one, although not always lived out. Pope Francis wants to deepen this notion, however, to make it more than simply giving handouts, to deepen it to an appreciation of the gift of each person, not only including, but especially those who are least in the eyes of the world. As he points, out the call to care for the poor is not simply a general social obligation, but a calling to see in those who are in need Jesus Christ, who chose to live among the poor and, as human, to be poor Himself. Even in the Old Testament, the call to care for the poor thunders through, for the Chosen People were meant to bring God’s love to earth, including His love for the poor. And, of course, in the New Testament, the writers make clear that one cannot be a true friend of Christ without caring for those in need. See Evangelii Gaudium 187-88. Pope Francis thus quotes Saint John among others, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s good, and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help.” 1 John 3:17.

And thus he comes to the Catholic teaching about solidarity, which means more than giving things to the least fortunate, although it certainly includes such a responsibility. As he describes it, solidarity is a whole mindset that sees the goods we have as a trust held by us from God to be used for His glory, and that glory includes contributing to the good of all. Pope Francis does not directly refer to them, but one can easily see the application of the parables of the gold coin and the talents; to use one’s goods without building a better world is to hide those gifts God has entrusted to us, and therefore to lose them at judgment time. See Matt. 15:14-30; Luke 19:12-27. Certainly, there are property rights, as the Seventh Commandment “Thou shalt not steal” indicates. But one must also uphold the rights of others, not only to food and housing, but also to a better way of life. And, as Pope Francis points out, the ability to hold a decent job is a part of those rights of people. For work not only provides a wage to purchase the goods needed for a decent life, but also give the ability to participate in the creative goodness of God. As he declares, “it is through free, creative, participatory and mutually supportive labor that human beings express and enhance the dignity of their lives.” Evangelii Gaudium 192.

Pope Francis also points out some other positive aspects of caring for the poor. We should after all recognize that it is not only us who do things for them, but they also help us out by giving us opportunities to grow into sons and daughters of God. First, as Pope Francis points out, service of the poor helps us make reparation for our sins. Evangelii Gaudium 193. It is, of course, the grace of God above all, through which we are forgiven of sins. But we also must do what we can to repair the damage cause by our sins, individually and collectively. And so, as the Book of Sirach says, “Water extinguishes blazing fire; so almsgiving atones for sins.” Sir. 3:30. We do not of course earn God’s forgiveness; but there is a natural desire to show God thanksgiving for the forgiveness He graciously grants us, as for example the formerly sinful woman does when she anoints the feet of Jesus at the house of the Pharisee. See Luke 7:36-50. And care for the poor, among whom Jesus delighted to live, is a glorious and necessary way of doing so.

And this brings us to the second gift the poor give us, that is, the presence of Christ among us. As Pope Francis again emphasizes, Jesus especially identified Himself with the poor, being born in a stable to the family of a carpenter. And thus, the poor bring Christ to us and we are thus evangelized by those who are in need. It is not only a matter of giving things to the poor, but getting to know them, caring about them, understanding their perspectives, receiving from them the sense of the faith that they have by their closeness to Christ. On this point, Pope Francis makes a crucial point about the sensus fidei, the sense of the faith, of which the Vatican II Council speaks in Lumen Gentium, its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. See Lumen Gentium 12. There is, in addition to the structure, sacraments, and official teachings of the Church, a life, an intuition, that the faithful in general bring to the Church, a sense that can never be contrary to the teachings of the Church, but rather give life and growth to them. It is what Pope Francis describes earlier in The Joy of the Gospel as “a certain connaturality with divine realities, and a wisdom which enables them to grasp those realities intuitively, even when they lack the wherewithal to give them precise expression.” Evangelii Gaudium 120. We think of the devotions that the faithful have developed, the intuition of a mother, the strength of a father, the poetry and art of the faithful. Well, Pope Francis says that the poor also bring us part of the sense of the faith by bringing insights into the poverty of Christ right before us, and giving us this most excellent way of knowing Him.

And thus he says that love of the poor must be a concern of all of the faithful, not merely of the few. As no one should say that he is too busy to pray, no one should say that he is too busy for the poor and those in need, for we should never be too busy for Christ. Evangelii Gaudium 201. It will not do to say that we pay taxes for welfare programs and that should be sufficient. Such programs may be needed, but they are not enough. For we cannot encounter Christ, we cannot show our love for Christ, we cannot see the image of God in others simply through programs run by others. Thus, as Pope Francis says, “Welfare projects, which meet certain needs, should be considered merely temporary responses.” Evangelii Gaudium 202. He calls for a radical reorienting of life, including life in the economic sphere. For, as he says, quoting Pope Benedict, “We need to be convinced that charity is the principle not only of micro-relationships (with friends, with family members, or within small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic, political ones.” Evangelii Gaudium 205 (quoting Caritas in Veritate 2.) ^[1] Certainly, the market has its place, but the market should also be kept in its place. As Pope Francis says, when referring to the economy, we should remember the basic Greek root of the word for economy, the term oeconomia which means the management of a household, a common home. See Evangelii Gaudium 206. When dealing in economic affairs, we should think of others as members of the household of God, as our brothers and sisters.

Of course, this notion of the poor does not only include those without many economic resources, although it obviously includes them. In this context, he speaks of the economically poor and the homeless, but also of “the addicted, refugees, indigenous people, the elderly who are increasingly abandoned.” . He also says that “doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, maltreatment, and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights.” Evangelii Gaudium 210, 212. In modern America, there are certainly legal protections for women, but also the entertainment and advertising agencies often portray people and especially women as mere objects of desire. And one can certainly see the gossip and romantic manipulation of people, and especially girls and young women, as a type of impoverishment perhaps even more common in economically wealthier lands. Pope Francis also speaks of societies that look the other way in the face of human trafficking. See Evangelii Gaudium 211. People may think that this scourge exists only in far off lands. But, as Detective Bill Woolfe of Fairfax County recently testified before a Committee of the House of Representatives, it is a scourge here and now, and exists even among the children of wealthier families, children who turn to abusers because they feel unloved at home and in society. See Written Statement of Detective William Woolfe before the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’ Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies

And, of course, Pope Francis also speaks of unborn children as those most in need. As he says, “Among the vulnerable for which the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us.” He points out, it is self-contradictory and self-defeating to speak of care for the poor or human rights when one denies such rights to those who are in most need of them. For if one denies the right to life for the weakest and most innocent, the very ones that the government has the most obligation to protect, there is no foundation for any idea of human rights. He thus concludes, “Human beings are ends in themselves and never a means of resolving other problems. Once this conviction disappears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights, which would always be subject to the passing whims of the powers that be.” Evangelii Gaudium 213. As to those who claim that so-called reproductive rights are progressive, he responds, “It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.” Evangelii Gaudium 214.

In short, when we see the world around us, with all of its technology, wealth and power, we also see so much poverty and need as well. When we look at the world as a whole, the problems may seem insurmountable. And if we were alone, they would be. But we are not alone; Christ is with us always, and He sends the Holy Spirit to give us that call to heroism and the heroic joy of being prophetic witnesses of the Gospel before the world. See, e.g., Num. 11:29; Joel 3:1-2; Luke 6:22-23; John 15:26-27; Acts 2:16-18. Thus, when we see in those who are in need the presence of Christ Himself, along with Mary, Joseph and the angels, we share in the joy of the shepherds at that first Christmas who heard the angels and first greeted Jesus in poverty in Bethlehem. See Luke 2:8-20. When we share with those who are in need the gifts we have, we share in the joy of the magi, who brought Jesus their treasures. See Matt. 2:1-12. When we offer to those in need the gold coins and the talents we have, we hear from God, “Well done, my wise and faithful servant” and can look forward to seeing Him face to face. See world is to hide those gifts God has entrusted to us, and therefore to lose them at judgment time. See Matt. 15:14-30; Luke 19:12-27. For, as the Vatican II Council goes on to say, “When we have spread on the earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise – human dignity, brotherly communion, and freedom – according to the command of the Lord and His Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed from the stain of sin, illumined and transfigured, when Christ presents to His Father an eternal and universal kingdom, of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. Here on earth this kingdom is mysteriously present; when the Lord comes it will enter into its perfection” Gaudium et Spes 39. The Almighty God send us forth to make that kingdom more present here, and so be prepared to receive a crown of glory when it is fulfilled at last.

[1] Here I would note in passing that many people have tried to draw a dramatic contrast between the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Possibly in response, Pope Francis refers to the works of Pope Benedict, with in that capacity or as Cardinal Ratzinger, 25 times in the apostolic exhortation, emphasizing the continuity between the two popes.