The preferential option for the poor is a
principle that we read about early in the Scriptures. Right away in Genesis 18: 1—15 we read of
Abraham & Sarah’s hospitality to the three visitors. In the chapters & books that follow the
Ten Commandments, we see a clear mandate presented:
You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. --Exodus 22: 22
He executes justice for the orphan and the
widow and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. —Deuteronomy 10:18;
You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and
what the LORD requires of you: Only to
do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. --Micah 6:8).
Our Bishops (USCCB) have a good listing of applicable scriptures
for this topic on their website.
Our own Franciscan tradition
begins with our Father St. Francis spending time in the local leper colony in
Assisi. Our brothers in the First Order
and Third Order Regular focus much of their ministry on the poor areas of our
cities, towns, and villages. Many of the
Third Order religious communities are devoted to serving the poor, homeless,
marginalized, hungry, and destitute.
Our Rule states:
15. Let them individually and collectively be
in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and
their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they
should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.
Our General Constitutions
further clarify this responsibility:
Article 22
1. Rule 15 Secular
Franciscans should "be in the forefront ... in the field of public
life." They should collaborate as much as possible for the passage of just
laws and ordinances.
2. The
fraternities should engage themselves through courageous initiatives,
consistent with their Franciscan vocation and with the directives of the
Church, in the field of human development and justice. They should take clear positions whenever
human dignity is attacked by any form of oppression or indifference. They should offer their fraternal service to
the victims of injustice.
3. The renunciation of the use of violence,
characteristic of the followers of Francis, does not mean the renunciation of
action. However, the brothers and
sisters should take care that their interventions are always inspired by
Christian love.
Our Bishops
(USCCB) in their 1986 Letter “Economic Justice for all” remind us of our
responsibilities to care for the poor with clear statements on the issue:
8.
…As a community of believers, we know that our faith is tested by the quality
of justice among us, that we can best measure our life together by how the poor
and the vulnerable are treated. This is not a new concern for us. It is as old
as the Hebrew prophets, as compelling as the Sermon on the Mount, and as
current as the powerful voice of Pope John Paul II defending the dignity of the
human person. –Economic Justice for All; 1986
10.
As bishops, in proclaiming the Gospel for these times we also manage
institutions, balance budgets, and meet payrolls. In this we see the human face
of our economy. We feel the hurts and hopes of our people. We feel the pain of
our sisters and brothers who are poor, unemployed, homeless, living on the
edge. The poor and vulnerable are on our doorsteps, in our parishes, in our
service agencies, and in our shelters. We see too much hunger and injustice,
too much suffering and despair, both in our own country and around the world. –Economic
Justice for All; 1986
16.
All members of society have a special obligation to the poor and vulnerable.
From the Scriptures and church teaching we learn that the justice of a society
is tested by the treatment of the poor. The justice that was the sign of God's
covenant with Israel was measured by how the poor and unprotected—the widow,
the orphan, and the stranger—were treated. The kingdom that Jesus proclaimed in
his word and ministry excludes no one. Throughout Israel's history and in early
Christianity, the poor are agents of God's transforming power. "The Spirit
of the Lord is upon me--therefore he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring
glad tidings to the poor" (Lk 4:18). This was Jesus' first public
utterance. Jesus takes the side of those most in need. In the Last Judgment, so
dramatically described in St. Matthew's Gospel, we are told that we will be
judged according to how we respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the
stranger. 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 lifestyles, policies, and social institutions in terms
of their impact on the poor. This "option for the poor" does not mean
pitting one group against another, but rather, strengthening the whole
community by assisting those who are most vulnerable. As Christians, we are
called to respond to the needs of all our brothers and sisters, but those with
the greatest needs require the greatest response. –Economic
Justice for All; 1986
27….
No one may claim the name Christian and be comfortable in the face of the
hunger, homelessness, insecurity, and injustice found in this country and the
world. –Economic Justice for All; 1986
So, the question becomes, “How are we Secular
Franciscans in Central Illinois reaching out to the poor in our communities,
both individually and as fraternities?”
What are we doing to help the hungry, homeless, destitute, widows,
unborn, elderly, disabled and any other marginalized person in our
communities? We may not have a
ready-made situation like our brothers & sisters in Los Tres Compañeros
Region, but most of our town, cities, and counties have folks, our brothers
& sisters in Christ, who need our help.
So, what are we doing?
Pace e bene
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