Sunday, January 25 Third Sunday in Ordinary time
One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life — Psalm 27: 4
Back in December 1989, I read an editorial that asked a very thought-provoking question. The letter was written to the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine by the editor- in-chief, David Jordan. The following is the part that moved me:
I sometimes ask myself what “family values” actually means to most of us. The love and nurturing that we give and get from our families, the sacrifices family members willingly make for each other, the powerful loyalty that binds families together, all certainly come under “family values.”
Goodness knows, I applaud all of the above. What bothers me are some indications that make me ask, “While we’re all for family values, do we really value families?” If we really value families, why do we, the most wealthy nation on earth, allow an increasing number of our families to become homeless? Don’t we know the benefits to children of a safe, secure family environment? Then why do we allow hundreds of thousands of children to grow up in welfare motels, abandoned buildings, back seats of cars, and other wretched circumstances? Why does one child in every five live below the poverty line?
In my mind, Jordan is talking about God’s family. Let me rephrase the question, “While we’re all for God’s family values, do we really value God’s family?” Do we recognize our brother or sister as the struggling poor who are trying to keep a roof over their head; as the woman who paid for her mistakes and is now trying to re-enter society; as the hungry children whose parents cannot afford to feed them by the end of the month; as the school age kids that are embarrassed by their unkempt clothes; as the recovering addict; as the grandmother trying to keep her grandkids from joining gangs; as the migrant worker who toils in fields doing back-breaking work; as the indigent disabled man with the disfiguring disease? Do we really value this family? We should. Raising a family is the most important task that we can ever do.
As we close out Poverty Awareness Month, open your hearts to our greater family; open your hearts to life in solidarity by reaching out and lifting someone up. Then, we can truly dwell in the house of the Lord.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC