The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. — Psalm 145:9
In ancient times the poor were subjected to insult, blamed for their poverty, and lived without hope. When you think of the poor, what thoughts come to your mind? What things influence your attitude to the poor? How does this passage from Psalms, as seen through the lens of Jesus’ life, affirm or challenge your attitude? What should you do?
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops write: “Catholic disciples are called to put Two Feet of Love in Action! This foundational tool describes two distinct, but complementary, ways we can put the Gospel in action in response to God’s love: social justice (addressing systemic, root causes of problems that affect many people) and charitable works (short-term, emergency assistance for individuals).
Charitable Works are our ‘response to immediate needs and specific situations: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for and healing the sick, visiting those in prison, etc.’ (Deus Caritas Est, no. 31). We step with the Charitable Works foot when we work to aid or assist others both locally and globally to meet their immediate, short-term needs. Examples include engaging in direct service or providing food, clothing, shelter, or monetary assistance to help those in need.
Social Justice ‘concerns the social, political, and economic aspects and, above all, the structural dimension of problems and their respective solutions’ (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 201). We step with this foot when we work to address the root causes of problems facing our communities by advocating for just public policies and helping to change the social structures that contribute to suffering and injustice at home and around the world.”
HOW DO YOU USE YOUR FEET?
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh,