Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

This weekend we observe the World Day of the Poor. The World Day of the Poor, an initiative of Pope Francis, was first observed in 2017.

In his message for this year Francis writes: “We know that the issue is not money itself, for money is part of our daily life as individuals and our relationships in society. Rather, what we need to consider is the value that we put on money: it cannot become our absolute and chief purpose in life. Attachment to money prevents us from seeing everyday life with realism; it clouds our gaze and blinds us to the needs of others. Nothing worse could happen to a Christian and to a community than to be dazzled by the idol of wealth, which ends up chaining us to an ephemeral and bankrupt vision of life.

“It is not a question, then, of approaching the poor with a ‘welfare mentality’, as often happens, but of ensuring that no one lacks what is necessary. It is not activism that saves, but sincere and generous concern that makes us approach a poor person as a brother or sister who lends a hand to help me shake off the lethargy into which I have fallen. Consequently, ‘no one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own
lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial circles... None of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 201). There is an urgent need to find new solutions that can go beyond the approach of those social policies conceived as ‘a policy for the poor, but never with the poor and never of the poor, much less part of a project that brings people together’ (Fratelli Tutti, 169). We need instead to imitate the attitude of the Apostle, who could write to the Corinthians: ‘I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance’ (2 Cor 8:13). “The poverty that kills is squalor, the daughter of injustice, exploitation, violence and the unjust distribution of resources. It is a hopeless and implacable poverty, imposed by the throwaway culture that offers neither future prospects nor avenues of escape. It is a squalor that not only reduces people to extreme material poverty, but also corrodes the spiritual dimension, which, albeit often overlooked, is nonetheless still there and still important. When the only law is the bottom line of profit at the end of the day, nothing holds us back from seeing others simply as objects to be exploited; other people are merely a means to an end. There no longer exist such things as a just salary or just working hours, and new forms of slavery emerge and entrap persons who lack alternatives and are forced to accept this toxic injustice simply to eke out a living. 

“The poverty that sets us free, on the other hand, is one that results from a responsible decision to cast off all dead weight and concentrate on what is essential. We can easily discern the lack of satisfaction that many people feel because they sense that something important is missing from their lives, with the result that they wander off aimlessly in search of it.

In their desire to find something that can bring them satisfaction, they need someone to guide them towards the insignificant, the vulnerable and the poor, so that they can finally see what they themselves lack. Encountering the poor enables us to put an end to many of our anxieties and empty fears, and to arrive at what truly matters in life, the treasure that no one can steal from us: true and gratuitous love. The poor, before being the object of our
almsgiving, are people, who can help set us free from the snares
of anxiety and superficiality.”

This is a good time to acknowledge the good works of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Food Pantry. The need in our area is great and ever-growing.

Please also consider making a gift to the Campaign for Human Development, which advances programs for the poor throughout the world.

Have a blessed week,
Fr. Garry