You give to the poor!

Intro

I once was walking in LA by Children’s Hospital with a rabbinical student. We saw tents on the street and we both exclaimed, “Oh my, how did this happen? How can this end?” I questioned, “What can I even do?” (Whimsically, as I haven’t aided in fixing the homeless problem in LA). She offered, “We need to up the taxes so that the government can take care of it.”

As a Christian, we don’t get to say, “Someone else should take care of it.” Maybe all we can do is pray. Maybe we can help one person in need. Maybe we have to broaden our definition of the poor and do something to serve them, to ease their pain. Maybe I just saw the obvious poor of the world. Maybe our answers look different, maybe we can serve as one community, one Church, one body, but in different ways, but maybe our decision to help the poor and the sick and the needy and the thirsty and the imprisoned is the difference between us making it to Heaven or going to Hell.

Its been said often, No one is sent to Heaven or Hell, each person chooses it by their lives. And so, let’s start choosing!

Christ is King, that’s the Solemnity today. So as King, reigning, he legislates from His Throne. He Pontificates. He Rules. And He Judges. He pardons or condemns. No one gets to get out of the situation. We are all implicated by our existence. The game is on! So what are the rules? We heard it recently, “Love the Lord your God with all your Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mt 22:34-40

We’ve heard Gospels this month of keeping vigil and maintaining our lamps like the good virgins, by our faith and good works, of going out and using the gifts of God to produce fruit that lasts in the Kingdom with His talents, and also that our works are not done in order to be seen by the world, that we are not allowed to preach and not practice nor tie up heavy burdens for others, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time.

These Gospels are all in preparation for thinking of this final moment, this parable which we have heard many times.

And these are the conditions. What do you have to show for your faith?

Have you loved me?

Its not just a feeling.

Jesus says, “Come to me you who are weak and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Mt 11:28-30

God has a heart for the poor, the weak and the burdened So first question, 1) Are you one of the poor?

a) You might be, and God hears you for “God hears the cry of the poor.” Your plight is not in vain!

b) If you answered, “No,” Then your obligation as a Christian is, “How can I be of service?”

For you see, Christ carries a “Rod and a Staff.” Interesting. Psalm 23:4

Psalm 23:4 NABRE

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

A king carries a Rod and a Shepherd carries a Staff. The first reading speaks about how God will be the Shepherd (And Jesus is not hiding the fact of His Divinity in this Gospel, the good shepherd), “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angles with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.”Mt. 25:31-32

Jesus is God!

Shepherds don’t scare us. Kings with authority, do. He’s a shepherd to the little and the meek. To the powerful and the rich, the sleek and the strong a King, “I will destroy [them], shepherding them rightly.” Ez 34:16.

Psalm 73:4–7 NABRE

For they suffer no pain; their bodies are healthy and sleek. They are free of the burdens of life; they are not afflicted like others. Thus pride adorns them as a necklace; violence clothes them as a robe. Out of such blindness comes sin; evil thoughts flood their hearts.

And by destroy, perhaps we can think, destroy the vices that keep us from working with His vision, or else, if we don’t conform to His image, then destroy body and soul in Gehenna.

He’s a shepherd King, and as a Christian, we look forward to His judgement! Ps 94:1-3

Psalm 94:1–3 NABRE

Lord, avenging God, avenging God, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; give the proud what they deserve! How long, Lord, shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked glory?

Bl. Pierre Giorgio

And so, if you are poor, keep trusting in God and praying for the Church and your benefactors. We all need your prayers!

If you are not poor, then please hear this next question, “How are you helping them?!!” This is of utmost importance for our salvation! God hears the poor, and has His ear. They will tell Him what you did for them! When Bl. Pierre Giorgio died, the poor flocked to His funeral! His dad remarked “Who are all these people and what did my son have to do with them?” With all of their prayers, how could God not put him on His right?! He would always leave an interaction saying, “Pray for me!”

This is all that matters in our life, getting into the small flock on Jesus’ right hand. With poor people praying for you, how could Jesus ever say to you, “Be gone, for I do not know you!” Because with all of the poor thanking God for your generosity, He would know you because you loved HIM in His need.

So, what’d you do?

Lastly, its OK to donate anonymously. And you should! You should find organizations that do these corporal works of mercy. Reflect on that. Also, What was your line 14 number on your Schedule A? How many of those dollars went to aiding the sick and the poor and the stranger and the hungry/thirsty and the prisoner and the naked? We can only trust in good faith that our money gets to where its supposed to most of the time, but also did you feel the donation? Did it cost you? Its interesting to note that the IRS limits these kinds of donations to 60% of our Adjusted Gross Income. Very Interesting they would even put a number. But nonetheless, honest question.

But secondly, like my story about the homeless, can you remember and how long ago was it? when you last looked someone in the eye, and helped someone who could not help themself? Donating money is good and great and wonderful, but we also need to hand bread to the hungry, look the prisoner in the eye, visit the sick to encourage them, give to someone who is thirsty, welcome a stranger and include them.