Drunk with Power

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:17-19

The religious authorities that put Jesus to death became inebriated with their gifts of wealth and power and used it to oppress others; presumably Jesus was not their only victim. How do we use our own personal wealth and power? Is it to do good? Do we look down upon others and use our money and influence to neglect them or to do harm? When we reject the poor, the broken and the needy we reject God. But he will always forgive us if we turn back to him and then go and be merciful to the poor and homeless among us.
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Hope and Help is here this Lenten Season

By Fr. Sony Sebastian Palathra

You say: It is impossible.
God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)

You say: I am too tired.
God says: I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me.
God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: I can’t go on.
God says: My Grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: I cannot figure things out.
God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it.
God says: You can do all things.(Philippians 4:13)

You say: It is not worth it.
God says: It will be worth it. (Roman 8:28)

You say: I can not forgive myself.
God says: I FORGIVE YOU. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: I cannot manage.
God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)

You say: I am afraid.
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: I am always worried and frustrated.
God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith.
God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

You say: I am not smart enough.
God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: I feel all alone.
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
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Patience is a Virtue

By Father Lorenzo Scupoli

“If you wish always to press forward on the path of virtue without stopping, you should pay great attention to things which may serve as chances for acquiring virtue, and never let them slip out of your hands. Therefore those are ill-advised who do everything in their power to avoid obstacles in the path of virtue, in spite of the fact that these might have helped towards success in their progress. For example, if you wish to gain the habit of patience, you should not avoid the people, things and circumstances which particularly try your patience. Meet them with good will and then resolve to submit to their unpleasant effect on you, but at the same time prepare yourself to suffer them with unshakeable calmness of spirit. If you do not act thus, you will never learn patience.

“You should adopt the same attitude towards any work which displeases you, either in itself or because it is imposed on you by a man you dislike, or because it interferes with the work which you do like. In other words, you must not avoid it but, on the contrary, must undertake it without digging in your toes, and must do and finish it through, as though it were the most welcome work, never letting your heart be troubled by it, especially by the thought that, were it not for this business, you would completely be at peace. Otherwise you will never learn to bear the afflictions you will meet; nor will you find the true peace you seek by running away from such things, obviously through self-indulgence, for peace does not dwell in self-indulgent hearts.

“I advise you to do the same in relation to your thoughts, which at times invade you and trouble your mind with memories of human injustices and other inappropriate things. Do not stifle them or drive them away, but let them leave you of their own accord, not through your opposition, but through the patience with which you endure them.”
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Jesus for the Poor

• "Jesus answered, if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21
• "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35
• "They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." Mark 12:40
• "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." Luke 4:18
• "So he replied to the messengers, Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" Luke 7:22
• "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33
• "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13
• "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Luke 18:22
• "Beware of the teachers of the law . . . They devour your widows' houses . . . Such men will be punished severely." Luke 20:46-47
• "'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." John 12:5
• "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor." Acts 9:36
• "Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord?' he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" Acts 10:4
• "After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings." Acts 24:17
• "On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'" Romans 12:20
• "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." Romans 15:26
• "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." Galatians 2:10
• "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need." 1 Timothy 5:3
• "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
• "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" James 2:2-6
• "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
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Jesus Wrote in the Sand

Similar to the woman caught in adultery (cf. John 7 – 8), the homeless in contemporary society and their perceived shortcomings of sloth and addictions are often judged by those who are not so faultless themselves. The story in John, and its messages of not being quick to condemn when one is not blameless and tempering justice with mercy, have endured in Christian thought for 2,000 years. Both "he that is without sin, cast the first stone" and "go, and sin no more" have found their way into our common language usage.

Recently a new poll was launched here at Homeless In America . . . Jesus defended his divine mercy for sinners when he wrote in the sand protecting the woman caught in adultery from certain angry and violent self-righteous church leaders of his day. In your opinion, what do you think he wrote?

The secret sins of the priests and Pharisees.

A dividing line between the merciful on one side and the unmerciful on the other.

All the above.

None of the above.

Scroll down to near the bottom of this main page and participate in this and all the polls. Your opinion counts!
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More Fruit Please

By Saint Gregory Nazianzen

I seek the fruit which increases to your credit. The gain is yours, not mine, except that because it is yours, it is ours, too, the benefit glancing from you to us just like the reflected rays of the sun. Did you feed the poor? Did you show hospitality? Did you wash the feet of the saints?

To preach the Gospel is a matter of necessity: the honor lies in doing so free of charge but so that you may learn to serve Christ by serving even one of the least. For just as, for my sake, he became everything that I am, except for sin, in the same way he accepts as his own even my smallest acts of kindness, whether you give of your shelter; whether of your clothing; whether you visit the prisons; whether you tend the sick; whether you just perform the most ordinary gesture of refreshing with a cup of cool water the tongue of a man parched with thirst, just as the rich man tormented in the flame asked of the beggar Lazarus but, in a measure of return for a life of indulgence on this earth and his neglect of Lazarus, who was hungry and full of sores, asked of Lazarus in the other and did not receive.

This, then, is what we require of you; and I know that you are not discomfited at the prospect of having an account asked of you either by us, or on the last day when all our affairs are gathered up. As Scripture says: And I am coming to gather your intentions and your actions; and behold man, and his work, and his reward with him.
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Proverbs for the Poor

• "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Proverbs 13:23
• "He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 14:21
• "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:31
• "The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact." Proverbs 15:25
• "Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." Proverbs 16:19
• "He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." Proverbs 17:5
• "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17
• "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13
• "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9
• "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty." Proverbs 22:16
• "Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court." Proverbs 22:22
• "A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops." Proverbs 28:3
• "He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs 28:27
• "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7
• "Those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind." Proverbs 30:14
• "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9
• "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20
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The Holy Father's Lent Message: Develop a Special Concern for the Homeless

By Pope John Paul II, Lent 1997

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. The season of Lent recalls the 40 years spent by Israel in the desert while on its way to the Promised Land. During that time the people experienced what it meant to live in tents, without a fixed abode, totally lacking security. How often they were tempted to return to Egypt where at least there was a supply of bread, even though it was the food of slaves. In the insecurity of the desert, God himself provided water and food for his people, protecting them from every danger. For the Hebrews the experience of being totally dependent on God thus became the path to freedom from slavery and the idolatry of material things.

The Lenten season is meant to help believers, through a commitment to personal purification, to relive this same spiritual journey by becoming more aware of poverty and of life's uncertainties and by rediscovering the providential presence of the Lord, who invites us to open our eyes to the needs of our brothers and sister s in need. In this way Lent also becomes a season of solidarity with individuals and peoples in so many parts of the world who find themselves in very difficult situations.

2. For Lent . . . I would like to pause and reflect on the tragic situation of the homeless. As a text for meditation I suggest the following words taken from Matthew's Gospel: "Come, O blessed of my Father, for I was homeless and you took me in" (cf. 25:34-35). The home is the place of family communion, where from the love of husband and wife children are born and learn how to live; in the home children learn those fundamental moral and spiritual values which will make them the citizens and Christians of tomorrow. In the home too, the elderly and the sick experience an atmosphere of closeness and affection and support, also in times of suffering and physical decline.

But how many people there are, unfortunately, who have been uprooted from the atmosphere of human warmth and welcome typical of the home! I think of refugees, victims of wars and natural disasters, and those forced to migrate for economic reasons. I also think of families evicted from their homes, those unable to find housing and the many elderly people whose pensions do not enable them to find a decent and affordable place to live. At times these hardships lead to other tragedies such as alcoholism, violence, prostitution and drug addiction. Last June, while the World Conference on Human Settlements, Habitat II, was meeting in Istanbul , I called attention to these serious problems at the Sunday Angelus. I emphasized their great urgency and recalled once again that the right to housing belongs not only to the individual as such, but also to the family, made up of several individuals. The family, as the basic cell of society, has a full right to housing adequate to its needs so that it can develop a genuine domestic communion. The church recognizes this fundamental right and is aware of her obligation to work together with others in order to ensure that it is recognized in practice.

3. Many passages in the Bible highlight the duty to help the homeless.

In the Old Testament, the Torah teaches that strangers and the homeless in general, inasmuch as they are exposed to all sorts of dangers, deserve special concern from the believer. Indeed, God clearly and repeatedly recommends hospitality and generosity toward the stranger (cf. Dt. 24:17-18, 10:18-19; Nm. 15:15, etc.), reminding Israel of how precarious its own existence had once been. Later, Jesus identified himself with the homeless: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Mt. 25-35), and taught that charity toward those in this situation will be rewarded in heaven. The Lord's apostles urge the various communities which they had founded to show hospitality to one another as a sign of communion and the newness of their life in Christ.

It is from the love of God that Christians learn to help the needy and to share with them their own material and spiritual goods. Such concern not only provides those experiencing hardship with material help but also represents an opportunity for the spiritual growth of the giver, who finds in it an incentive to become detached from worldly goods. But there is a higher motivation which Christ indicated to us by his own example when he said: "The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Mt. 8:20). By these words the Lord wished to show his total openness to his heavenly Father, whose will he was determined to carry out without letting himself be hindered by the possession of worldly goods. For there is always a danger that earthly realities will take the place of God in the human heart.

Lent is thus a providential opportunity for fostering the spiritual detachment from riches necessary if we are to open ourselves to God. As Christians, we must direct our entire lives to him, for we know that in this world we have no fixed abode: "Our commonwealth is in heaven" (Phlm. 3:20). At the end of Lent, the celebration of the paschal mystery shows how the Lenten journey of purification culminates in the free and loving gift of self to the Father. It is by taking this path that Christ's disciples learn how to rise above themselves and their selfish interests in order to encounter in love their brothers and sisters.

4. The Gospel call to be close to Christ who is "homeless" is an invitation to all the baptized to examine their own lives, and to treat their brothers and sister s with practical solidarity by sharing their hardships. By openness and generosity, as a community and as individuals, Christians can serve Christ present in the poor and bear witness to the Father's love. In this journey Christ goes before us. His presence is a source of strength and encouragement: He sets us free and makes us witnesses of love.

Dear brothers and sisters! Let us fearlessly go up with Christ to Jerusalem (cf. Lk. 18:31) and accept his invitation to conversion so that we may cling more fervently to God, the holy and merciful one, especially during the Lenten season of grace. I pray that this Lent will enable all to hear the Lord's plea to open their hearts to all those in need. Invoking Mary's heavenly protection in a special way upon the homeless, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing.
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Ps - alms for the Poor

• "The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
• "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." Psalm 9:18
• " Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the LORD, I will protect them from those who malign them. " Psalm 12:5
• "You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge." Psalm 14:6
• "This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6
• "My whole being will exclaim, Who is like you, 0 LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.'" Psalm 35:10
• "The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright." Psalm 37:14
• "Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay." Psalm 40:17
• "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5
• "Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, 0 God, you provided for the poor." Psalm 68:10
• "The poor will see and be glad — you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people." Psalm 69:32-33
• "Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD , do not delay." Psalm 70:5
• "He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor." Psalm 72:4
• "For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." Psalm 72:12-13
• "Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name." Psalm 74:21
• "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4
• "But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks." Psalm 107:41
• "For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him." Psalm 109:31
• "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor." Psalm 112:9
• "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;" Psalm 113:7
• "I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food." Psalm 132:15
• "I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Psalm 140:12
• "He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free" Psalm 146:7
• "The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked." Psalm 146:9
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How to Avoid the Dangers of Vanity and Self-seeking

By Fr. Leonce de Grandmaison

If we make self-forgetfulness the basis of the life of love of neighbor, the result is joy, common good feeling, tender charity, a limpid and shining atmosphere like that of a beautiful summer evening. In short, it is one of the principal strengths and joys of an apostle’s life. Why? Because when we forget ourselves, the qualities, virtues, talents and aptitudes needed to fashion and enrich life in common can develop and grow. A true family can unfold, free of defects and exclusivism.

Self-forgetfulness suppresses almost automatically, if we dare say so, the dangers of vanity and self-seeking. The barriers erected between individuals by timidity, differences in tastes, education and aptitudes are overcome or at least greatly reduced, leaving only what is needed to assure the variety and richness of life in common. When these forces, that have been purified and liberated by self-forgetfulness within the individual, are given free play, the joys of the common life reach their height. Then all live for each one, and each one lives for the others.

Self-forgetfulness likewise liberates the supernatural and apostolic spirit, enabling it to make rapid progress. Because when egoism is vanquished, unity of intention and spirit reign. And all the fruits of the Holy Spirit – “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, modesty, continency” (Galatians 5:22) – can ripen and scent the air.
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