A little thought about today's Second Reading from Mass...
"For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less." 2 Cor. 8:9-15
How much better would our world be if people actually followed this example and used their surplus for the benefit of the poor instead of on iPhones and fast cars and all the other things our consumer culture tells us we need? How much more would non-Christians be attracted to Christ if they actually saw us living out his teachings in such a concrete fashion? I know that many of us contribute to charity, either as a donor or as a volunteer, but how many of us do so to the degree that is demanded of the faithful by Paul? I know I don't.
I'm guessing that a lot of Americans look at this and think that it sounds horribly socialist. That's an unfortunate bias in our culture, where anything that talks about helping the poor as a mandate rather than extra credit is attacked as one step away from Soviet Russia. Still, I think it's important to remember that just such a society existed among the early Christians and that they considered charity to be more than just something you did to gain bonus points with God.
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less." 2 Cor. 8:9-15
How much better would our world be if people actually followed this example and used their surplus for the benefit of the poor instead of on iPhones and fast cars and all the other things our consumer culture tells us we need? How much more would non-Christians be attracted to Christ if they actually saw us living out his teachings in such a concrete fashion? I know that many of us contribute to charity, either as a donor or as a volunteer, but how many of us do so to the degree that is demanded of the faithful by Paul? I know I don't.
I'm guessing that a lot of Americans look at this and think that it sounds horribly socialist. That's an unfortunate bias in our culture, where anything that talks about helping the poor as a mandate rather than extra credit is attacked as one step away from Soviet Russia. Still, I think it's important to remember that just such a society existed among the early Christians and that they considered charity to be more than just something you did to gain bonus points with God.