Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin Lent, and we begin this time hearing a call that describes in a clear and convincing way the ideal of Jesus with reference to solidarity with those in need. “When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret. And your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Proximity to the poor and commitment to alleviating human suffering form part of the essence of Christian thought. Pope Francis continues to emphasize this with words and closeness to the “the least of our brothers”, the ones discarded by the society of success in which we live. The commitment to the poor must be fulfilled through tangible and real actions on behalf of our fellow man, the people around us, and in the world, who suffer from material and spiritual scarcities. We must go further than a theoretical discussion of good intentions.
For years, we, the Community of Saint Paul, have been promoting volunteer work as well as accepting much needed monetary donations in order to be able to accomplish the aid and development projects to which we are committed in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia. Volunteer groups come to collaborate in different ways with us: some volunteers work in professional capacities, such as doctors, ophthalmologists and educators. Others bring material goods for those in this world who have the least...the people who fall in the ever widening social gap between the rich and the poor.
However, it is necessary to remind ourselves again and again of Jesus’ teaching that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing. In a world that relies heavily on social media for communication and measuring results, many people and charitable institutions feel pressured to show what they have achieved as a result of their collaboration or gifts. Photo exhibitions, testimonials and data related to charitable actions generate satisfaction among volunteers and donors for having been able to contribute to change. They calm wounded consciences faced with the flagrant social injustices which we all witness.
As we begin Lent, Jesus challenges us to do good, but... to do it silently, in a discreet way, even anonymously, without the need to show anyone the results that we have achieved. Free selfless assistance doesn’t only benefit the people whom we help. It also teaches us to live the values of humility and discretion. We learn to distance ourselves from the limelight in a world accustomed to exhibiting and recognizing every action that is undertaken, including charitable initiatives. Let’s think about the challenge Jesus presents to us today: can my right hand live without knowing what the left one is doing?
Proximity to the poor and commitment to alleviating human suffering form part of the essence of Christian thought. Pope Francis continues to emphasize this with words and closeness to the “the least of our brothers”, the ones discarded by the society of success in which we live. The commitment to the poor must be fulfilled through tangible and real actions on behalf of our fellow man, the people around us, and in the world, who suffer from material and spiritual scarcities. We must go further than a theoretical discussion of good intentions.
For years, we, the Community of Saint Paul, have been promoting volunteer work as well as accepting much needed monetary donations in order to be able to accomplish the aid and development projects to which we are committed in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia. Volunteer groups come to collaborate in different ways with us: some volunteers work in professional capacities, such as doctors, ophthalmologists and educators. Others bring material goods for those in this world who have the least...the people who fall in the ever widening social gap between the rich and the poor.
However, it is necessary to remind ourselves again and again of Jesus’ teaching that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing. In a world that relies heavily on social media for communication and measuring results, many people and charitable institutions feel pressured to show what they have achieved as a result of their collaboration or gifts. Photo exhibitions, testimonials and data related to charitable actions generate satisfaction among volunteers and donors for having been able to contribute to change. They calm wounded consciences faced with the flagrant social injustices which we all witness.
As we begin Lent, Jesus challenges us to do good, but... to do it silently, in a discreet way, even anonymously, without the need to show anyone the results that we have achieved. Free selfless assistance doesn’t only benefit the people whom we help. It also teaches us to live the values of humility and discretion. We learn to distance ourselves from the limelight in a world accustomed to exhibiting and recognizing every action that is undertaken, including charitable initiatives. Let’s think about the challenge Jesus presents to us today: can my right hand live without knowing what the left one is doing?
