by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann
On Sept. 28, the archdiocese convened our first Mercy and Justice Summit. More than 200 delegates representing about half of our parishes participated in the summit.
One of our three super priorities for the archdiocese is: Encountering Jesus by living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The corporal works of mercy are: 1) To feed the hungry; 2) To give drink to the thirsty; 3) To clothe the naked; 4) To shelter the homeless; 5) To care for the sick; 6) To visit the imprisoned; and 7) To bury the dead. The spiritual works of mercy are: 1) To instruct the ignorant; 2) To counsel the doubtful; 3) To admonish sinners; 4) To bear wrongs patiently; 5) To forgive offenses willingly; 6) To comfort the afflicted; and 7) To pray for the living and the dead.
One of the key Gospel passages that affirm the importance of works of mercy is: Mt 25: 31-46. This is the famous passage in which Jesus teaches about the final judgment using the image of separating the sheep and the goats. In this parable G.O.A.T. does not stand for Greatest of All Time. In this parable, it is definitely better to be on Team Sheep, rather than Team Goat.
Our Lord lists several scenarios in which his disciples are called — not only to love those who are suffering, but to provide a map that directs us to where we can meet him. In feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick and visiting the imprisoned, we demonstrate our love for Jesus.
One goal of the summit was to acquaint the delegates with the ministries in the archdiocese that are actually doing precisely what Jesus asked of his disciples. Several of the delegates shared with me that they were astonished at the variety of mercy ministries happening within the archdiocese.
Many of these ministries come under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. The breadth of what Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas does is breathtaking. Catholic Charities provides emergency assistance to stabilize families in crisis and strengthens them, so they can not only survive, but thrive.
Catholic Charities operates Family Support Centers in Atchison, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Olathe, Overland Park, Topeka and Wyandotte County. These centers provide food, rent and utility assistance, and guidance to find long-term solutions for the underlying causes for their financial difficulties.
Catholic Charities provides help for expectant parents, adoption services and parenting coaching. They equip foster parents. Shalom House is a men’s homeless shelter in Kansas City, Kansas, that has been recently enlarged and expanded.
Catholic Charities operates the Kansas Loan Pool Project to help individuals gain freedom from payday loan debt. Clients agree to participate in financial literacy coaching that will help them avoid future debt and begin to live within a realistic budget, allowing them to actually save money.
The St. Rita Skills Training Program was created to remove barriers to self-sufficiency for those who are unemployed or underemployed. The program is designed for individuals who desire to break free from the cycle of poverty. It provides them with the education and skills that will empower them to earn an income that will provide a decent living for them and their family.
Catholic Charities offers a wide range of services for refugees and immigrants. Refugee and Immigrant Services include La Luz legal counsel, employment placement, suitable housing, English language classes and cultural orientation programs. New Roots provides quarter-acre plots at Juniper Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas, for refugees and immigrants to grow produce that they sell at farmers markets.
At the Justice and Mercy Summit, there were many other ministries participating, e.g., pro-life, special needs, social justice, hearing impaired and more. Nor did I provide you with an exhaustive list of all of Catholic Charities’ ministries. Every day, the Catholic Church is bringing the love of Jesus to very many in our communities.
One archdiocesan tradition for which every parishioner can be proud is the practice that all of our parishes include donations to Catholic Charities in their Christmas collections.
Soon and very soon, we will be bombarded with advertisements about Christmas. In my younger days, I enjoyed Christmas shopping for family and friends. Some of our more organized readers may already have most of their Christmas shopping done. Personally, I was always one of those men that was shopping the last three days before Christmas.
I suspect that I am probably not on your Christmas list. However, if you are wondering what the archbishop would like for Christmas, the gift that would bring me the most joy is for the archdiocese to set a new record for the Catholic Charities Christmas collection.
On Christmas, we celebrate the great humility of God. God chose to enter into our humanity, being born in the very poor circumstances of an animal shelter in the town of Bethlehem. I am convinced that nothing will please Jesus more than for us to remember the material poor on Christmas Day. This Christmas, I encourage you to make a generous gift to Catholic Charities to honor the One who became poor so that we might share in the richness of his divine and eternal life.
Though there are less than 70 days to Christmas, you have plenty of time to pray about this and discern what you are going to give Jesus this Christmas! Being generous to Catholic Charities will help ensure that you are with the Sheep and not on Team Goat.
