Mercy and Justice

In the book, The Church of Mercy, a  compilation of homilies and statements of Pope Francis in the first year of his pontificate, he writes, "True mercy, the mercy God gives to us and teaches us, demands justice; it demands that the poor find their way to be poor no longer."  As part of our Marist Mission to educate youth, particularly "the least favored", Campus Ministry led Central Catholic sophomores through a day long retreat in which they heard speakers who serve the poor, the hungry, the homeless in Lawrence, MA, saw videos underscoring the needs and ways of addressing them.  An inspiring presence was that of Jimmy Kieth, a Special Olympics athlete, who, himself reaches out to the challenged.  Ideas were then made very tangible as the class was divided into three groups to participate in a "Hunger Banquet".  Ten percent of the class represented the wealthy of the world who have all they need, and in many cases, do not share with those who have less.  They sat at tables loaded with food where waiters served them more than they could eat.
The Middle Class, hard working folks of the world sat in chairs, and were fed with a skimpy cheese sandwich and Gatorade.  The larges percentage, representing the poor of the world, some of whom made only a dollar a day, sat on the floor and had rice and water as their food. It was graphic and real, provoking anger at the "injustice and unfairness" they were experiencing.  However, the refusal of some to eat their cheese sandwiches or the cold rice was even a stronger indicator of how the land of abundance spoils its children. My years in Rwanda where rice was a daily staple for families who could only afford one meal a day and where no one would ever refuse a cheese sandwich or any food at all, had taught me  that most of us have no understanding of what it means to be poor.  We processed the experience with the students, who came to see that just having food drives is not the full answer, but that systemic injustice must be addressed.  We won some advocates for the poor
Bro. Rene