Pastoral Plan
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CELEBRATING OUR FAITH,

ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY,

SHARING OUR GIFTS

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Goal #2 of St. Perpetua Pastoral Plan:

BEAR THE BURDENS OF THE LEAST OF OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS 

              The second goal of our Pastoral Plan – Bear the burdens of the least of our brothers and sisters -- snuck its way into our deliberations when the Pastoral Council was assembling all the data before us. I believe it’s the most difficult and challenging goal. As we were working towards a summation of the input from the surveys and listening sessions and trying to synthesize a large body of responses into a few succinct goals, we became aware that the focus of most of our discussion was inward – self-focused. We were dealing with issues like being hospitable to those who join us at prayer, taking care of our children and youth, improving communications within the parish, repairing or replacing our aging facilities, etc. In an almost embarrassing moment, it dawned on us that we were missing some of the most essential parts of gospel living – evangelization, caring for the poor, transforming the world “out there” in the image of God’s Kingdom. We had to ask ourselves – “Isn’t this what Jesus’ ‘great commission’ was all about, going out to the world and proclaiming the Good News?”

              As we debated how to proceed our chairperson said: “If we aren’t concerned about the needy and the less fortunate, I think we’re missing the whole point of being Christian.” As we continued our discussions we acknowledged that one of our longstanding ministries has been the Outreach Committee. Even when St. Perpetua’s was experiencing leadership crises and community problems many years ago, the sense of charity was never lacking and the Outreach efforts endured. It was and still is held together by a strong group of committed parishioners, most of whom have been involved for many years. Doing good for others and sharing our material possessions and financial resources surely is part of good stewardship.

              One of the areas, however, that we have been slow to embrace as a parish is the area of Social Justice. That’s understandable in one sense since we are who we are – a relatively affluent community whose physical needs are more than well met. It takes extra effort on our part to see beyond our own needs. It is also more challenging for a community like ours to look into the causes for some of the social problems of our day, since most of us work within the very systems that need to hear the gospel call to conversion – banking, government, corporate management, investment brokers, company owners and managers, university and hospital systems, the military, the Church. It’s difficult to see beyond our own gates.

              The strategy for Goal #2 states: Celebrate, promote and expand the awareness of the social gospel in order to move beyond charity to justice. It’s not easy to define social justice. The best explanation I heard years ago used the example of the parable of the Good Samaritan; you know the story well. The guy leaves for work, sees a man on the side of the road bruised and beaten. The local pastor and another church official walk by the guy on the other side of the road. This Samaritan stops, puts the guy on the back of his truck, takes him to the local inn, pays the owner to take care of the guy until he recovers. Great job; good deed well done! The next week the guy is on the same road, sees the same guy bruised, beaten and abandoned, takes him to the same inn, pays some sheckles to the innkeeper and goes on his way. Great job; good deed well done! But this guy goes on the same road every Monday morning and for five weeks in a row now he encounters the same scenario. After the fifth time he talks to the innkeeper and some of the other locals. They all contact the local JHP (Jericho Highway Patrol) and demand that there be better police patrol on that road which is known for its danger. The JHP reluctantly agree and the problem is addressed. Systemic change! Taking the man to the inn each time was an act of charity; making the road safer for all travelers was an act of justice.

              Today’s gospel couldn’t be more poignant is helping us to set our sights on this critical area of Christian living. As we hear this gospel, there are some important details to note that may help our understanding. Notice that we’re not told anything about the religious faith of either the poor beggar named Lazarus or the anonymous rich man. We can’t say: “That one is bad; the other is good. That got what he deserved.” We don’t know anything about their moral state. Yet, when each man dies, Lazarus has a fast pass into heaven, even as the rich man goes straight to Hades and its fiery torments. What’s more, in this parable’s imaginative conversation between Abraham and the rich man, once again there is not a whisper that Lazarus is getting his heavenly reward on account of grace or by virtue of the fact that he has always been a devout worshiper of God. Instead, Abraham says that this reversal is just how it goes: “He who received nothing on earth gets everything in the great hereafter, even as those who had it all on earth lose it all on the other side of the grave.” Not a proposition I’d like to entertain, especially since I have a lot of ‘stuff.’ 

              In his wonderful role as master storyteller, Jesus is being deliberately extreme. Once these two are in their places of reward and punishment, notice that the rich man knows Lazarus’ name, as he selfishly pleads for himself and his brothers: “Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue….Send Lazarus to my brothers’ house to warn them.”  So he deliberately chose to ignore the man lying at his gate, even though he knew who Lazarus was. The rich man, who at first appeared to be guilty of no more than a sin of omission, a passive failure to address a situation he maybe didn’t even know about in the first place, turns out to have been aware of this man, even to the point of knowing his name. He’s not so innocent after all. In fact, he’s probably a lot like you and me. We know very well the unjust conditions in our society and in our world. They’re just too overwhelming to be able to do anything about them… or so we try to convince ourselves. 

              Goal #2 asks us not to back away from the difficult work of social justice. Not to squirm when we read something in the bulletin addressing the social and economic issues of the day, like affordable housing, health care coverage, homelessness and hunger, war, immigration, living wage, rampant consumerism; not to take offense when hear something in a homily that makes us uncomfortable or challenges our way of thinking. There is no attempt here to induce guilt, but rather to support one another as we try in whatever ways we can – through the power of your vote, through action in your workplace, through letting your voice e heard by your political representatives – in making systemic changes that will infuse charity with justice. Today’s parable implies that there will, indeed, be a judgment, and our preparation for that judgment is how we listen to the scriptures, the law and the prophets. We can be proud of the charity our parish extends to many people and causes. In fact, today we have our quarterly collection for Out reach ministry. You give without any expectation of return. But charity is not a substitute for justice. The highest aim of charity is the same as the highest aim of justice: to elevate each person to where he or she does not need charity but can become charitable themselves.

                                                                                                                        Father John Kasper OSFS

[based on Sunday Gospel: Luke 16:19-31]