All of us may agree that our society is getting more complex. With this complexity, people are inclined to have a lot of concerns that may include superfluous amenities brought about by the fast developing technology. While others are trying to catch up with the rapid pace of development, many are left too far behind. There are people who are not able to cope with the demands of the present living conditions and they tend to become excluded and marginalized. This reality is an indication that we are yet too distant from reaching the wholeness of our society. Although we can say that our world is getting smaller due to the enhancement of the communication system, still there are persons who are more proximate to us but sometimes we have failed to reach out. These people need most of our attention.
Early this year the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter entitled “The Dignity of the Rural Poor – A Gospel Concern.” This letter draws our attention on the rural poor, the greatest victim of our unjust economic order. Our bishops see the need for reform not only of our national institutions but of our moral fiber as a people. We begin this transformation by acknowledging the God-given dignity of the least of Christ’s—and our—brothers and sisters.
In the pastoral field, we have all the opportunities to encounter our underprivileged sisters and brothers. During such occasions how did we do our part in valuing their dignity? Whether in the context of the seminary formation or in the circumstances of being Christians, we have the responsibility to uphold the value of every human being and the whole of creation. Given the present problems and challenges confronted by our society, we have to ask ourselves, what steps did we take so as to build this society towards wholeness?
As it clearly appears in our calendarium, we have set activities that will elicit on us a solid foundation of our concern for the least of Christ’s brothers and sisters. The forthcoming free-clinic in November and the next month’s Christmas party with indigent children are avenues for us as one community to concretize our love and concern for the poor. Let us do these activities then in a formative approach not for the sake of complying with the schedule but as a manner of following Christ who took side with the poor. May our hearts be formed according to the heart of Jesus who opted for the poor. Let us also bear in our minds that in doing our activities we have contributed something for the wholeness of our society. Let us work for the advancement of the poor since it “constitutes a great opportunity for the moral, cultural and even economic growth of all humanity” (Centesimus Annus, 28).
May our concern for the poor be imbedded in our hearts and not be supplanted by the contentment of merely giving alms.Jesus did not just support the poor, but rather he lives with the poor by choosing to become poor himself. This teaches us to live in solidarity with the poor. So we must have to check our lifestyle whether or not it configures with that of our model, Jesus Christ. We also appeal to everyone’s conscience to take into account collaborative efforts to uplift the lives of the commonly neglected sector of our society be it in the framework of politics, economy, culture or environment. These concerns don’t run just for a year but more than our lifetime. We struggle for wholeness not tomorrow but now, not only today but everyday.
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