Monday of the
First Week in Lent
(Leviticus 19:1-2.11-18; Matthew 25:31-46)
In the urge to give as much assistance
to as many people as possible, helpers sometimes miss what is most important
about a work of mercy. If they do not
treat people in need with respect, they may even being doing them harm. Respect
literally means to look twice. It is
to see in the other not just another man or woman in need but a human person
with feelings, ideas, and relationships.
In light of today’s gospel, respect
means to see the person in need as a substitute for Christ.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society
makes respect a priority. It heartily
recommends that provisions not be handed to the needy in centers of
distribution but be brought to the places where they live. In this way not only do real needs become
apparent but also a sense of concern is conveyed. Truly helpful relationships are fostered
because the people involved develop more than a superficial knowledge of one
another.
It is usually not hard for us to provide
services to the needy. Sometimes, indeed,
we receive remuneration for doing so. But
what the Lord wants of us in assisting the poor is to treat them as we would
treat him. That is, we are to respect them by attending to their
emotional and spiritual as well as their physical needs.
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