Tuesday of the
Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
(Galatians 5:1-6; Luke 11:37-41)
All great religions stress the importance of
almsgiving. It is one of the five
obligations of every Muslim. Jews find
testimony of it in their Scriptures written in the last centuries before
Christ. Jesus speaks of its importance
to cleansing the soul in today’s gospel.
Then why do people have such difficulty giving money to the poor?
The reason is not hard to imagine. Often enough recipients of alms do not use them
for basic needs. Rather they purchase
peripheral goods and sometimes harmful substances. As much as this is the case giving alms
implicates one in an evil. But there are
other ways to help those begging assistance.
Perhaps befriending the poor, listening to the stories of
their lives, and providing them with food is the best thing that can be
done. Also, when we see them on a street
corner soliciting cars passing by, we might promise ourselves to send a
donation to Catholic Charities or the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Finally, praying for the poor not only
secures God’s help but reminds us to do what we can.
