An Invitation to Love – Your Catholic Weekly Reflection from CMMB
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of two men—a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man had everything he could wish for, but he placed too much value on his wealth and forgot God and his neighbor. Lazarus, on the other hand, was destitute and suffering from bodily sores. He would have been happy to receive crumbs from the rich man’s table. Eventually, both men die, and then we see a reversal of fortunes. Lazarus was carried away by angels to heaven, while the rich man ended up in eternal torment in the netherworld. This is a reminder to those who would follow Jesus of the importance of caring for the poor and the unimportance of wealth in the eyes of God.
The poor hold a special place for us. Their presence is an invitation for us to get closer to God. Sharing what we have with those in need allows us to practice compassion, mercy, charity — all things that prepare us for the afterlife.
Desmond Fitzgerald is one of CMMB’s longest serving board members and a loyal supporter. He is President of the Hope for Poor Children Foundation and serves as a trustee for several charities. He is very committed to helping the poor, yet as we see in the piece below, originally published in America Magazine, The Jesuit Review, he still asks the question, “Can I do more?”
“How do we find a way to enjoy the gift of our lives, the pleasures of this world, of friendship, love, art, music, nature, learning, while remaining always mindful of the needs of others? This is not easy. We use respectful frugalities to ease this pain. I buy a $15 bottle of wine rather than something much more expensive. My car is 19 years old. These minor, symbolic gestures mask the contrast with the desperate needs of the poor. Am I behaving appropriately when my $15 could instead be buying Vitamin A supplement for 15 children in the developing world, saving them from stunting, childhood blindness, and possibly death? The cost of five such bottles (soon consumed in my sociable family!) could restore the eyesight of a child blinded by cataract, transforming not only that child’s life but also her family’s. So should I only drink water? What makes sense? Where can we find a sensible balance?
All of us are well aware of the desperate needs of the sick and the poor. Newspapers and television remind us of these needs every day, and yet what are we doing about them? I, for one, am not doing nearly enough. Some people are, and a few shining examples come to mind: Chuck Feeney, a co-founder of the Duty Free Shoppers Group, lives modestly and flies economy while giving away more than $8 billion, his entire fortune, without seeking attention or praise. Zell Kravinsky, a Philadelphia real estate developer, gave his entire fortune to charity, and as though that was not enough, donated a kidney to a stranger. A nonobservant Jew and the child of Russian communists, he has followed Jesus’ command more closely than most Christians I know. These examples are inspiring but rare.
We can only give thanks every day that the world is blessed with so many women and men of goodwill, teachers and health care workers and many others who give their time and their resources and their love to the sick and the poor. Their generosity of spirit is a great gift to the world.
It has just started to rain. The heavy downpour is hammering on the metal gutters, and the downspouts are flooded with gushing water. I wish that there was some way I could pipe this water to a place that has no water, a place, any place, where women and girls are forced to spend hours every day walking to fetch water, a place where children are dying every day from the effects of unclean water. Only this morning, I was worrying that my little grandson would get burned by the bright sun. Things can change so quickly. This rain is so desperately needed in so many desperate places. What are we to do? Pray for guidance, for courage, for strength? We have so much more work to do.” —Desmond FitzGerald
Like Desmond, we may wonder if we are doing enough for the poor when the need is so great. He sees the Lazaruses of the world and is moved to do more. Let us pray for the grace to be aware of those less fortunate than us and to do whatever we can to alleviate their suffering.
In grace and peace,
CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide
