“special favor to those who are poorest”

This lesson is part two and covers theme 6 of 6. For the first five themes please see Saint John Paul II and Matthew 25 [Part I]
 
Theme Six: The Church’s special favor to those who are poorest 

“In our service of charity, we must be inspired and distinguished by a specific attitude: we must care for the other as a person for whom God has made us responsible. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to become neighbors to everyone (Lk. 10:29-37), and to show special favor to those who are poorest, most alone and most in need. In helping the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned – as well as the child in the womb and the old person who is suffering of near death – we have the opportunity to serve Jesus. He himself said: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Hence we cannot feel called to account and judged by the ever relevant words of Saint John Chrysostom: ‘Do you wish to honor the body of Christ? Do not neglect it when you find it naked? Do not do it homage here in the church with silk fabrics only to neglect it outside where it suffers cold and nakedness.’ Where life is involved, the service of charity must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation and inviolable at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible good. We need then to ‘show care’ for all life and for the life of everyone. Indeed, at an even deeper level, we need to go to the very roots of life and love.” [1]
 
Does one stage or situation have more preference over another? Does one group of needy have more preference over another? Saint John Paul II says there is no “bias and discrimination”. There is no doubt that every stage and every situation is important. We can however ask a few questions in regard to the needy.

One, how grave or serious is the need?
Two, how immediate is the need?
Three, how much can the needy take care of themselves or existing institutions?

This is the same approach that an Emergency Room would take as they show preference or favor toward one patient over the other. A good way to remember these criteria’s is “G.I.L.”: Grave, Immediate and Last Resort. This criterion is also used in the Church’s teaching on just war. This is why the Church shows such a favor or preference to the unborn engendered of being aborted because the need of the unborn is great and they are going to die. The need is immediate because they have no voice and cannot save themselves; this is why the Church has to be the voice of the unborn.

There is no greater example in modern times of service to the poorest than Blessed Mother Teresa. Blessed Mother Teresa served the poorest of the poor in Calcutta and all over the world. For this service she won the Nobel Peace Prize. During her speech, when she literally had the world as her audience, she took the opportunity speak about the “unborn” who are among the poorest and most often forgotten. Mother Teresa says that the poorest in India and Africa are noticed and people are willing to help, but that the unborn so often go unnoticed. She also expressed a great necessity and immediacy saying that ‘Abortion is “the greatest” destroyer of peace.’
 
In this idea of bias or discrimination we have to understand that it is not our personal choice of which we get to show charity too, rather it is God’s calling. We answer the call based on the need. Needs change based on war, immigration, etc., but charity remains constant. What are the gravest evils, the greatest and most immediate areas of need in our community?
 
Among the prayers of the faithful a common prayer is, “Let us pray for a respect for life from the moment of conception to natural death.” This prayer is in accord with the words of the Holy Father that human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation, specifically regarding the unborn (abortion) and the elderly (euthanasia), but every stage in between.
 
Why does the Church show a preference or “special favor” for the poor? This is the call of Christ to show this favor and go out of our way to help the needy. We have to remember that we are needy as well and could be just as needy. We also show preference to the poor because others can manage by themselves but the poor have no one except Christ and we are the Body of Christ to them.
 
Who are the poorest, most alone and most in need? We can answer this in a general fashion. Maybe the poorest are those in the slums of a third world country. Maybe the loneliest are the elderly. Maybe the most in need are the unborn. We can also answer this question specifically to our life.
 
Who is poor in our life? Who is most alone? Who is most in need and what are they in need of? There could be someone in your school or family that is very alone. There are many needs both physically and spiritually that we are capable of helping with now. 

[1] Saint John Paul II; Evangelium Vitae; 87.2-3