Do you think we should help the Poor?

Answer 1

A Plea for the Poor.
(This is a letter by the pastor to the members of our parish. We are three small rural places of worship in one pastoral unit. Our county has suffered economic decline due to the closure of the forest to logging, which had been the mainstay of the local economy for a hundred years. Poverty and hunger have increased and we are responding with a small food bank, financed by donations.)
I am writing you to ask for your support for our parish food bank, the Pastor's Pantry. This project has my full support and that of the parish pastoral council. It is an opportunity for each of us not only to help the needy in our local community, but also to help ourselves. Our Lord has spoken many times about helping the poor and he has indicated that our help of the poor is kindness given directly to Him.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food…"Matt. 25:31-35.
The good will ask when did they see him and give him food? "And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matt. 25:40.

However, to those who do not care for the poor he will say: "Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food,.." Matt. 25:41-42. The apostle James takes up this message and tries to convince Christians to act.



"For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:13-17.


There are three ways that someone can care for the poor. People can do all three, but often that is not possible. However, we can all do something.

1. Provide direct support for the Pantry's efforts by donating food or money to buy food.
2. Volunteer to help distribute the food. Two people are needed for each three-hour shift. Also, people can help by picking up and transporting food.

3. Finally, everyone can provide prayer support. You can pray for the general success of our efforts, ask the Lord for volunteers to work at the Pantry, ask the Lord for money and food to give to the needy, ask for guidance, adequate facilities, and for God's help for those actively involved in our efforts. Your can pray in any way that works best for you, such as say the Rosary, spend time in meditation, spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. During Lent, we will have the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration after mass during the week for about 20 minutes at Sacred Heart Church. This is already available at St. Yves on Tuesday.

Those who volunteer to help distribute food have an advantage. Mother Teresa of Calcutta taught her sisters that when they helped the poor they helped Christ who is present in the poor. She had her followers pray in the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist several hours each day, and then to be in Christ's presence in the "least of his brethren". Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala M.C. who confounded the Missionaries of Charity with Mother Teresa, after quoting Matt. 25 in a Vatican Radio interview, said:

"Therefore whenever we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, take care of the sick, visit the prisoners, we do it to Jesus. The Jesus whom we contemplate, love and adore in the Bread of Life, with respect, faith and devotion is the same Jesus whom we are called to meet, love and serve with the selfsame respect, faith and devotion, in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor." (Emphasis added.)
If we wish to find Christ, and to serve him, we do not have to cross the ocean, or live in a cave, or be a monk. We only have to love and help him in the "least of his brethren".

Finally, the poor in our area may not be religious but they are usually Christian. All Christians know the Lord's prayer, and if they have used that prayer asking God's assistance then they have said to him, "give us this day our daily bread". We are God's answer to that prayer when they come to our Pantry. We are his hands giving them their daily bread. So, I ask each member of our parish community to take part in this ministry, this service to our God in whatever way you can.



Sincerely,

The Pastor

Answer 2

This is a good question! Yes, we should! While there are plenty of religious reasons to do so, there are practical considerations as well. The poor are a drain on a community's resources and energies, even if there is no welfare system in place. Ideally, we should help the poor by giving them opportunities to become productive members of society.

Answer 3

We should help to give them a leg up.

But when it becomes obvious that they have no intention of ever doing anything themselves to better their own situations, it is time to cut bait and run.

Feed a man a fish and he eats for one day, teach a man to fish and he can eat forever...if he chooses to get off his rear end and go down to the pond.

My sister is terminally poor and terminally a victim. My hubby asked me this morning if she had found a job yet, and I said well if an employer came and knocked on her door and handed her a job, then yes, else, no way in hell!

In America at least, being terminally poor is a lifestyle choice, we all have the option of bettering ourselves. Most choose to do nothing.

Insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting the results to change.

Answer 4

Yes, but to a certain extent. There are some poor people who refuses to try or work hard. All they expect are handouts. But, on the opposite side of that are poor people who tries and really give it their all and still nothing works in their favor. Overall, yes I do think we should help the poor but you've got to be wise enough to know when you're being dooped.

Answer 5

No, you are able to thank u . s .'s government for that. possibly Roosevelt and the hot Deal and all those darn welfare and government handout courses. the government provide you each and every little thing you want those days. you're in college and that i wager you're on economic help, proper? possibly scholarships and loans and stuff too.... Even the homeless people have shelters they might pass, and food they might consume. Even the criminals get a house and 3 food an afternoon. relies upon on what you think of "undesirable" is nevertheless. it seems people in poverty afflicted neighborhoods are particularly materialistic, and in the event that they have been undesirable they could no longer do this. in the event that they have been undesirable food and survival may well be the sole situation that they had think of of.

Answer 6

Having come from the poor myself i believe opportunities should be created for the poor to em better themselves. Giving money is not always the correct thing to do as many abuse the handouts. I made an effort to break away from it by pure determination and a willingness to succeed. Forty years later successful in my own business i do help the poor!!!! Not by hand outs but by opportunities i create for them to em better themselves in their own communities.
If i had grown up coming from a rich family i do not know if i would have done the same thing i am doing now! I have seen many success and many go further down.
GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES NOT HANDOUTS!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Nope, they are poor for a reason. Everyone has an opportunity to be anything they want to be. They have the ability to be financially secure (at least here in the US)

They are poor because they are too lazy to get out of their situation. It's easier to keep living the way they are than rise above it.

Answer 8

Helping anyone with materials is of not much use. Such help does not make the person strong. It generally make the person dependent on others. They r in same position after consuming the material help.

Helping people to set themselves upright is the real help. It improves the life of that person.

Answer 9

yes we should help the poor , cause thing if you was the poor person , it in a human nature to help

Answer 10

We would we not? Of course we should help the poor! We should help anyone and everyone, no matter who or what they are or believe in, that needs help. I hate to see anyone with no food or shelter (I have never seen anyone naked for lack of money to buy clothing LOL).
I think it should be our duty as human beings to help others less fortunate than we are, in whatever way we can.

Answer 11

It is our job to help out fellow mankind. I hear the question all the time " If we had a loving God, why are people starving?" Do you know we have enough food on this earth to feed everyone on it 100 times over. Its through uncaring people that turn their backs on mankind that is making people starve. When a person stands before God and asks that question, I 'm sure I know what the answer will be...... What did you do to help?