I am the Way,the Truth
and the Life (Jesus)

So much is going on drawing my attention that it has become more difficult to select what I can do best and be most effective. The simple criteria of works of mercy over works of resistance has become confusing since I have so many request for works of mercy and more and more thoughts of doing works of resistance.

The principle I learned long ago, when I was working in religious education in the Church, is the harder you work and the more good you do the more work there will to be done. I thought in retirement I would slow down, read and pray more but just the opposite is true, the more “ministry of the word” I do the more there is to do. “Ministry of the Word” is not new but my understanding is new.

The more I hear the word of God the more I must do and the more I do the more I need to be. I cannot hear the ‘cry of the poor’ or about the suffering and violence in the world without wanting to do something about it. Someone approached me last night about a new cause and event to rally people around it. I said I probably could not make it and the person said it was only attending a talk and rally. My response was that if I attended the event and believe in the cause I would want to do something about it. I was not one to hear about an issue and then move on to the next one.

Someone at the St. Vincent de Paul meeting the other night about the new thrift store they are building in an affluent area where it is not needed rather than an area, like North Central Milwaukee, where it is needed, said I should get aboard on the new store and stop wasting energy resisting it or just leave the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. I told him that was not my choice. My choice was to be silent about a great injustice in a Society I deeply appreciate or to speak out my conscience. Actually, I said, in my case there was no choice. If I love working with poor and rejected I had to continue speaking out and agitating against injustice. He did not understand and kept following me around the rest of the night.

I guess God does choose the poor, rejected, weak and marginalized to be his messengers of the Gospel, the Way. I need to take God’s blessings and run with them or I will be in trouble. What, if not the option for the poor, is the option?

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