Jesus comes to Catholic Charities every day.
Sometimes he looks like a man who spent his life doing manual labor and needs financial help in between jobs.
Other times he is a single mom looking for advice on cooking healthy meals for her toddler.
Or he might be an immigrant, full of hope at the idea of building a life in the United States.
Each of them is the face of Christ: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” (Matt 25:35-36)
As we prepare to commemorate the birth of Christ, it is easy to think Jesus always reflects the peace and joy that we see in our nativity sets. But think for a minute about the reality of a baby surrounded by animals lying in a manger. It was messy.
The stories of the people we serve are similar. Our hearts break for those who ask for help, but the process of helping people move forward is difficult.
The laborer is frustrated and angry. The mom is so overwhelmed she has a hard time doing the things asked of her to make progress. The immigrant has months of waiting ahead and grows impatient.
In the height of their emotions, they take out their disappointment and frustration on staff. And we become like the righteous in the parable saying, “Lord, when did we see you?”
Jesus is right there all the time – in the hard stuff.
When we serve, we grow closer to Jesus. He tells us, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
Advent is the perfect time to grow in charity. As St. Theresa of Calcutta said, “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.”
Many of you have already done that. Several churches have already committed to collecting items for our Gabriel’s Closet, and we are truly grateful.
Catholic Charities is also in the middle of our annual giving campaign. By the end of the fiscal year in June, we must raise $400,000 to close the gap between what we expect to receive in grants and what it costs to operate our programs.
With your help, Catholic Charities can provide the safety net for ALL of those in need of assistance. We can pay for an electric bill or a car seat. We can provide credit counseling to help a family get ahead. We can guide an immigrant to becoming a citizen.
We don’t always ask how they found their way to us or what they believe. All we need to know is Jesus loves them too.
Authored by Diane Libro, Executive Director
Featured in December 2024 Catholic Connection
