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Answering the Call at Our Door

This is a summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily delivered at St. Charles on September 26, 2004

"And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores."

Today we are confronted by Lazarus at our door.

Poverty confronts us whenever we are solicited for money in the streets. What do we do? Some think it encourages dependency to respond. I tend to give anyway. Do we not hire fundraisers to ask for money?

When people come to the rectory door Project Lazarus enables us to offer daily help. People in emergency situations, who need rental assistance, or utilities, medicine or food find support. Your checks to St. Charles that designate Project Lazarus enable us to relieve the crises that beset the poor in your name.

Cardinal Camara of Brazil used to say, "When I fed the poor they called me a Christian; when I asked why people are poor they called me a Marxist."

There was a recent newspaper article on income disparity in the region. The author suggested that if one journeyed to Richmond you could see the effect of it. The Director of Manna, an emergency assistance agency in Montgomery County, wrote to tell of the professionals they were serving. Their positions had been outsourced. They were having difficulty surviving on three part time minimum wage jobs. He had enough of the "Rah Rah Washington" approach that pretended not to notice the poverty in our own local counties.

It should strike us as strange that people can be fully employed on a minimum wage and not have the means to secure housing and other basic necessities. This means that as a pastor I cannot employ anyone and pay them only a minimum wage. We need to pay a living wage. All employers need to examine their consciences on this question.
We have been told that jobs are the answer to poverty. That is true for those who can work, when wages are adequate.

In the last year 149,000 people went off the welfare rolls. During the same year 1.3 million additional Americans fell below the poverty level. Welfare reform was sold to us by both parties. Reform meant reducing the number of those helped, while increasing the ranks of the poor. At least the former Secretary of Human Services for Virginia was honest when he clarified, "Welfare reform was never meant to reduce poverty." A real reform would eliminate poverty.

What about people who cannot work--the infirm, the disabled and the elderly on fixed incomes? It is not enough to say that families and the church will take care of them with faith-based initiatives. Yes, the faith community must do more but in a partnership with government.

How odd that poverty does not appear on the radar screen in the current presidential campaign? Do we believe that the only function of government is defense? Currently 20% of every tax dollar goes to defense, another 20% to pay the deficit, leaving a meager portion for the rest. As costs escalate for the war we do not make sacrifices to pay the costs. Someone recently showed me their WWII ration book. We have moved from tax and spend to borrow and spend. In lieu of wartime sacrifice, we will give tax relief to those who need it least. The costs for war and tax relief we will pass on to the next generation. This approach diminishes the state's resources for vital needs.

Our church ever since Thomas Aquinas has taught that a role for government is the maintenance of the common good, not only security but social security.

As we debate these questions, I thank God for St. Charles.

Our parish through its Social Ministries provides instruments for a response to Lazarus. On October 17 we will tithe to hurricane relief for Haiti where thousands lost their lives and where 50 families in our sister parish lost their homes. Our Social Justice program offers volunteer opportunities for direct service, organizing and advocacy. Our Ministries Fair today presents these programs and a variety of other activities following the liturgies.

The problem for the rich man was not just his wealth but his indifference. Amos proclaims: "Woe to the complacent of Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, improvising to the music of the harp! They are not made sick by the downfall of Joseph."

We cannot be apathetic when our neighbor suffers. Let us find a way for full employment for all our members in the work of service and outreach.

  or  2004 Homilies