"Keep the joy of loving the Poor and share this joy with all you meet. Remember: Works of love are works of peace."
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O
you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we
eat" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the
Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own
trouble be sufficient for the day."
Matthew 6:28-34
"...give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the
measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Luke 6:38
"Whoever fails to love their neighbor, fails to love
You, my Lord, since we see You showed the very great love You have for
the children of Adam by shedding so much blood."
St. Teresa of Avila
"We must denounce those who squander the earth's riches, provoking
inequalities that cry out to heaven. For example, it is impossible to
remain silent before the 'distressing images of huge camps throughout
the world of displaced persons and refugees, who are living in makeshift
conditions in order to escape a worse fate, yet are still in dire need.
Are these human beings not our brothers and sisters? Do their children
not come into the world with the same legitimate expectations of
happiness as other children?' The Lord Jesus, the bread of eternal life,
spurs us to be mindful of the situations of extreme poverty in which a
great part of humanity still lives: these are situations for which human
beings bear a clear and disquieting responsibility. Indeed, 'on the
basis of available statistical data, it can be said that less than half
of the huge sums spent worldwide on armaments would be more than
sufficient to liberate the immense masses of the poor from destitution.
This challenges humanity's conscience.'"
Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis
"Is it not better to have to answer for mercy than for severity?... Do you seek thereby the character of sanctity? Be strict in ordering your own life, in that of others lenient; let men hear of you as enjoining little, and performing much."
St. Thomas Aquinas as quoted in Sermon in a Sentence, Volume 5
"And since God's reputation is
hopelessly linked to His followers' behavior, I suspect He wouldn't be
stuck with His current rap if we spent our time loving others and
stocking their cabinets."
Jen Hatmaker, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
"Leaves without flowers: these are they which have words without works."
St. Thomas Aquinas as quoted in Sermon in a Sentence: Volume 5
"There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not seek to save others.
You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two small coins will be your accuser. Peter said, Silver and gold I have not. Paul was so poor that he was often hungry and went without necessary food.
You cannot plead humble birth, for they were humbly born, of humble stock. You cannot offer the excuse of lack of education, for they were uneducated. You cannot plead ill-health, for Timothy also had poor health, with frequent illnesses.
Each one can help his neighbor, if only he is willing to do what is in his power. Look at the trees that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are, upstanding, smooth, and tall? If we had a garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit—pomegranates and olives—to trees that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility these have is small.
Such are those men who think only of their own concerns. In fact, they are even worse: the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the selfish are fit only for punishment. Such were those foolish virgins who were chaste, comely, and self-controlled, but did nothing for anyone. So they are consumed in the fire. Such are those men who refuse to give Christ food.
Notice that none of them is accused of personal sins. They are not accused of committing fornication or perjury or any such sin at all: only of not helping anybody else. The man who buried the talent was like this. His life was blameless, but he was of no service to others.
How can such a person be a Christian? Tell me, if yeast did not make the whole mass like itself, is it really yeast? Again, if perfume failed to pervade all around it with its fragrance, would we call it perfume?
Do not say, “It is impossible for me to influence others.” If you are a Christian, it is impossible for this not to happen. Things found in nature cannot be denied; so it is here, for it is a question of the nature of a Christian.
Do not insult God. If you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted Him. If you say that a Christian cannot help others, you have insulted God and called Him a liar. It is easier for the sun not to give warmth or shine than for the Christian not to shed his light. It is easier for light to be darkness than for this to happen.
Do not say then that it is impossible. The opposite is impossible. Do not insult God. If we have put our affairs in order, these things will certainly come to be and will follow as a natural consequence. The light of a Christian cannot escape notice. So bright a lamp cannot be hidden."
St. John Chrysostom
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