The Perspective of Justice

A Person of Charity

The Kingdom of God will not be restricted to a select few: “People will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will take their place at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Even among the Jews of the Mosaic covenant, who tended to be clannish, the message from God was clear: I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.

“So go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”

Go out to the poor and hungry and tell them to take their place at the feast of the kingdom.

Go out to the oppressed and persecuted and tell them to take their place at the feast of the kingdom.

Go out to the people on death row and tell them to take their place at the feast of the kingdom.

Go out to all the isolated and alienated, the lonely elderly, those dying of AIDS, the prostitutes and pornographers, and tell them to take their place at the feast of the kingdom.

“Bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord: that is the challenge given us by the one who is the way, the truth, and the life.”

The missionary is a person of charity. In order to proclaim to all his brothers and sisters that they are loved by God and are capable of loving, he must show love toward all, giving his life for his neighbor.

The missionary is the ‘universal brother,’ bearing in himself the Church’s spirit, her openness to and interest in all peoples and individuals, especially the least and poorest of his brethren.

As such, he overcomes barriers and divisions of race, cast or ideology. He is a sign of God’s love in the world—a love without exclusion or partiality.
 

(Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, 1990: 89)
 

Gerald Darring

Now published in book form, To Love and Serve: Lectionary Based Meditations, by Gerald Darring This entire three year cycle is available at Amazon.com.

 

**From Saint Louis University

Kristin Clauson