April 7, 2010 | In: Uncategorized

Let’s Get This Straight – the Central Message of the Gospel

A caller into Catholic radio was in strong support of the health care overhaul bill, despite its strong leanings toward federally funded abortion. He was angry at Drew Mariani, the host of the show discussing the problems with this bill, and he blurted out on the audio feedback line, “As Catholics, we need to get this straight. We need to get back to the Gospel. The main message of Jesus Christ was care for the poor, and if we don’t follow that how can we call ourselves Catholic?”

Really? The main message of the Gospel is care for the poor? Jesus came to give a social justice message? Then why exactly was what He called “My Time” and the “glory of the Father” the crucifixion and resurrection? Look, if you want to believe that the government has the responsibility to run health care for the sake of the poor, I will disagree with you, but you are free to consider yourself a good Catholic and hold that opinion. But if you’re going to call yourself a Catholic, can we at least get the central message of Christ correct?

The main message of Jesus Christ and the Gospel is not care for the poor. Jesus’ main message is the call to conversion back to the Covenant, repentance for sin and the saving forgiveness of God. As St. Paul tells us,

It is precisely in this that God proves his love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Now that we have been justified by his blood, it is all the more certain that we shall be saved by him from God’s wrath.

None of this is to say that care for the poor is not important. Yes, the Church has seen in the Gospels what Tradition calls a “preferential option for the poor.” Yes, taking care of the poor is important. However, it is important because it is an act of love that enacts and reflects the conversion of our hearts toward Jesus. It is the love that is important, moreso than the actual aid given to the poor. In fact, it is my opinion that when the government steps in to take over it diminishes our response to the poor out of love. Our response to poverty becomes programmatic and mechanical rather than a choice to put the well-being of the less fortunately ahead of our own. There is a reason that Mother Theresa was not a political activist.

Jesus shows us the difference when Mary anoints His feet with oil and Judas Iscariot complains that the money for the oil should have gone to the poor. Jesus replies, “The poor you will always have with you.” He praises Mary’s act of love for him and dismisses Judas’ statement of pragmatic (and possibly nefarious) concern for the money (John 12).

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us of these facts as well in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God is Love). He warns against moving the responsibility for the poor from charity to social programs. Even the communal work of the Church is actually the loving work of a family whose main mission is to show forth the love of Christ.

So, you want to disagree with my opinion that the government is taking the responsibility for the poor away from us? Please, feel free to do so. Just try to get the fundamentals of our faith right first. Because for Catholics that’s the True North our political and social compasses should always be aligned to.