March 25, 2024
Today’s gospel:
John 12:1-11
The poor or Jesus. What is our priority? Both are crucially important of course, but the priority is always God. Even with the two greatest commandments, the first is to love God, and the second is to love our neighbor. Oftentimes today with many Christians, and especially with liberals and modernists, it is the reverse. Or worse, there is great concern for the poor, but notfor Jesus and his salvation.
There is a great deal of attention on helping the poor, but oftentimes, as is the case with the UN Social Development Goals which the Vatican fully supports, there is also the imposition of abortion and LGBT.
Sinners are welcomed, accepted and accompanied, but their sin is not addressed.
The marginalized are accommodated, such as LGBTs, and sinful unions, such as those of same-sex couples, are blessed.
Caritas, the social action arm of the Church, has a lot of works with and for the poor, but has partnered with NGOs that promote the culture of DEATH.
The Church today is more focused on social justice rather than just justice. The former is of man while the latter is of God. Justice is giving to the other person what is his due. What is due is not just help for the poor but more importantly worship to God. We cannot do good works but neglect faith.
Judas wanted to sell Mary’s perfumed oil and give the money to the poor (v.5). But Jesus did not deter Mary, and said, “Let her keep this for the day of my burial.” (v.7). The focus of our resources must first and foremost be on Christ and his salvation. Only thereafter are we moved to genuinely look to the poor. And indeed, spiritual poverty is first to be addressed, before material poverty.
Jesus himself said, “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” (v.8). How ironic if the poor were helped materially, but not to be led to Christ. How tragic if the poor were to gain the whole world, but to lose their souls in the end.
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