Come, Follow Me

August 20, 2007

Memorial of Saint Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church

By Beth DeCristofaro

Yet he had regard for their affliction when he heard their cry. (Ps 106: 44)

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. (Matthew 19:21)

Piety

Consumed with grief, Lord God, I cry out to you. The sins of the world weigh me down. My own sins tear at my conscience and my body. The terror of disasters grips my heart with foreboding. Help me in my lack of trust, God, that you will always hold, protect and guide me. Help me rest in the assurance that with you, I will survive horrors and that, indeed, I can even pass through the eye of a needle and find perfection within you.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/082007.shtml

What a stark contrast in the unsuccessful means to an end. In the Gospel a rich young man asks for the key to the Kingdom and finds himself unable to make the sacrifice necessary. Hundreds of years before his time, his fathers and mothers, who were poor – homeless, in fact – found themselves unable to stay loyal to their saving God time after time. Yet (God) had regard for their affliction when he heard their cry. The young man had everything that he could have wanted in his life while the Israelites had almost nothing; none of them enter to the Kingdom by themselves. Only through God could they find the treasure that they sought.

Disasters such as the mine collapses in Utah and China, the floods in Minnesota and Wisconsin and the devastating earthquake in Peru cause us to ask “why”. Perhaps they can also be occasions to ask “why not me” and “what good can I help come of it?” How can I find solidarity with those who have had the poverty that their world is now untrustworthy and changed forever thrust upon them?

“What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20) asked the rich young man. What do we lack? Do possessions possess us? Does our need for complete earthly security bind us? Are we able to see poverty as the place God fills within us? What can I give up to open space for God?

Action

You can help Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to respond to the deadly earthquake in Peru. CRS field teams are poised to deliver emergency medical care and shelter.

CRS staff in Peru are rushing to assist survivors of the country’s worst earthquake in more than 30 years. More than 450 people are reported dead, and over 1,500 others injured.

Last week’s powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake toppled homes, churches and buildings from the temblor’s epicenter in the Department of Ica to the capitol city Lima, over 100 miles away. Powerful aftershocks, registering as high as 6.0 are expected to continue, putting people already affected by extreme winter weather at even greater risk.

Initial reports from Ica say bodies remain buried in the rubble, and hospitals are struggling to provide care. Thousands of victims, now homeless, are seeking shelter.

The Pan American Highway, the only thoroughfare on the coast of Peru, is severely damaged, making what is normally a 2.5-hour journey into one of more than 8 hours. And the destruction of phone lines and cellular towers has further hampered relief efforts.

CRS field staff are identifying critical needs and coordinating the delivery of life-saving supplies. Based on past CRS disaster relief efforts, medical equipment, food, shelter, blankets and other essential materials will be critical over the next several days.

The government of Peru has declared a state of emergency, and countries such as Mexico and Panama have pledged aid.

How to Help:

Donate online: www.crs.org

Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS

Mail a check:

Catholic Relief Services

P.O. Box 17090

Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090

Memo section of check: Peru Earthquake Fund