“Who
Conducts His Affairs with Justice” by Jim Bayne
Thus,
says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the
homeless; clothe the naked when you see them and do not turn your back on your
own. (Is 58:6-7)
Well,
for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. (Ps
112:5)
You are
the salt of the earth. You are the light
of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a
lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it
gives light to all in the house. (Mt 5:14-15)
Piety
Prayer after Communion
O God, who has willed that we be
partakers
in the one Bread and the one
Chalice,
grant us, we pray, so to live
that made one in Christ,
we may joyfully bear fruit
for the salvation of the world.
Through Christ, our Lord. AMEN
Study
A few weeks ago, an old Cursillo friend moved
into the apartment a few doors down from us.
She was having a problem getting her TV to work in the new environment
and called to ask if I could check it out.
I did, and we got it working.
A couple of days later, I went back again to
make a couple more adjustments. While I was there, she told me that she had had
another problem with the TV after I had left but called the maintenance
department to fix it.
I asked why she hadn’t just called me again as
I had offered to help if she had more problems. She replied that she didn’t
want to bother me again so soon.
In reply, I asked her how it made her feel when
she was able to help someone with a problem.
She wordlessly responded with a huge smile. “I rest my case,” said I.
The instructions the Lord gives here in Isaiah
and that Jesus calls us to again in Matthew 25 are the way to the kingdom and
are some of the most straightforward and most powerful ways in which we can
experience the kingdom of God right here on earth. Have we not all experienced the deep joy that
comes from serving someone in need?
I remember hearing years ago at an Ultreya,
about a man who worked his first 2-hour shift ever during a hypothermia program
for the homeless at his parish. Although all they asked him to do was to be
there for 2 hours on Friday night to help people get settled, he felt compelled
to get up early on Saturday morning and go back to help with breakfast. By serving those in need, he had encountered
the face of God -- the face of Christ -- and couldn’t wait to go back for more.
Those of us in the KAIROS prison ministry who
drive three hours down and three hours back once a month to spend a couple of
hours with a bunch of criminals have the same experience. Once you have
encountered Christ in those in need - whatever the need – the Spirit compels you
to return to that source of deep joy and give more of yourself away.
The fantastic thing is that those whom you
serve also experience the presence of Christ. You become the salt of the earth
and season the lives of those you serve. You become a light for the world
making Christ truly present in that environment.
Action
Almost every day we encounter opportunities to
serve the needs of others. From simply
holding the door for someone, from your presence at a wake, to buying lunch for
a friend in need of a listening ear or taking time to listen deeply to your
spouse and children are one of the most important things we can do for our
families. Don’t let these opportunities to be Christ for others and to
experience the kingdom for yourself go past without taking action.
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