Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: December 16, 2018
The Third Sunday of Advent features our more rose-colored vestments and décor, and the tone of the traditional chants and readings of the liturgy are more festive. The forced sobriety of Advent, which is more than half over by this point, is taken over by a sense of joyful anticipation of the Savior’s coming. The classic title of this day, “Gaudete Sunday,” comes from a Mass text: Gaudete is Latin for “Rejoice!”, something that we’re all too ready to do.
It’s important for us to remember, however, in the midst of our Christmas festivities, that far too many people in our world – and even in our country – can hardly enjoy the holidays. Government statistics admit that 12.3 percent of all Americans live below “the poverty line,” which itself is pretty meager: if a family of four makes $25,100 or less they’re officially categorized as poor. Worldwide it’s very similar: only about 10 percent of the 7.5 billion people on the planet live in “extreme poverty,” but many people are consistently poor even if not completely destitute. Although it’s hard to define, poverty is real and too-pervasive.
The reason I bring this up is that doing good for poor people was part and parcel of Jesus’ ministry, and so is the task of the whole community of His followers, the Church. In the Gospels Jesus Himself described His works (Lk 7:22) “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” I find it fascinating that the only thing on this list that doesn’t necessarily involve divine power is addressing the poor. It’s one thing that we can do!
And so we try. Each year our Social Responsibility Committee‘s Advent Giving Tree project contributes mightily to the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s annual distribution of toys to needy children. Individual parishioners and friends of the Cathedral give to our Charity Fund – you occasionally do that, don’t you? – so that we can provide snack bags and hygiene bags to the homeless downtown and help fund the Christian Outreach Center on Main Street. Our biweekly Food Pantry distributes to the resident poor of our area groceries given by the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank and by individuals who share non-perishables in the “food bin” in the back of the Cathedral. Other efforts by parishioners include providing monthly meals for ex-offenders transitioning back into the workplace and society at Joseph Homes, as well as donations to unwed mothers at the diocese’s Sanctuary for Life group home. We try to help with material needs as well as spiritual ones, for in letting the poor know of the unmerited love of God and His Church for them, we provide them the best possible reason for them to embrace faith in Jesus Christ and take their place among His holy people.
So thank you for remembering the poor in your Christmas giving, whether here at your Cathedral or among the many other deserving charities open to us all. If you can think of other ways in which we can mirror the ministry of Jesus, especially to the needy, please let us know – or, even better, take the initiative of beginning it already! The refrain of an old folk-song from the 1960s was “They will know we are Christians by our love.” It wasn’t very good music, but it was good theology, especially as we extend our love for each other to those who feel unloved.
Sincerely yours in the coming Christ Child,
Rev Paul D. Counce
