“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
Matthew 25:35–36
In Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict the XVI’s first encyclical letter, the Holy Father reminds us that our ministry of charity is an intrinsic part of who we are:
“The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God…celebrating the sacraments…and exercising the ministry of charity….For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.” (Deus Caritas Est, 25, a)
Our commission to serve others comes from Jesus, Himself, through Matthew:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35–36)
Through the efforts of individual Catholics, parishes and Catholic organizations, we strive to fulfill this commission. On any given day throughout our Archdiocese, you will find parishioners collecting food, running coat drives, serving in soup kitchens or traveling to Appalachia to build homes.
On an Archdiocesan level, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston, one of the largest providers of social services in Massachusetts, works to meet the needs of the poor and to help people become self sufficient over the long term. Just a few of the services Catholic Charities provides include: emergency support, such as food and assistance with fuel and utility bills; career training; assistance for refugees and immigrants as they become active participants in their communities; and services for children and families, teens and seniors.
“‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40)
We are one human spirit, one human family, and we share one common dignity. We have an obligation to create a world where each of us — regardless of the circumstances we were born to — can express and live out that dignity.