The face of God

[pete_bowes]

"When we meet a person truly in need, do we see the face of God?
That was a tweet from @Pontifex today, Pope Francis.
The ‘truly needy’ people I have meet in 20 years with St Vincent de Paul are proud, kind, and hungry.
For me to eat at God’s table is unimaginable, not so them.

 

[JRKH]

Mt 25:31-46…Of which the catch phrase is, “`Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me”
This is your answer.

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

Are you up at that table, JRKH? Does knowing the ‘catchprases’ get you a seat?

 

[JRKH]

Are you up at that table, JRKH? Does knowing the ‘catchprases’ get you a seat?

Knowing the catchphrases does not get one a seat. This is made clear where Jesus says that not all who cry Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom, and also where St James says:
14What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, 16*and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? (James Ch 2)
No, knowing the catchphrases does not get one a seat.
Yet - - -
Knowing and believing the catchphrase means that it becomes part of the conscience, by which the Holy Spirit pricks our heart and empowers our hands to action.

Am I up at that table?
I must say no…not by a long shot. I am weak and, despite my best efforts, I remain infested with cynicism. Without bragging, I can say that I do give a goodly amount of support to various charities…but probably not enough…but when I see the lowly, my first reaction is often the wrong one. Of this I am heartily ashamed…mea culpa.

Therefore I pray to God to forgive my weakness and to continue to prick my conscience (with a 2x4 if necessary) to shake me out of my former attitude. Only by His grace can these things be overcome.

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

Twobyfour James? I get walloped with a tree stump, only just a little softer every time. Thanks for the response, brother.

 

[Petaro]

Knowing the catchphrases does not get one a seat. This is made clear where Jesus says that not all who cry Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom, and also where St James says:
14What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, 16*and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? (James Ch 2)
No, knowing the catchphrases does not get one a seat.
Yet - - -
Knowing and believing the catchphrase means that it becomes part of the conscience, by which the Holy Spirit pricks our heart and empowers our hands to action.

Am I up at that table?
I must say no…not by a long shot. I am weak and, despite my best efforts, I remain infested with cynicism. Without bragging, I can say that I do give a goodly amount of support to various charities…but probably not enough…but when I see the lowly, my first reaction is often the wrong one. Of this I am heartily ashamed…mea culpa.

Therefore I pray to God to forgive my weakness and to continue to prick my conscience (with a 2x4 if necessary) to shake me out of my former attitude. Only by His grace can these things be overcome.

Peace
James

You are a good and wise man.

 

[JRKH]

You are a good and wise man.

I am a poor and inconstant servant. Like the servant in Luke 17:10, I have only done what is my duty.
Yet I have hope that in spite of my weakness and my failures, my Lord will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” (Mt 25:21)

So I have faith - I have hope - the thing that I need to foster and to grow, to embrace and nourish, is Agape…for it is only through Agape that the others have value.

Peace
James

 

[Nihilist]

"When we meet a person truly in need, do we see the face of God?
That was a tweet from @Pontifex today, Pope Francis.
The ‘truly needy’ people I have meet in 20 years with St Vincent de Paul are proud, kind, and hungry.
For me to eat at God’s table is unimaginable, not so them.

Let me say this- the ‘romanticization’ of the poor is a characteristic of capitalist charity.

The poor are often violent, angry and deceiptful.

So are the rich.

Further, there are actually no ‘poor’- there are just individual human beings. It is insulting to those who, for bad luck or whatever, happen to find themselves without resources, to label them ‘poor’, and then even worse to say ‘they are proud, kind, etc.’. It’s like saying all negros have a sense of rhythm.

Instead of seeing the ‘face of God’ how about this- see another human being, who might need your help.

Pope Francis is looking more and more burgeouis every day.

Sorry- there it is.

 

[petra22]

Let me say this- the ‘romanticization’ of the poor is a characteristic of capitalist charity.

The poor are often violent, angry and deceiptful.

So are the rich.

Further, there are actually no ‘poor’- there are just individual human beings. It is insulting to those who, for bad luck or whatever, happen to find themselves without resources, to label them ‘poor’, and then even worse to say ‘they are proud, kind, etc.’. It’s like saying all negros have a sense of rhythm.

Instead of seeing the ‘face of God’ how about this- see another human being, who might need your help.

Pope Francis is looking more and more burgeouis every day.

Sorry- there it is.

Sorry I have to say I agree. I try to see the face of God in other people but mostly I see those angry, snobbish, hateful stares. I know it’s my lack of charity. God, give me charity to see your face in my neighbors!

 

[JRKH]

Let me say this- the ‘romanticization’ of the poor is a characteristic of capitalist charity.

Perhaps…but the fact of those in need is not.

The poor are often violent, angry and deceiptful.

So are the rich.

Yet if your following statement is true (there are no “poor”) then this statement loses all meaning.

Further, there are actually no ‘poor’- there are just individual human beings.

Agree - and this is the reason that we are called to “see Christ” in those in need.

It is insulting to those who, for bad luck or whatever, happen to find themselves without resources, to label them ‘poor’, and then even worse to say ‘they are proud, kind, etc.’.

As labels for “groups” perhaps it is insulting…Yet when applied to, as the OP points out, “The ‘truly needy’ people I have meet in 20 years with St Vincent de Paul…”, it need not be insulting. The OP is speaking, not of a faceless group, but of people he has met.

Instead of seeing the ‘face of God’ how about this- see another human being, who might need your help.

Precisely what organizations like SVdP seeks to do.

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

The truly needy people often aren’t the ones asking for help, they’re the family of fifteen in an Asian slum with a crucifix on the wall and hope in their hearts - and they think we need help.

 

[Nihilist]

The truly needy people often aren’t the ones asking for help, they’re the family of fifteen in an Asian slum with a crucifix on the wall and hope in their hearts - and they think we need help.

What about the family of fifteen in a slum who are Maoists, Islamists, etc.? What about the those who are angry, or who have given up hope and turned to sniffing petrol, or something? They have just as much a right to material resources- this is not charity, it is justice.

What needs to be done is that material needs of those who don’t have enough resources be provided for, no questions asked, no romaniticism offered. This is what Christ said: “I was hungry, and you fed me.” This shouldn’t be left to charity- it is the duty of the state.

 

[pete_bowes]

Nihilist: you have so many opinions you should get a blog - see how good you go on the outside.

 

[JRKH]

Nihilist: you have so many opinions you should get a blog - see how good you go on the outside.

I kind of agree.

Nihilist’s comments here are a bit off the topic of seeing the face of God in those in need.
However I don’t wish to dismiss them either. Perhaps this should be a separate thread…

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

Where I was going on this, JRKH, is that the face of someone in real need is one of hunger, sadness and want - reconciling that to the image of God we have been taught requires some new thought … which is why Francis posted it.

 

[JRKH]

Where I was going on this, JRKH, is that the face of someone in real need is one of hunger, sadness and want - reconciling that to the image of God we have been taught requires some new thought … which is why Francis posted it.

Agreed.

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

James: given that, could say that the Almighty creator of all that is earth and space is still lonely, as he was in Eden, before he created Adam and Eve.

 

[JRKH]

James: given that, could say that the Almighty creator of all that is earth and space is still lonely, as he was in Eden, before he created Adam and Eve.

I have no thought on this. I do not attempt to place human emotion onto the almighty.

Peace
James

 

[pete_bowes]

Jesus Wept.