From the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee

The most vulnerable in our midst 

When I was living in Missouri, I volunteered weekly at a food pantry called In As Much Ministry. In As Much Ministry is an interfaith, non-profit organization that provides food for the families in Liberty, Missouri. It serves those who are underserved, those who deal with food scarcity, the poor in the area. The name of the organization was taken from the Gospel of Matthew 25:40, where he says, “Inasmuch as you did it for one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” As Precious Blood people, we know that Jesus emphasizes that serving the marginalized and neglected is as if we are serving him. As Christians, we know we are called to look to the vulnerable and marginalized in our midst.  

Even among the Jewish community, they were challenged. In Deuteronomy 10:18, God tells his people, “He executes justice for the orphan, the widow and shows his love for the stranger (resident alien, the foreigner) by giving him food and clothing.” God always takes care of the least in our midst and asks us to do the same.   

We are now in the midst of the budgetary process for our country. The House of Representatives proposed a budget that was voted on. This budget was passed by the House and will now be sent to the Senate for its approval. This budget proposes massive cuts for health coverage and food assistance, among other areas. It also proposes increasing monies so that we can have massive deportations of the strangers in our midst. This will detrimentally affect families that struggle financially so that we can cover tax cuts for wealthy households and businesses. This will increase poverty, hardship, and higher debt for our most vulnerable people. 

Certainly this is not what Jesus asks of us in Matthew 25. This is not what God asks of his people in Deuteronomy 10. Our faith challenges us to be advocates for those who cannot advocate for themselves. We are called to be the voice for the voiceless. 

Every budget is a moral document. It says who we are and what our values are. As Christians, we should be concerned, in every budget, for “How does this affect the most vulnerable in our midst?” How are we caring for the least of our brothers and sisters?” 

Gabino Zavala, JPIC Director