YOUCAT*: “All men have the same dignity, but not all of them meet with the same living conditions. In cases where injustice is man-made, it contradicts the Gospel. In cases where men have been endowed by God with different gifts and talents, God is asking us to rely on one another: in charity one should make up for what the other lacks. [CCC 1936-1938, 1946-1947]
Each night as we returned to our hotel in Rio de Janeiro, we walked past a number of people sleeping in the doorways on the sidewalks. Many of us would greet them with a smile, or a “bom dia,” or a wave. We’d even pack up our leftover food to give to them.
On the evening of the closing Mass, as our group headed out to dinner, we gave our sleeping bags, blankets, and snack boxes to our neighbors on the sidewalks.
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
We see the same thing here in Hawaii. There are many people without a home or food and I am reminded by something that Pope Francis said: “We can’t rest easy while things are this way.”
#YearofFaith Challenge: Don’t just walk by. Learn more about the four central principles of Catholic social teaching. Get out there and be change
*Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
Lisa Gomes is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
