CLE: JESUS AND THE POOR AND UNWANTED

• Service is the act of performing duty towards God and fulfilling one's moral responsibility of meeting the needs of others.
• The poor and the unwanted are important part of our Christian community.
• Jesus served and identified Himself with the poor.
• The Church and all its members have the responsibility to help and care for the poor.
• The poor and the outcast are not new in our society
• the poor are precious in the eyes of God
• The poor - They are one reason why Jesus was incarnated, to set the captives free, and bring glad tidings to the poor and the needy.
• The corporal works of mercy - These are concrete human acts that we can do to the unwanted people in our society.
• The Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is an authoritative Church doctrine on social, political, and economic issues of humanity and of all creation.
• The Compendium of the Catholic Social Teaching was published by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace of the Vatican in 2005 during the pontificate of now St. John Paul II.
• This compendium is a collection of teachings, mostly writings of the Popes and council documents of the Roman Catholic Church on issues of the dignity of human life, justice, common good, solidarity, peace, preferential option for the poor, and care for creation.
• The source of our human dignity is the truth that man and woman are created in the image and likeness of God.
• The Church believes that all are important in the eyes of God, regardless of their status in life.
• Every human should be treated well with due respect and care because they have their own dignity
• human dignity is the bedrock of the Catholic Social Teachings.
• Human life is sacred, regardless of our social status or any other factors or reasons that we can imagine that defines human today.
• Human dignity is rooted in God and not in human quality or accomplishment bestowed by our society.
• marginalized - one who is treated and made felt to be insignificant
• Every follower of Christ is called to serve and care for the poor.
• Reasons for the lack of concern for the poor and the unwanted:

  1. Ignorance
  2. Poor Theology
  3. Sin
  4. Uncertainty of motives
• "Social Gospel" is a mindset stating that change must take place first in our society in order for Christ to come again.
• The Eucharist unites us to the true vine in Jesus, and with the branches connected to the vine, it will bear fruits.
• The Holy Eucharist also opens our eyes to the need of our brothers and sisters in the community