The Church in Malta today is celebrating Charity Day. It is the highlight of an annual Charity Week aimed at encouraging the faithful to live the relationship between faith and charity more intensely. This time round, the invitation is to reflect on a Raoul Follerau solicitation to “help others live better”, a value which mirrors one of the splendours of charity and beauties of love learnt from God through faith.
Digging in one’s pocket to contribute generously towards the various solidarity initiatives of the Church and philanthropic organisations working assiduously among and for today’s poor in our society remains, of course, a noble and essential deed. Many essential activities being carried out in this sector depend practically entirely on the generosity of our benevolent people and would probably not be able to survive without it.
Christians who do not practise charity are hypocrites- Pope Francis
Yet, helping others live better should mean much more than just forking out money for such worthy projects. It should also mean, for instance, truly welcoming the stranger knocking on our national door in search for a safe life away from persecution and other forms of contempt of human rights, conflicts and extreme poverty.
Our era is experiencing many crises. These include an increase in the number of the poor, refugees and displaced people, the marginalised and the homeless. It also includes an increase in social inequalities and dehumanising forms of work.
Despite their hopes and expectations, the victims of these afflictions often encounter mistrust, rejection and exclusion. Many societies have a guilty conscience in this regard. We all augur that our own society does not end up in a similar state. However, if our community truly wants to avoid such an embarrassment, it needs to ensure that it is never ashamed to touch the flesh of the wounded or suffering brothers and sisters wherever they come from.
Reflecting on the essential role of charity in the life of every Christian, Pope Francis recently stressed that our life of faith is closely linked to a life of charity. He added that Christians who do not practise charity are hypocrites.
Christianity involves showing the flesh of Jesus who bends down without shame in front of whoever is suffering. Therefore, true charity means breaking the chains of evil, freeing the oppressed, sharing our bread with the hungry, opening our houses to the homeless and clothing the naked.
In the eyes of the Pope, the most difficult charity is the charity of goodness such as that practised by the Good Samaritan who bent over the wounded man unlike the priest who hurried past, maybe out of fear of becoming infected.
Hence, a proper Christian celebration of Charity Day should be an opportunity to stop to consider, as individuals and as a community, on some incisive questions: ‘Am I ashamed of the flesh of my brother and sister? When I give alms, do I drop the coin without touching the hand of the one in need of solidarity? If by chance I do touch it, do I immediately withdraw it? When I give alms, do I look into the eyes of my brother, my sister?’
Raoul Follerau fought leprosy. This is a malady that is as old as it is serious when one considers the suffering, social exclusion and the poverty the disease causes. It is a chronic infection which, if treated late or not at all can lead to severe neurological consequences and aesthetic disabilities. Follerau struggled against it with all his might, never ashamed of the flesh of his brothers and sisters. He made it the work of his life.
Follerau is one of the people who truly believed in the Gospel of Charity and in the love of God. He thus loved without measure, with abundance of heart, starting with the smallest and those suffering in body and spirit. Another was Vincent de Paul, who said: “Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity.” Another was Mother Teresa, a staunch missionary of the charity of goodness.
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Collections in Masses this weekend will be in aid of children’s and old people’s homes, Dar Pirotta, Dar tal-Providenza, the Emigrants’ Secretariat (Refugees section), Social Assistance Sectretariat and Caritas Malta.
Foodstuffs may be placed in baskets in churches to be distributed among children and youths in serious difficulties.
Donations may be given to parish priests or deposited in any of the following bank accounts: APS 105 4311 0022, BOV 400 1016 2286, HSBC 0331 5710 8050.
A donation of €7 may also be made by sending a blank SMS to 5061 8921.