Monday, November 18, 2013

Silly Little Parties.

Our plans for the Thanksgiving Food Baskets and the December Christmas Party are well under way. Special thanks to everyone who has donated towards the food baskets.  There are still some things we need so message if you would like to help.

Father David Medina, in his homily this past weekend, said that helping the poor is a lot like caring for our children when they are ill.  Many times there is very little we can do to actually speed up the healing process.  But we can give our children medicine, we can give them hugs and snuggles.  We can show them in so many ways that they are loved and being cared for.  It may not do a lot to actually heal the illness but it makes our children feel safe and protected.  Similarly, we can protest and fight against the systems until the end of our days and these are not erroneous actions even if we are unsuccessful.  But we must take time to love those whom the systems are oppressing.

Sometimes our  community parties seem a bit silly.  Especially when we are at home planning how many teddy bears we need to buy or what kind of cookies to bake.  Don't get me wrong, the parties are super fun but at times it seems a bit silly is all.  It actually may be silly but these parties are far from superficial.

We are not just giving teddy bears.  We are giving middle of the night hugs when the police sirens are blaring.  We are giving something nice to dream about while they lay in bed and hear their mom crying.  We are giving a friend when the weekends feel long and lonely and tummies are empty.

 And when Santa Clause only visits the homes of the wealthy, these bears and other toys can be unwrapped and serve as a reminder that the Infant Jesus does not just visit the poor, but He  chooses to live with them and love them.

We are giving the moms and dads and grandparents a nice evening with their kids, full of music and games and toys.  We are providing a small amount of relief in the never ending stress that accompanies poverty.  And in the corner of the party, while the kids are eating cookies and having their faces painted, we are quietly providing a day or two worth of food for the family.  We are interacting with these families and listening to their stories, easing their burdens just a little bit.

Are we erasing oppression and eliminating poverty?  Not even close.  But we are, I hope, showing the poor that they  are loved and cared for.  And in that, I hope we are serving Christ.

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