Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

By Cynthia Colbert

Catholic Social Teaching
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

I grew up in a humble home. My Dad worked as a diesel mechanic and my mother was a stay at home mom. We were blessed to have our own home, but I remember wearing hand- me- down clothes most of the time. And as early as 3rd grade, my brothers and sister and I all worked summer jobs, such as cutting apricots, to earn money to help with buying school supplies and other necessities. I know my parents counted every penny because they always shopped for bargains. There were four kids to feed and with one income, every dollar had to go as far as possible.

We were lucky enough to have health insurance from my Dad’s job. And it’s a good thing too because I had severe asthma as a young child and was in the hospital a lot. I didn’t know anything about food stamps, the federal poverty level, or public assistance. We were probably one of the families whose income was put them just over theose income guidelines. But I knew there were times we didn’t have enough money to get through a month so, my parents had to make some tough calls; pay the electric bill on time or buy groceries.? And there was no Catholic Charities agency in my hometown to turn to in times of need.

Fortunately, there is a Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Austin. At Catholic Charities of Central Texas, we work with struggling families each and every day. We help families who need a helping hand to get through the month with groceries from the food pantry, case management support to work on a self-sufficiency plan, legal advice from the Diocesan Law Project to help them. Services that help them get through a tough times and back on the road to self-sufficiency.

Our Catholic faith teaches us to work for the common good. But those who are weak, vulnerable and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst. In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Scripture (see Mt 25:31-46) reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the “least among us.”

The families that come to us for help and for hope want a safe and happy home, are people just like you and me. They want a safe and happy home. They want their children to grow up healthy, to have an education. and for those that can work, they want a good job with enough income to pay their bills. They want health insurance so they can go to the doctor when they need to. They’d like to never be in a food line again. But in the meantime, until those goals are met, we walk beside them, on their life’s journey. They deserve our prayers, our respect and help.

Join me in helping families. Walk with us…walk with them. Be the HOPE they need today. Volunteer, Pray, Donate. You can make a difference.