Helping those in need is a Christian imperative.

It is interesting that all the problems that we find in our Church of today were found in the early Church. Acts of the Apostles gives us clear picture of the issues that arose in the early Church in the time of the Apostles. In Acts 6:1-7 we read how a certain group felt that their widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food. The Apostles were clearly overwhelmed and they did not want to been seen as favoring one group over the other, so they felt a need for a division of labor. This clearly was the reason for the order of the diaconate in the Church. The initial duties of the deacons were to assist the apostles in the daily distribution of food. Peter made this point obvious at the inauguration of the order of the deacons. Let us take a look at the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.  So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” There you have it!

So you see? No matter what a priest does, he is never right. There will always be people who will complain, some will feel left out; others will feel let down. Here then lies the need for a close collaboration with others. We must never give up doing good; what we do may not always be appreciated but the God who sees our hearts and intentions will reward our effort. We should always look for a better way of getting the job done, no matter how thankless it may be. Helping others is our Christian imperative and there should be no compromise in getting out of our way to assist others. In assisting others, we indirectly assist God. Please read and pray Matthew 25:31-45.