Charity is not seasonal
"There is a new face to homelessness, and it looks middle class."
That quote appears in a Review story as the remark attributed to the director of Catholic Charities Housing Resource Center (see page 6). It reflects the growing need for every committed Catholic to recognize the poor in our midst. Homelessness is no longer isolated in the back alleys or the industrial fringes of city centers. It is no longer limited to disabled addicts who cannot cope with society's structures. It is present everywhere, and it affects everyone. As more people, even whole families, find themselves without resources any longer, the challenge to Christian charity becomes more demanding.
Much publicity was given to the recent, tragic situation of the homeless men whose meager belongings were taken from them and crushed in a trash truck by municipal employees. The incident should awaken our awareness "to the poor we always have with us" (Matthew 26:11) but now in rising numbers. It should highlight for us the shrinking of resources to help.
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