Frederic Ozanam once said: “Yours must be a work of love, of kindness. You must give your times, your talents, yourselves. The poor person is a unique person of God’s fashioning, with an unalienable right to respect. You must not be content with tiding the poor over the poverty crisis; you must study their condition and the injustices which brought about such poverty, with the aim of a long term improvement.” He died at the age of 40 and was later acclaimed by the Catholic Church as “Blessed”.
When you think of all the achievements of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (now “Vinnies” in Australia) this young life could well inspire us all. Ozanam’s profound perception of the way we are called to relate to the poor could take many charities much deeper into the nature of their work. To simply hand over charity to those who are struggling to survive in ongoing poverty is a simplistic understanding of what it might mean to truly love your neighbour.
True love for the poor invites us to reflect on what supports them on a journey towards independent life, one where they gain self-respect and our respect. It also looks widely at what aspects of our life as a community cause systems of injustice which lead to the poverty of many people. Poverty is almost always systemic, including being based on inadequate care resources for people who are mentally or physically disabled.
As I shared in the Festival Mass for the Regional Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society, recently held at St Joseph’s Church in Newtown, I observed with respect the number of young people at the mass who were volunteers with Vinnies. They were all celebrated and many appointed into responsible roles in the organisation.
I also remembered Vinnies with gratitude as I recalled my experiences in relating to homeless and needy people during my ministry with the Pitt Street Uniting Church in the centre of the city. Our church obviously assumed responsibility for various forms of caring, but we didn’t have much money and I often needed to refer people to specialised agencies for support. When I asked the people concerned where they would like to be referred, they almost always said “St Vinnies”. When I asked why, they would tell me about an agency which would be generous and understanding, without demanding that they attend church before they could receive help. They felt respected by those who related to them there and often said that the help went beyond giving them a bed for the night.
There is much more work to be done by us all in exploring the many reasons for poverty. We, who are people of any faith, must give a lead in today’s world, where politicians so often tweak the meanness in us in order to gain votes. The reality is that, to get people off the streets and into proper supported accommodation would actually save us money and add to the life of our community in many ways. We need religious and non-religious leaders who will invite in us all a grander dream for justice and compassion – for its own sake and to enhance who we might become.
So, go Vinnies! We need you.
