THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

September 10, 2006

The Good News

...Charity, Essential Activity of Church

   In the conclusion of his first encyclical, God Is Love, Pope Benedict XVI points to the lives of the saints as an example for us. He mentions those who exercised charity in an exemplary way, such as St. Martin of Tours, the soldier who became a monk and then a bishop. He said St. Martin is almost like an icon, illustrating the irreplaceable value of the individual testimony to charity. At the gates of Amiens, St. Martin gave half his cloak to a poor man. That night, Jesus himself appeared to him wearing that cloak, thereby confirming the validity of the Gospel, saying: “I was naked and you clothed Me. As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:36,40)

   Catholic Charities embraces the hungry, the stranger, the sick and the poor. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, as we quote in this year’s brochure, said: “The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action. And that action is our wholehearted and free service to Christ in the distressing disguise of the poor.” The truth is that we are all called by Christ to feed the hungry, to care for the sick and to help the poor.

   Yes, each of us is so called by God to this ministry of service to others. For that reason, the Church organizes this work under the title of Catholic Charities. In this way, the contribution and work of each individual is combined with others, thus making our works of charity more effective and helpful.

   Here in Oklahoma, Catholic Charities has always been a  ministry through which individual Catholic people can unite in responding to God’s call and our obligation to reach out to others.  Many of you have been very generous over a long period of time.  Others have only in recent years responded to our annual appeal.  To all of you, people of faith and generosity, I thank you profoundly for your support.

   This year the Catholic Charities appeal will be conducted in all parishes next weekend. On that weekend, those who have not yet responded to the appeal will be asked to make a pledge of support.

   Just as in the past years, all the monies raised in this appeal are prudently and justly used for the works of charity here in our Archdiocese. The goal for this year’s Catholic Charities appeal is $2.2 million. This is the amount needed to continue and improve the charitable services already underway. I am confident that through your generosity, we will not only reach the goal but even surpass it.

   Because charity is an essential component of our Catholic faith, I invite every Catholic man, woman and even young people to respond to this appeal. Last year, a little boy gave me an envelope with $16.50 as his own personal contribution for Catholic Charities. It reminded me of the poor widow in the Gospel who gave her few cents and Jesus said that she gave more than all the others!

   May I ask each of you to make a personal financial commit-ment through the pledge to be paid off over the course of the coming year. That way, each month you are actively involved in supporting the works of our Catholic Charities. Whether your pledge is $25 or $50 or $100 a month, it will truly be helpful. Your pledge, your support, your contribution, together with your Catholic brothers and sisters throughout the Archdiocese, will enable us to reach our necessary goal of $2.2 million.

   In advance, I thank you for your generous support. I ask you also to pray for the success of this Catholic Charities appeal. May all of us always be faithful and responsive to our good and gracious God who loves us totally and calls us to be His saints.