DON BOSCO CENTER OF STUDIES

INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGICAL FORMATION

PASTORAL SOCIOLOGY

AVELINO, JIMMY BOY M. OFMConv. August 7, 2017

OPTION FOR THE POOR

THE IDEA WHICH STRUCK ME MOST IN THE PRESENTATION OF FR. PETER HENRIOT, SJ. IS HIS
CHALLENGING STATEMENT THAT NO ONE CAN CLAIM THE NAME CHRISTIAN AND BE COMFORTABLE IN
THE FACE OF THE HUNGER, THE HOMELESS, AND THE OPPRESSION IN THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE
WORLD. IN A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, CHRISTIANITY AND PURSUIT OF OPTION FOR THE POOR IS A
SYNONYMOUS. TO BE CHRISTIAN IS TO BE POOR, YES INDEED POVERTY IS A CHRISTIAN BEATITUDE WHICH
OCCUPIES A PRIMORDIAL PLACE IN THE SOCIOLOGICAL MANDATE OF JESUS CHRIST. BUT POVERTY IS NOT
SYNONYMOUS WITH IMPOVERISHMENT, WHICH DO NOT TRANSCEND HUMAN DIGNITY BUT
DIMINUIATES IT. AND JUST AS CHRIST, THOUGH HE IS NOT POOR OPTED TO BECOME POOR, WHY?
BECAUSE HE WANTED THAT HIS DISCIPLES US CHRISTIANS TO LEARN TO BE IDENTIFIED AND LOVE THE
POOR. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI RENOUNCED HIS NOBILITY AND BECAME POOR, AND IN HIS POVERTY,
SERVED THE POOR. BECAUSE HIS POVERTY IS NOT SIMPLY A PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION OF THE
CONDEMNATION OF THE PREVAILING SOCIAL DECADENCE IN HIS TIME, BUT TO INSTILL IN EVERY
CHRISTIAN HEART THAT SOCIOLOGICAL CONVERSION AND THE PRACTICE AS WELL AS THE OPTION FOR
THE POOR SHOULD BEGIN AT A PERSONAL LEVEL DERIVED FROM THE INSPIRATION OF THE GOSPEL.

MORE PEOPLE ARE BECOMING HOMELESS, STARVED, DISPLACED, UNEMPLOYED,

DISCRIMINATED, EXPLOITED, AND TERMINATED SO TO SPEAK. BECAUSE THE GAP OF INEQUITY IS
INCREASING, MORE WALL ARE BUILT TO DENY ACCESS TO ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT, AND THE WEAK
AND HELPLESS BECOMES THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO WHAT WE BELIEVE AS A GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE POOR BECOMES DISCONNECTED, DYSFUNTIONAL, MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERNS
ARE THE LEAST HEARD IN THE ARENA OF SHARING OF THE BENEFITS OF OUR RESOURCES.
COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION HAS BECOME AN EXPENSIVE RIGHT FOR THEN, UNLIKE
BEFORE HAND THAT IT IS AN INEVITABLE PART OF ONES CULTURAL HERITAGE.

AT TIMES, CHRISTIANS ARE CAUGHT IN THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE TRAINED OURSELVES TO
BECOME NUMB AND DO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THE POOR. WE HAVE LEARNED THE ART OF
DISMISSING THEM INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THEM BECAUSE WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO AS SUCH.
POPE FRANCIS CHALLENGED THE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS IN HIS PAPAL VISIT TO MANILA, TO PLACE THE
POOR AT THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL AND TO LEARN HOW TO BE MENDICANTS OURSELVES SO AS TO
BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE POOR. IF WE KNOW HOW TO BEG, THAT
THESE POOR PEOPLE CAN TEACH US A LOT ABOUT OUR IDENTITY AS CHRISTIANS, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE
TO GIVE THEM THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.

OPTION FOR THE POOR, IS NOT A MAGNANIMOUS LIFE CHANGING PROJECT, IN US MUCH AS IT
IS SOMETHING SOCIOLOGICALLY AFFECTING THE LIVES OF OTHERS IT IS ALSO A REALITY AND CHALLENGE
WHICH IS PRACTICALLY ATTAINABLE AT THE PERSONAL LEVEL. ANY LITTLE AMOUNT OF SINCERE EFFORT
TO PRACTICE A LIFESTYLE WHICH IS PRO-POOR AND SENSITIVITY TO THEIR NEEDS IN ANY WAY IS
ALREADY A GESTURE OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN. AS FUTURE PASTORS, PART OF OUR MINISTRY IS TO BECOME
PROPHETS; WE ARE CALLED NOT ONLY TO BE ABLE COMFORT TO THOSE WHO ARE UNCOMFORTABLE
BUT ALSO TO BRING DISCOMFORT TO THE COMFORTABLE; TO CONSCIENTICIZE AS SOCIAL ETHICS
DEMANDS.