In years past it was not uncommon to be accosted on the street by someone asking if you knew Jesus. I always wondered if they had read Peter’s first letter. Jesus invited his followers to witness to him through acts of kindness: visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry.
Our Catholic tradition is largely institutionalized in organizations like Catholic Relief Services, Food for the Poor, St. Vincent de Paul Society. But, since Vatican II, many Catholics have followed the call of the Spirit to step out of their comfort zone and become personally involved. Now many of these, when asked “Do you know Jesus?” will answer “I have met Him.” Jesus reveals himself in a most wonderful way to those who serve him in the poor.
—Fr. Jonathan Haschka, S.J. writes from the St. Camillus Jesuit Community in Wauwatosa WI, where he serves as Assistant to the Superior.