Diocesan and Religious Priests: Preachers of God’s Grace

Taking sides is an unsettling trend in our country these days. Where people stand on issues has never been so divisive.

Like the rest of the culture, the Church can get caught up in its own struggles with sides. Some Church members might ask, should we be more focused on saving souls or meeting people’s physical needs?

I think that this is a false dichotomy because Jesus did both. Jesus cared deeply about the poor and the downtrodden, demonstrating his compassion in tangible ways: giving sight to the blind, touching the leper and healing the sick. But he also took time to pray and preached the good news of God’s love, mercy and salvation to all who would listen.

Being on Jesus’ side means doing it all. He instructed his followers to change the world in his name by embracing two essential commands: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39), and we are to go and make disciples of others who will do the same (Matthew 28:19-20). While there are some in the Church who do both, sadly there are also some who do neither.

Being disciples steeped in prayer is so critical. It might be tempting to say, “Let’s just be Great Commission people,” as if evangelization is our only responsibility. But loving the neighbor is equally critical in God’s eyes. In fact, we need to broaden our definition of who the ‘neighbor’ is. But our action, to be fruitful, must also be rooted in the Great Commandment of loving God.

Of all the times Jesus spoke of it, none is more compelling than the passage in Matthew 25, in what Catholics have come to call the Corporal Works of Mercy. Here, Jesus describes the actions of those welcomed into his Father’s kingdom on the day of judgment: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me … Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40). In these words, Jesus illustrates the shocking depth of his love for humanity, especially those most in need.

Living out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy is a way of living out the Great Commission, but we must also assist others in being prepared to hear the message of Christ through our words. To be authentic followers, there cannot be a false dichotomy; words and actions must meet.

Our Outreach Priests model this. These diocesan and religious order priests invite people in the pews to connect these two spiritual concepts. By celebrating the Eucharist, sharing the scriptures and preaching on Cross Catholic Outreach’s impactful ministry of serving the poorest of the poor in over 30 countries around the world, these realities do come together.

Cross Catholic Outreach is tirelessly working with Catholic bishops and Religious Superiors of Men (CMSM) to identify priests who might assist us as agents of both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. In their weekend parish preaching assignments, they invite parishioners to become people of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission themselves by remembering the international poor and responding to their needs generously.

So, if all the baptized want to be agents of the Great Commission, they must also become agents of the Great Commandment. Being close to Christ means being close to the poor. We seek to do what he did. Through our words and our actions, Cross Catholic Outreach aims to change the lives of children and families by providing access to clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, education and economic opportunities, but we ultimately want to change the world for Christ.