VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5 / MAY 2025
Distribute it to the poor
Lk 18:22
The Synoptic Gospels all report about a rich man who approached Jesus to ask him how he could inherit eternal life. In Mark 10:17-22 he is described as “a man”, in Matthew 19:16-22, as a “young man”, and in Luke 18:18-23, as “an official”.
With slight variations, Jesus’ response was: “There is still one thing left for you, sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven” (Luke 18:22). This is perhaps the saddest but at the same time the most human story in the gospels. It is also the only story in the gospels where a call of Jesus to follow him is refused.
A close reading of the three accounts of Mark, Matthew and Luke shows slight but important differences. In Mark and Luke, the question asked of Jesus is exactly the same: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk 10:17, Lk 18:18).
But in Matthew, the word “good” is used not as an adjective defining “teacher” but as a noun constituting the subject of the question: “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” (Mt 19:16). Matthew also softens the demand of Christ’s discipleship by substituting the clause “if you wish to be perfect” to Mark’s “you are lacking in one thing” and Luke’s “there is still one thing left for you.”
Matthew appears to address the call of Jesus to “sell what you have (all that you have) and give (distribute) to the poor” to a few who are called to perfection, while Mark and Luke appear to address the call to all believers.
Despite the slight differences, the Synoptic gospels teach us the same thing: the relinquishing of wealth is demanded of all disciples. But this must be understood in the light of its guiding principle: that what is essential is not so much the giving up of something, but the concrete expression of our love, especially our loving concern, for the poor.
As mentioned in our March 2025 letter, we have conducted, with some level of regularity during the past 20 years, annual gift-giving among the poor in Quezon City and later in Unisan, Quezon, Jun’s hometown. We wish to share with you our experience and reflections on the latest gift giving event held in San Roque on 27 April 2025.
From one home to another
We were overwhelmed by the generous response from friends who donated cash and in-kind items (used clothing, toys, and household items). Five members of our Frat and Lower households and one member of the CFCI Board donated both cash and in-kind. Five members of our Frat and Lower households and one member of CFC Thailand gave cash. And six members of our Frat and Lower households and one member of the CFCI Board donated in-kind items.
The gift giving event started with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by the Unisan parish priest, followed by the distribution of rosaries and recitation of the Holy Rosary, introduction and welcome remarks, distribution of the food bags, serving of snacks while people choose and take what they like from the bundles of various used items, then lunch and closing prayer.
We distributed 24 new rosaries, 33 boxes of used but usable items, and 130 large food bags, as well as PhP100 to each child aged 12 and under (over 50 children) and PhP 500-1000 to a few selected neediest families who assisted the most in organizing the event. CFC ANCOP also distributed unsold shirts and small food bags.
The in-kind donations included a dozen old pieces of luggage (the type with no wheels), various fine and delicate but evidently very old formal dresses (embroidered ternos), and dozens of small used wicker baskets.
We were at first reluctant to bring these items to San Roque, doubting if people would be interested in them and seeing that they were too bulky to transport. We brought them anyway. And surprise, surprise—they were among the first to be taken.
I asked one recipient why he took two pieces of very old luggage of the same size. He answered that he will use them to safely keep their important documents and other precious items since they have no appropriate storage cabinets or lockers in their small hut.
The barangay kapitana immediately took all the embroidered ternos informing us that she will have them refurbished and mended for use by the sagalas and the reynas during the coming Santacruzan and later make them available for rent to earn revenues for their barangay.
Similarly, she took all the dozens of small wicker baskets to be used to carry petals of flowers for their bulaklakan, or when young girls toss flower petals at the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary while singing songs of praise.
Once again, we said to ourselves, we really do not fully know the needs of the poor. And we thanked the Holy Spirit for inspiring us to bring these items for distribution.
Work of Love
There is no question about God’s preferential love for the poor. But we must never get tired of reminding ourselves that our love for the poor should be nothing more and nothing less than an expression of our love for Jesus. This is what Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta repeatedly reminded us:
“The work we do is only a means, not an end in itself. No matter how beautiful the work may be, it is still a simple means. After all, what matters is to belong to Jesus. The work we do is our love for Christ transformed into deeds”
(One Heart Full of Love).
“One thing I would like to insist on is that we invest all our effort to ensure that our work for the poor be a work of love”
(Heart of Joy).
“We are not social workers. Our vocation is to belong to Jesus. He has chosen us for himself alone. What we do for the poorest of the poor is nothing more than to put into practice our love of Christ, like a living parable
(One Heart Full of Joy).
Brothers and sisters, we ought to inculcate in our heart and mind that Jesus is the goal, Christ is the end. Our work with and for the poor is merely a means toward this end. Our goal is Christ himself. Our aim is to enter God’s eternal kingdom. Our duty is to serve God and his people.
And as we evangelize through our work with the poor, we ought to pray not so much for a miracle of numerical targets but for a miracle of nourishing love – as we share and distribute what we have to the poor.