Izvorni znanstveni članak
The Church and the poor according to the New Testament
Mato Zovkić
; Univerzitet u Sarajevu - Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
Sažetak
The Church has been entrusted by God with the mission of serving the poor of all nations and at all times. A decisive element of this service arises from the example and teaching of Jesus, then Paul’s call for solidarity regarding material goods and James’ criticism of the rich who deny the wages of their day laborers. Jesus was born and raised in a poor family; through his own labor he sustained his mother and himself after the death of Joseph. During his messianic ministry he depended on the material assistance of well-meaning people; by respecting the poor he manifested God’s favor for them and proclaimed that people would do to him whatever they do to the poor and the needy. Paul as a missionary to the gentiles, through manual work raised money to support himself and his collaborators. At the same time he asked converted gentiles to support, through their material resources, the needy Christians in Palestine. He also insisted that all Christians should “do good to all” (Gal 6:10) and help in building up a just society. Echoing the spirit of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, James teaches that those who are poor in the world have been chosen by God to be rich in faith (James 2:5), and that in the liturgy of the Church the poor should not only be respected but should also be assisted in their needs. The examples and the doctrine of Jesus and the apostles show that Christians should constantly assist the poor and needy in practical ways and that they should work with people of other convictions for the eradication of poverty and the building up of a just and prosperous society
Ključne riječi
example and teaching of Jesus; the poor; solidarity of baptized persons in material goods; social dimension of liturgy; reduction of poverty and injustice; just and prosperous society
Hrčak ID:
278971
URI
Datum izdavanja:
2.12.2010.
Posjeta: 386 *