From our beginnings of living with the poor in St John the Compassionate Mission, we truly believe that we must serve the needs of the community that God has placed us. This is what St John Chrysostom calls the liturgy of the two tables, both the altar and on the streets. Both are necessary for each other, prayer must beget action.
Why
The world should know us by our action and not words, as faith without works is meaningless. (James 2:14-26) One should be able to rewrite the Gospel by our life. Also through the Incarnation and the Cross, Christ shows us that He ventures to the deepest points of our lives. Indeed, as Christ was homeless and identified with the outcast, we actually encounter Christ through those the world has rejected. Through welcoming the stranger, we just may encounter Christ like the Road to Emmaus.
Who Are The Poor
We all are! Everyone one of us has brokenness and inner poverty.
However Christ calls us to serve those around with visible needs. (Matthew 25:31-46). In Toronto the most common poverty is loneliness and lack of purpose, which we try to combat through community. However poverty can be the hungry, homeless, elderly, prisoners, refugees, victims of domestic violence, working families, persons with developmental disabilities and oppressed groups. These are also the marginalized, outcasts and broken people in our day-to-day lives. Through serving our individuals in Toronto we can hope to begin to heal ourselves and those around us.
Why
The world should know us by our action and not words, as faith without works is meaningless. (James 2:14-26) One should be able to rewrite the Gospel by our life. Also through the Incarnation and the Cross, Christ shows us that He ventures to the deepest points of our lives. Indeed, as Christ was homeless and identified with the outcast, we actually encounter Christ through those the world has rejected. Through welcoming the stranger, we just may encounter Christ like the Road to Emmaus.
Who Are The Poor
We all are! Everyone one of us has brokenness and inner poverty.
However Christ calls us to serve those around with visible needs. (Matthew 25:31-46). In Toronto the most common poverty is loneliness and lack of purpose, which we try to combat through community. However poverty can be the hungry, homeless, elderly, prisoners, refugees, victims of domestic violence, working families, persons with developmental disabilities and oppressed groups. These are also the marginalized, outcasts and broken people in our day-to-day lives. Through serving our individuals in Toronto we can hope to begin to heal ourselves and those around us.