Help the Poor: Just Do It!
Are you troubled when you see homeless people and the devastating effects of poverty around you? Xavier Vidal was, and he resolved to do something about it. He admits it was hard at first, approaching a homeless person in the metro and initiating a chat, but it has got easier over the years, and is now part of a weekly ministry he does as part of the Sant’Egidio community in Barcelona.
On Friday evening, 28 May, Xavier addressed around 30 people at St George’s who had gathered to discover how they, too, might do more than simply fret about a growing problem, but help be part of a solution.
The evening started with a short video about the Sant’Egidio community, a movement started in the late ’60s by a young man in Rome in response to a local need. It branched out to other countries, arriving in Barcelona in the late ’80s. Xavier got involved shortly thereafter.
Part of the group’s philosophy is being “pilgrims of peace,” and to this end the community has staged various high-profile peace rallies around the world. The video depicted the latest one held in September 2009 in Krakow, Poland, to remember victims of the Holocaust. Leaders of every major world religion took part, and it was a powerful and emotional demonstration of unity among all people who desire peace and social justice in the world.
A similar large-scale event is being planned for October 2010 in Barcelona, with hopefully thousands making a stand for peace in the Cathedral square, for which Xavier says he is counting on faith communities like St George’s to mobilize their networks so that as many as possible can participate in this ecumenical event.
After a meal break, Xavier resumed to talk more about what Sant’Egidio does in Barcelona, and to answer our questions. He spoke about the twin pillars of prayer and social outreach, which must go hand in hand, as one feeds the other in a virtuous circle. All people affiliated with the community hold regular day jobs (Xavier works for the Generalitat) yet they still find time to gather for half-hour prayer meetings 4 nights a week.
“Some days you may feel too tired or stressed or upset about something that happened that day at work, and you just want to stay at home and not go out, but you do it anyway, and you soon forget all those other ‘problems’. In fact, there’s no better way of putting things into perspective than to stand before someone who is living in poverty with real problems. It is a humbling experience and one that affects you on a deeply spiritual level.”
Volunteers gather every Thursday at their center by the Basílica dels Sants Màrtirs Just i Pastor, located just behind Plaça Sant Jaume. They start at 6.30pm preparing the food (mostly soup and sandwiches). Then everyone prays together at 8.30pm. By 9.30pm they are hitting the streets, distributing food to the regular homeless contacts they have made over the years. Just as Jesus sent out His disciples 2 by 2, they also go out in pairs or small groups. They used to serve some 100 people, but since the economic crisis set in, that number has doubled, he said.
More than simply feeding them, it is a chance to “serve” them in a wider sense, as he explained. They call them by name, chat with them, treat them with dignity and respect. To this end, Xavier related how they put on a banquet for all their contacts at Christmas, with name cards and a “reserved seat at the table” for each of them. Nearly 600 people turned up, he said, and they are already looking forward to next year.
Apart from their Thursday work with homeless people, they also visit elderly folk in nursing homes or shut-ins. They hold an after-school club for children where they help them with their homework. They provide a welcoming place for immigrants who may find Barcelona an inhospitable place, and need a safe space in which to gather, with their fellow Muslims during Ramadan, for example.
How can we at St George’s help?
We can pray: Prayer is central to this kind of work. Should we be gathering more as a community to pray, not just for the work of Sant’Egidio but to seek where God wants to lead us, individually and as a body? Why not make a date to go to one of Sant’Egidio’s prayer meetings?
We can give food: Why not add extra staples to your basket when you shop and bring them to church, so we can donate them to Sant’Egidio like we already do for the Salvation Army? Why not email Xavier Vidal and find out what food they might need one week to the next? Why not go along one Thursday and help make food for them to take out?
We can go out: The best way to see what Sant’Egidio does is to experience it for yourself. Why not accompany them one Thursday night as they do their rounds and see what it’s like? Just do it!
We can give money: Obviously, donations would always be welcome to sustain the limited resources of this vital work. Can we consider it as part of our regular giving patterns?
We can talk to one another: If you weren’t able to attend on Friday, why not ask someone who was there what they thought? If you were there, why not talk it up with your friends? Are we constantly encouraging one another, motivating one another, challenging one another, inspiring one another, and spurring each other on in our faith? Doing something alone is daunting; agreeing to do something together is do-able.
Which of the above things are you going to do?
As Xavier said, none of us can exist as an island. We have to do something that connects us with our fellow human beings. The effects on our spiritual life of doing so will be great. We talk about spreading Christ’s peace and love in the world, but as Xavier noted, peace doesn’t “just happen” unless we are prepared “to start with the poor on our doorstep.”