Sometimes I wonder why people who are poor stay poor and people who are wealtrhy stay like that most or all of their life. I sometimes have big problems of my own, for example I need money but I pray and pray but God seems not to respond. Now other people who are filthy rich may donate to charities but the people who they donate to are and always will be poor. I see commercials about Christian Childrens Fund and they help a lot of people but that does not take them out of poverty. But still you see the worlds wealthiest people getting richer every day and the poor poorer.

-- Guillermo Quintero (willie5@budweiser.com), December 25, 2002

Answers

Jmj

Hello, Guillermo.
I think that the best thing you can do to help you understand the various facets of this question is to read articles 2401 to 2463 of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

This is the section of the CCC on the Seventh Commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." Its subheadings are "2402-2406 I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods," "2407-2418 II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods," "2419-2425 III. The Social Doctrine of the Church," "2426-2436 IV. Economic Activity and Social Justice," "2437-2442 V. Justice and Solidarity among Nations," "2443-2449 VI. Love for the Poor," and "2450-2463 (brief summary)."

You are making the right start by praying, but you cannot just sit at home and pray. You also have to take action, seeking help and work. I'm sure you know that.
Some people remain poor because of the injustice of certain wealthy people who do not share enough. Some people remain poor because of civil wars. Some remain poor because of governmental corruption (e.g., where aid is available, but is stolen and then sold). Some remain poor because political parties entrench them in poverty by creating welfare states. The list of reasons could continue. Although God does not want anyone to be destitute, the kind of simple life that is sometimes called "poverty" today is actually called "blessed" in the Bible. Here we are at Christmas, when the Holy Family was so poor that Jesus had to be born in a stable or cave. Then Jesus traveled around with hardly any money, saying that the "Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." And for many centuries, the most admired people in the world are those in consecrated life, who take a vow of poverty (not to have private possessions). So, we must not begin to commit sins of envy as we look at the rich. They have their own miseries, often spiritual ones, that make us in our poverty seem "rich."

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 26, 2002.

Sorry. Here is that missing link: 2401 to 2463 of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 26, 2002.