Helping street people - "Question Corner," Fr. John Dietzen:

Q. When walking around our city we can’t help running into street people asking for money. I want to help them, but I believe that Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army know who is deserving and what’s best for them. I pray for the homeless and hungry here in the U.S. and around the world. I strongly want to help them, but are we doing these folks a disservice by not steering them to groups that can help them a lifetime, instead of our helping them a day?

A. A basic principle of Christian spirituality is that any graces God gives us are to be used, acted upon, not saved up for a more ideal situation that better fits our perspective and criteria. The opportunity to assist others in need, to welcome them and open ourselves to them, is such a grace.

When grace-filled invitations present themselves, therefore, it’s not wise to tell God this isn’t exactly what we had in mind. Our responsibility is to do the best we can, and not wait for something better or more worthy of our attention. If there is a next time, and there may not be, the grace and calling to do what God wishes us to do will be there when the time comes.

If we’re determined to be “safe” in what we give, probably not many chances will come our way. It’s usually hard, often impossible, to know for sure where our help “will do the most good.” Even charitable and missionary organizations cannot guarantee everything will be perfect, that only “deserving” people (whatever that means) will benefit from our gifts.

Jesus does not ask or allow us to sit in judgment of the lives of those who ask for our help. Maybe some of the desperate and destitute people who come to us need a bit of wine more than they need other things.