How to Persevere through the Quagmire

by Dan Masterton

Catholicism is utterly and totally cohesive and coherent. I think this is the thing that keeps me constantly coming back for more theology. As I live out my faith in prayer and worship, in relationship and community, my head and heart are nourished by the inexhaustible font that is Catholic theology – reading, reflecting, thinking, and writing in a regular rhythm as my faith seeks greater, deeper understanding of my God and the implications of His love for us.

Catholic teaching often frustrates because it can so readily and applicably speak to all things. And as it offers a response in truth and love, it often challenges our opinions and preferences in an uncomfortable way. It’s this countercultural, prophetic quality of Catholicism that is so prescient in its social teaching. And it’s this element of our faith that I find myself leaning on in the quagmire of bad news and backwards policies that it seems I’m wading through so many days.

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops has eloquently sorted our Church's social teachings into seven neat themes. And while each theme carries weight in addressing the social concerns we face, I find particular resonance these days with the Preferential Option for the Poor and Marginalized. This theme calls us to radically confront the reality that we as a society marginalize people, and that we must consciously and intentionally respond to this in order to reconcile ourselves to each other.

The way I explain this theme is that Christ calls us to consider people who are poor and/or marginalized in every decision we make individually, communally, and socially.

So as I read my daily morning theSkimm, as I scroll my Twitter feed, as I listen to NPR as I drive, I have to figure out how to respond to the myriad issues that are seemingly everywhere – the marginalization of immigrants, migrants, and refugees, discrimination against LGBT people, objectification and de-dignification of women, tensions between the value of the life of mothers and families and unborn people, and so much more.

I think it’s very tempting just to close the web page, exit the app, or turn off the radio. And while I’m not saying you should seek to “rub your nose in it” by any means, I think we need to find a constructive way to respond that doesn’t just sweep bad news under the rug. And I think it starts with asking yourself, “What decision can I make in response to this, either personally or in my community or society, to do something?” This is how we start to opt for those who are poor and/or marginalized.

A good start would be to pass along the story that drew your attention, angst, or frustration. Text the link to a friend. Share the link on social media. Bring up the story in conversation when your significant other or friends ask about your day or how you’re doing. Be honest in identifying when something has disturbed you. Get to a next level beyond simply reposting (some criticize “slacktivism” that does only this). Faith that does justice comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable – do it proudly.

Building on that, pray for those who are being marginalized. Include them in your personal prayers. Name them in your reflection during Mass. At home, my wife and I keep a prayer board in our bedroom: each day of the week, we erase the previous week’s intention and add the day’s date with a new intention that will stay up for the next seven days. It’s been a good way both to refresh our prayers and to hold people in prayer.

I think the next level of living out the Preferential Option is using one’s personal capital. Social capital starts with word of mouth and social sharing, and it goes further when you undertake advocacy. Emails, letters, and phone calls to elected officials help give voice to the voiceless so that public policy more intentionally considers those who are marginalized. Issue-focused groups as well as broader justice-oriented organizations help facilitate such advocacy. I personally appreciate the way Catholic Relief Services invites the faithful to get involved.

Additionally, organizations that work hands-on and directly with people who are marginalized need us to be generous stewards of our resources, in terms of time, talent, and treasure. Your time could be invested in advocacy, and could also extend to applying your talent with face-to-face volunteering, whether in back-end logistics or face-to-face encounters with those who are marginalized. Groups like Chicago’s Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants need volunteers to companion people going through the court and detention system or beginning to integrate into society after gaining their freedom.

Then, of course, monetary donations help to fuel these organizations and sustain their work with people who are marginalized. For my wife and I, we make a monthly donation to our parish as part of our desire to belong earnestly to our faith community, but I felt that our commitment needed to extend to directly support people who are marginalized. So, right below our utilities and just above our student loans, we have a line item in our budget for the preferential option; each month, we together choose an organization each month, like Aid for Women, Catholic Charities, Franciscan Outreach, or a local food pantry, to which we donate a modest amount.

The Preferential Option also must extend beyond these smaller actions into the larger decisions of our lives. When you buy your car, when you refresh your wardrobe, when you choose where to live, when you shop and go out to eat, how can you intentionally consider the poor and marginalized in each decision? This is much more radical and can really challenge your conceptions and sensibilities. What if I work hard for my money? What if I’m generally thrifty and spend cautiously? What if I want to treat myself? It takes a refined, faithful conscience and a careful, steady hand.

I’ll leave you with a story.

A couple I know was preparing for marriage and undertook the fateful task of preparing their wedding registry. They sought to register for many of the items that a new family and nascent household would need, but they also knew that such a registry could easily grow long and expensive. They finally asked, “Where is the option for the poor in all this?” And really, when you look at it, it’s just not there. Inherently, a wedding registry is a long list of stuff. So while they needed to keep a sturdy list intact, to prepare for their marriage and family life and give direction to those who wanted to get them gifts, they also wanted to intentionally opt for the poor in this important moment.

So, rather than scrap their registry, they built a second registry. But on this one, instead of things and stuff, they linked wedding guests to organizations that did things for the poor and marginalized: scholarship funds for at-risk young people to go to school, post-grad service organizations that help young people encounter and accompany those who are marginalized, and institutions that work directly with the poor. In this concrete way, they confronted the immense expenditures of a wedding and made intentional space for those who are often forgotten, inviting intentional giving and support and thus living out the Preferential Option in this milestone moment.

Christ calls us to consider those who are poor and marginalized in every decision we make, individually, communally, and socially.