Mount Saint Peter Parish, New Kensington, PA 15068

Clothing the Naked

"For I was naked and you clothed me." (Matthew 25:35)

Younger siblings know well the "blessings" of hand-me-downs. Even if not exact fits, at least they have clothes and shoes. Countless children and adults in the world would walk barefooted and have little to wear, except for donations of usable clothing. Nor would they have household items such as towels, blankets and bed linens. To them, the "pre-owned" goods are true blessings.

Catholic social teaching also considers the naked as those stripped of human dignity and power and necessary tools for work.

The rights of human beings to dignity, the power to control their own lives, and even to work, are God given. Our moral responsibility is to preserve and protect those rights.

As God's hands on Earth, we can help to clothe and unburden the needy. Here are some suggestions:

Support and donate to drives run by schools, parishes and other charitable organizations that collect clothes and bedding for the local needy.

Organize programs to provide towels and bed linens for hospitals that lack these essentials in distressed areas, particularly in developing nations.

Act in solidarity to aid sister parishes in areas devastated by tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, leaving residents with virtually nothing.

Reach out to neighbors who have lost their possessions in fires, floods or in other ways.

Encourage someone whose dignity may have become fragile due to loss of a job. Suggest retraining in a new area of work, or help them seek work if you are in a position to do so.

Be charitable, but always remember that in giving it is most important to maintain a person's sense of dignity; no one ever should be made to feel like a "charity case".

Click on the following links to learn more.

Feed the Hungry + Give Drink to the Thirsty + Clothe the Naked

Shelter the Homeless + Visit the Sick + Visit the Imprisoned + Bury the Dead