Ask Deacon Kevin

Friday, August 26, 2022

Tomorrow is my oldest sons 20th birthday, so I went by the bank on 21st and Lewis to get some cash for him as a gift. It’s a nice area of town.

Pulling into the parking lot, I spotted this soul. 

• Is this a man or a woman?
• Black, white, or native American?
• Young or old?
• Drunk, stoned or depressed?
• A felon or a victim of domestic violence?

I don’t know the answers, but I do know that this is a child of God. 

Today, I was not the Good Samaritan, I was the Levite who passed by on the other side leaving this person to live or die alone.

I do not know what we are called to do, but I do know that we are called. 

Let us always acknowledge that we are uncomfortable. Let us struggle. Let us discern the will of God in all things. 

Friday, August 5, 2022

Catholic Charities in Eastern Oklahoma serves everyone in our community. So often that comes as a surprise to people. Yet we know that all are made in the image and likeness of God and are equally worthy of our love and support. The dignity of the human person is universal and flows not from our recognition but is inherent and given by God. 

This means that we welcome people who aren’t Catholic (think Afghan Muslims). It means that we love people of all races – all were fashioned in the image of God. Any attribute you could ascribe to a person is secondary to their dignity. They can be a felon, young or old, legal or illegal (undocumented), gay or straight, thin or fat --- you name it. Those attributes do not diminish God’s love for them or our responsibility to them. 

If we were to think of the Lords directive in Matthew 25 to feed the hungry or give drink to the thirsty, we would have to ask ourselves if he would have left anyone out. Would he give water to a Samaritan woman who had led a difficult life? John 4 shows us that he went much further giving her “living water”. He loved her beyond anything we could ever imagine. 

At Catholic Charities, we are challenged to do likewise. We are not called to serve Catholics, we are called to serve because we are Catholic. 

Friday, July 1, 2022

If you were to walk into the courtyard at Catholic Charities near the chapel, you would see a red brick integrated into a sea of tan bricks in our building. It stands out as a silent monument to the history of Catholic Charities. That brick guides us today and as we look to the future of our mission. A dozen years ago as our building at 739 North Denver began to fall in around us, we knew it was time to move and we left behind everything – building, furniture, everything – except that brick and the memories it represents.

As a Catholic people, we understand that we stand outside of time. We are present on Calvary at the crucifixion at each Mass. We are surrounded by the communion of the saints, who over the centuries intercede on behalf of those in need. And at Catholic Charities, we stand on the shoulders of the many donors and volunteers who helped to create the organization we have today.

We strive to be as creative, dynamic, and forward thinking as they were when they created St. Joseph Residence for those affected by HIV and AIDS. We choose to take risks and reach out into the margins, just as those before us did with the Maria Goretti House which never really could get off the ground. 

The red brick challenges us to build a legacy in our time that we can pass on to the next generation who come to Eastern Oklahoma. I invite you to be a part of that legacy. Volunteer, donate, leave a legacy through your estate plan. Know that tomorrow there will be those who stand on our shoulders as they strive to be Christ’s merciful love to those who suffer.