Shatter the rules of the market economy

Sound radical? The Christian message always does.

Love of neighbor is not something that can be delegated; the State and the political order, properly concerned with the relief of the needy and the provision of social services, cannot take the place of volunteer work. Love of neighbor always demands a voluntary personal commitment, and the State, of course, should provide the conditions which make this possible.”

But volunteers do the work of being present and helpful to the needy, Benedict told the group of volunteers, who he clearly appreciated.

Volunteer work is characterized by its “gratuitousness” said the Pope, affirming that “a readiness to be at the service of others is something which surpasses calculations of outlay and return: it shatters the rules of market economy. The value of human beings cannot be judged by purely economic criteria.”

“In the gaze of others, and particularly of the person who needs our help, we experience the concrete demands of Christian love. Jesus Christ does not teach us a spirituality ‘of closed eyes,’ but one of ‘alertness,’ one which entails an absolute duty to take notice of the needs of others.”

Parsing the pope’s words, it’s interesting to see how much he packs into some brief remarks, really strong messages that easily can be overlooked in a quick read-through. Like the snip below…noting that just doing your daily jobs at work and at home, and doing them well, take strength and show love. A lot of people would feel really affirmed and encouraged by knowing the pope realizes it can be hard just getting through your daily workload, and appreciates you for the value of that. Going beyond that call of duty, to volunteer to help others in what would be your free time – that’s exceptional.

It’s a nuanced message.

“Whenever people do more than their simple duty in professional life and in the family – and even doing this well calls for great strength and much love – and whenever they commit themselves to helping others, putting their precious free time at the service of man and his dignity, their hearts expand.”