"A table is where people meet to make decisions—in neighborhoods, nations, and the global community. Many people have no place at the table. Their voices and needs are ignored or dismissed." This powerful statement comes from a pastoral reflection of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops titled "A Place at the Table". The reflection urges all believers to take up the mission of recommitting our community of faith to be ever more faithful witnesses of God's love and justice and to protect the dignity of all of God's children, especially the poor and vulnerable. As Catholics, we must commit ourselves to this mission because our faith calls us to it, our nation needs its, our world requires it, our salvation demands it, and our actions can make a difference. The Gospel and Catholic social teaching place our service of the poor and vulnerable and our work for justice at the center of Christian witness through all principles of Catholic Social Teaching, especially the principles of Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Solidarity, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. Jesus identified himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, and the stranger, insisting that when we serve them we serve him. In the face of so many challenges, our community of faith must continue to preach the Gospel and pursue the Church's evangelizing and social mission, helping to shape a world where the lives and dignity of all people are respected and protected.
The reflection also explains that our commitment to those who are in greatest need is rooted in the biblical vision of the sacredness of all human life. In the Old Testament, the Book of Genesis teaches us that every person is made in God's image and likeness and endowed with inalienable dignity, regardless of who we are, where we are born, or what we accomplish. As believers, we are called to treat all people—especially those who are suffering—with respect, compassion, and justice. Throughout the Old Testament, God calls his people to care for those on the margins of society and the prophets clearly remind the people of Israel that a test of their faithfulness is the way they treated the poor and vulnerable—the widows, the orphans, and the aliens. In the New Testament, we learn how Jesus shared his love in a special way with those who were poor or vulnerable. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and in the Parable of the Rich Young Man, Jesus further urges us not to ignore those who are suffering in our midst.
This reflection outlines specific ways in which we can help the Church's mission to find a place at the table for all God's children. All across the globe, the Church carries this mission forward because of who we are and what we believe about God and the human person. Our faith gives us the strength, identity, and principles we need to sustain this work. The reflection emphasizes that the first leg of the table is what families and individuals are called to do. Every person has a responsibility to respect the dignity of others and to work to secure not only their own rights but also the rights of others. A second leg of the table is the role and responsibility of community organizations and faith-based institutions. These institutions can help overcome discrimination by providing resources, confronting structures of injustice, building community, and demanding accountability from public officials. A third leg of the table is the marketplace and institutions of business, commerce, and labor, which must reflect our values and priorities and be a contributor to the common good. Both employers and the labor movement must help the poorest workers to have a voice and a place at the table. A fourth essential leg of the table is the role and responsibilities of government—a means to do together what we cannot accomplish on our own. In the Catholic tradition, government has a positive role because of its responsibility to serve the common good, provide a safety net for the vulnerable, and help overcome discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for all.
Read the full pastoral reflection at https://www.usccb.org/resources/place-table