Yet, for a person condescending to another person (the poor, the infirmed, etc) is not an act of humility. On the contrary, it is approaching another person with a view of superiority towards an inferior.
Certainly, the act of kindness or the service rendered is still acceptable and its value remains; But the poor becomes poorer for it while the condescending one even becomes more superior.
In St. Francis of Assisi, the encounter with the leper brought out far greater generosity in him. He did not reject the material gifts at his disposal, but used them for others. Gifts are not self-serving.
When Francis' father disowned and disinherited him, St Francis became poor. It is then, that he marries Lady Poverty. He decided he will not work, he will be a beggar.
To beg others even for a good cause (for others) can be unsettling. To be a beggar for himself is even harder. A person must be so rooted in faith and always looking up to God as the true Giver while others are just instruments of His providence, can a person beg without becoming beholden to the instrument of providence. As such, the poor had always been used by politicians, actors, businesses, organizations, and idealogues. It is not a sweeping generalization that such love for the poor is purely exploitative to promote their image; Without a doubt, there are many who have genuine concern for the poor, a real endeavour to help others, and a true desire for goodness.
Yet, history tells us that many tragedies were borne of good intentions. Many of the pro-RH (pro-abortion) are truly concerned with the poor and poverty alleviation. They would initiate fund-raising for calamity victims. They would volunteer in worthy causes like Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, World Vision, and others. And yet, they can not see the harm of reproductive health and abortion. Even priests and missionaries fall into such thinking.
This is the dangerous trajectory of Pope Francis' actuations which is so common among Jesuit-formed and Jesuit-educated people. It is PRACTICAL CHARITY marked by PRACTICAL OBEDIENCE.
With practical charity, there is also practical obedience. Traditions, laws (even natural laws), Liturgy, and the like are only obstacles in the way of practical charity. To a certain extent, it is an arrogant way of humility. There is no tempering the road of service to humanity, and often, it is based on a self-righteous approach of "I know what is best for you". Surely, they listen to the moans and groans of people in need, but their will is so focused on practically addressing it, that even without being conscious of it, they play god.
Who would be offended by beautiful churches, beautiful liturgy, beautiful vestments, beautiful artworks? Certainly, not the poor. Those who do not want to see such things are those who have it but can not reflect the beauty and greatness of God. Reflecting God in His Kingship and His splendour is an act of humility that doesn't make us poorer; It is calling us to greatness.
Still, we are not to disregard service to the poor or the "preferential option of the poor". (Blsd) Mother Teresa of Calcutta had exemplified this. She knows that there is greater poverty than that of material poverty. To be so focused on material poverty will tilt the balance of a person having body and soul. Beyond the "distressing disguise" of the body, we must always see the heart and soul of another person. Mother Teresa did not practice "practical charity". She was so strongly willed in her desire to be among the poorest of the poor, and she was totally convicted that that is what Jesus is asking of her; And yet, she was tempered by obedience to her bishop and spiritual director. Thus, in spite of, the temptation "to turn the stone into bread", she was able to serve with purity and authentic love that finds its source from the love of God.
Simplicity in living which I practice does not guarantee purity or humility. There is a tendency to reject the gifts; Thus, depriving others of a chance of generosity and ultimately, it can lead to less appreciation of God's bountiful blessings. It, in turn, becomes arrogance in simplicity.
Whatever way of life we have, we can practice charity and humility, but it must be coming from the "living waters" of God's love and Truth. And the only way to be faithful to God and love is thru obedience. Undermined as it is today, obedience is the only key to tempering our self-righteousness.
Only in truth does charity shine forth, only in truth can charity be authentically lived. TRUTH IS THE LIGHT THAT GIVES MEANING AND VALUE TO CHARITY. That light is both the light of reason and the light of faith, through which the intellect attains to the natural and supernatural truth of charity; it grasps its meaning as gift, acceptance, and communion. Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality. Love becomes an empty shell, to be filled in an arbitrary way. In a culture without truth, this is the fatal risk facing love. It falls prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions, the word "love" is abused and distorted, to the point where it becomes the opposite." (Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate #3)
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