As Fr Bobbie Haughton James passes on to heaven, a very good priest of the Archdiocese of Kingston, I think of his humility and the way he served in a gentle but very firm and loving way in being a servant of the people and in training young men for the priesthood. His life tells me what it is to be a humble and saintly man. He gave himself up to God and gave the gift that was given to him by God, which is kindness and availability, sacrifice and service.

I remember often we talked and shared. He was my friend and confessor. He welcomed me with kindness and love at St Michael’s Seminary. I told him of my weaknesses, temptations, and sins without reserve. He listened to me patiently, advised me, and corrected me. He never condemned me. He sought the ways of Christ in directing me to be an alter Christus, that is another Christ.

Whereas many others discouraged and told me that my service of the poor with my academic background was a waste of time and talent. Fr Bobby encouraged me to serve the least of my brothers and sisters.

I must tell you this my brothers and sisters, that God’s greatest gift to me has been the gift of the poor. When I thought of what I would do with my life, I feared that I would be a hypocrite and call myself a Christian, and most of all a priest, without living out the Beatitudes.

Refer to Luke 6:20-26

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,

for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

It was in the heart of my discernment that I saw that there was confusion in the Church. I had to turn to the Lord and listen to the father and advisors like Fr Bobby Haughton James, who told me that the poor are those who have nothing physically. Then there are those who have no spiritual life but much materially.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, God has given to me my island and my love of the poor. I could have chosen to live in the United States or Canada. But God’s new commandments are the Beatitudes, the new commandments of Christ, following on the footsteps of the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses. Then Jesus came as a man to serve mankind particularly the poorest of the poor and to save the rich from their materialism and wealth at the heart of which there is selfishness.

We can be rich but we must give to the poor. We must give until it hurts. There is so much opportunity for the wealthy to do the good works of Jesus Christ. God bless you!

Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor, 87 Hanover Street, PO Box 8525, Kingston CSO, Jamaica; Tel: (876) 550-8987; E-mail: mopfounder81@gmail.com; Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org