He feeds thousands of people every day using supplies he gathers up in Catholic churches throughout his Diocese, which he augments with Second Harvest foods. Yet he often mourns for the families he can’t reach because of distance or because they lack transportation to come to one of his food pantries. He took a minuscule food pantry (which I had a hand in creating 30 years ago at one of the Catholic Charities agencies) and turned it into an impressive network of pantries throughout one of the most impoverished areas of New Jersey. He has become a local hero who is often interviewed by television networks and radio stations, yet you can see the worry lines on his forehead and dark bags under his eyes. There is no effort that is too high to care for his people. He has given his heart to the inner city and the city has gratefully accepted his love and compassion. He is a consummate fundraiser, a compelling speaker, and an incredibly humble servant with a work ethic everyone admires, but few are willing to emulate. The cost of caring has been incredibly high for him and those closest to him, but there is nothing else he would rather do. A Social Worker by choice and by vocation, my brother, Carlos Roldan, feels the weight of his people’s burdens with an intensity I have only seen in a handful of people in my life. His people stopped being clients many years ago. Now they are friends with names and stories very few people know or care to remember. Many of them are houseless and illegal, but those facts are incidental to their identity and worth. Carlos has given his life to them, and he remembers their names for all of us. He has become Paterson’s godfather and he will bear the city’s pain for as long as he can draw a breath. (See a bit more about Carlos here.)

This coming Sunday we will hear an overwhelmed Moses exclaim to God, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,’ to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors?” (Numbers 11: 4-6.) Moses’ people, like Carlos’ people, were “Weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents.” They were hungry, they were thirsty, they reminisced about their time in Egypt (Sometimes hell looks very attractive on the rearview mirror,) and they were constantly exposed to the elements on their walk to the Promised Land. They had reasons to complain: Inhumane heat during the day, crushing cold during the night, frequent sandstorms, dangerous invading tribes, perilous terrains, snakes and other desert creatures, and constant deprivation. Carlos’ people also have reasons to complain: Out of control rental markets, houselessness, poor healthcare options, hunger, addiction, underemployment, violence, and constant deprivation.

We have saintly people in our own congregation who also feel the burden of caring for God’s people. Sometimes the need in our communities is so great that we feel overwhelmed and insufficient. After all, there is only so much we can do. It is at these times that I remember Moses’ cry: “Why do you lay the burden of these people on me?” Of course, what comes after the verses I quoted above is God’s answer to Moses, to Carlos, and to us. God says, “Go get yourself some helpers. Build yourself a team!” In Moses’ case, 72 elders are to help him care for his people during the arduous journey to the planes of Moab. In Carlos’ case, an impressive team of volunteers, work-release inmates, and staff go the extra-mile everyday to care for those at the very margins of society. In our case, we cannot do what we do without the support and love of all of you. You are our team and together we can alleviate much of the suffering in our own area.

I want to encourage all of you, regardless of age, to find creative ways to build God’s kingdom in our beloved Houston and Spring. Those who are shut-in can write cards to folks in local prisons, can knit or crochet shawls for those newly diagnosed with cancer, can pray for the needs of children in foster care, etc. Those who are ambulatory, healthy, and able can volunteer at Lord of the Streets, Hope Center Houston, NAM, or many of the Catholic Charities soup kitchens in our area. Those who have a love for children can babysit little ones for our upcoming Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program. There are a thousand ideas of how you can become involved. Please call us and we will guide you in your discernment process. Each one of you is part of the team God wants us to build. I am very impressed with your financial generosity, now I am asking you to give your community just a couple of hours a week. I promise you; service will change your life.

May our Lord continue to bless you,

Fr. Roman+