Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. -- from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

The idea here is that we must stand up for the most vulnerable in our society; we must be the voice for those without voices. This means the very poor, the unborn, the elderly, minorities, the homeless -- Jesus is found in the faces of these poor. I really recommend you do spend time with Matthew 25:31-46 -- notice how the judgment is based on our actions towards the poor, and not based on how pious we appear to be. Think about it.