Christ at Work Now: CRS

In recent days we have been blessed to visit sights where some of the most important events of human history actually took place. Your mind struggles to grasp the reality before you, as you stand upon the same ground that Abraham and Jesus walked. All of it impresses upon you just how historical and incarnational our faith really is.

Today however, instead of visiting a place of a historical scriptural event we were given the opportunity to witness some of their modern day effects.

We were visited by two members of the international charity organization Catholic Relief Services. CRS is an “organization of 5,000, working in 93 countries and reaching nearly 100 million of the world's poorest people each year with innovative solutions to tough problems like poverty, hunger, drought, disease and emergencies”.

The day began with a brief overview presentation of the immense work that CRS does throughout the world with a particular focus on the work being done in the area of the Holy Lands in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. After the presentation we were able to follow one of the veteran workers to various places in the area where CRS serves.

The sights included work factories which previously existed in near unlivable conditions but which today, thanks to CRS support along with local cooperative initiatives, have been renovated and restored. We also met various work groups who receive help from CRS to market their products in fair trade environments.


Overall the day was a real witness to the fact that the Jesus who walked these lands 2000 years ago is not trapped in the history of the past but continues to act in present history through the members of His body the Church.