The Beggar at the Church Door

“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door you will not find him in the Chalice.”

– St. John Chrysostom

This quote – a mere 1650 years old, give or take 10 years, is worth a lifetime of reflection. What jumps out is the connection and juxtaposition between the beggar at the church door, and Christ in the Chalice. Jesus has a preference for people who are poor, so it makes sense that one of the greatest preachers of all time would make this connection. What brings life to this quote is the word “find”. The word find has a wide range of meanings; from – I can find a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk to – I found myself during the college years. In this case, finding is not by accident, it is intentional seeking.  

When I close my eyes and picture Jesus, the image of the last homeless man I saw does not immediately come into view. Though I do remember him. The man was holding a cardboard sign at the traffic light. There have been times, when I am more centered in my spiritual life, that seeing Jesus in others comes more readily and without too much searching. When I am closest to Christ, I can easily find him in others. And here is the paradox, it is my individual relationship with Christ that allows the scales to fall from my eyes to both see and find the beggar. The beggar, Christ and I are in a relationship which is always present and real. I can only see the Christ in beggar and Christ in the Chalice through eyes of faith.  

For me, Communion is the most profound way I encounter Jesus. It is tangible – I can taste and see the Lord. As I approach the altar, I can hear St. John Chrysostom telling me that I cannot find Jesus without finding the beggar. Said another way, I can find Jesus in the Chalice when I find my brother begging at the church door. 

From a stewardship point of view, suppose for a moment that we say – “ If you cannot find the beggar at the church door, you cannot find Christ in the offering plate”. By the way, the offering plate is where I offer myself to Christ. This creates a haunting image for me. During the church service, when I offer myself in the “offering” plate, I see that offering plate being placed on the Altar or at the foot of the Cross. And now I see Jesus taking the offering plate and placing it at the foot of the Beggar. With respect to our stewardship efforts, I have to ask, have we been spending too much time finding ways too keep the church doors open and not enough time finding the beggar at the church door?