Dear Friends,

The true understanding of Social Justice in our Catholic tradition is that we have a right relationship with God and a right relationship with our neighbor. This comes directly from the scriptures, as the prophets of the Old Testament often speak of this right relationship based on the covenant with God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant, and Jesus teaches the call to love one's neighbor, meaning every person, not only fellow countrymen.

The sad part of our Catholic faith that I hear often is that Social Justice means that we are too political, and we should not be talking about such things. To allow voices who might have no ethics, good morality, or no sense of the common good to be listened to, and to be afraid that policies that touch the direct lives of the people should never be talked about at Mass, is missing the mark. Then every Pope in the entire last century, right up to Pope Leo, should have their writings, homilies, and talks ignored. Social Justice is an important part of the Gospel. In fact, Pope Leo has been teaching on this, yet there are many in our faith who never get to have their minds and hearts opened to this important teaching.

This week, our parish practices this right relationship by hosting Family Promise. An organization that directly assists families who transition from being homeless into proper housing. For many years, St. Patrick has hosted Family Promise to stay for one week on campus. This week, the House of Mercy will again host these families. Parishioners welcome them, feed them, talk with them, and give them dignity. This is what a right relationship can look like when living our faith.

I am grateful to the parishioners who are overseeing this week and making sure the families feel safe, welcomed, and cared for. 

FOLLOW POPE LEO- I am offering once again the three great sites to read and/or listen to Pope Leo’s unfiltered statements, talks, and homilies. These sites are great for helping us stay aware of what Pope Leo is saying, so we can discern how to live the Gospel. Vatican.va, Vaticannews.va, and a link to Pope Leo’s homilies are the three sites to use for the best understanding of what our faith teaches.