Gospel

Are we doers? The letter from James this Sunday lays it all on the line and reminds us what truly matters. Think showing up at church, saying prayers and dropping an envelope in the collection basket is enough? Think again.

Encountering this Sunday’s passage from John’s Gospel, I can’t help but think back to a stretch of West 31st Street in New York City where, not far from Madison Square Garden, you can find the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and, just outside, on any given morning, you’ll see the legendary St. Francis Breadline.

The bishops must make sure the Gospel speaks to a nation enduring violence, civil unrest and poverty, the pope said.

Wars, famine and calamities of every kind can tempt Christians to a paralyzing fear that the world is about to end; what they must do instead is act, even in a small way, to make the world a better place, Pope Francis said Nov. 13, celebrating Mass for the World Day of the Poor.

The pope encouraged young men and women to carry out their mission in the digital space “so that contemporary culture can know God by feeling him within you.”

The pope had written that the church needs theologians who know how “to communicate the truths of faith today, taking into account linguistic, social, cultural changes and competently using the media, without ever watering down, weakening or ‘virtualizing’ the content.”

In her tales of fictional characters interacting with real biblical characters and events, she hopes to help children develop a connection with the Gospel.

St. Joseph’s silence was “not mutism,” but a quality that allowed him to listen to the word and will of the Holy Spirit, the pope said during his weekly general audience Dec. 15.