Contributions from Sr. Katie Mitchell, FSPA
Some have called Pope Francis the “Pope of Mercy,” and, indeed, mercy seems to be a constant theme for him. Pope Francis again demonstrated his focus on mercy with the unexpected announcement that the Church will celebrate an extraordinary jubilee Holy Year of Mercy. The Year of Mercy begins this December 8, the day on which Catholics celebrate the Immaculate Conception, and it closes November 20, 2016, the feast of Christ the King. In response to this Year of Mercy, the Church is planning many events all over the world that will hopefully helping us discover over and over God’s mercy i
September is upon us with its seeming return to ordinariness, and its call back to routine and the “normal” rhythm of daily life. All around us students and teachers are returning to school, vacations are ending, and back-to-school sales seem to be everywhere. Maybe we are looking back wistfully at summer wishing there were just a few more days of vacation before returning to work or school routines. For many of us, these waning days of summer, marked by Labor Day, signal the beginning of busier days ahead at work and school.
Do you remember how often Pope Francis called us to serve those in need and to work for justice and peace during his recent visit to the United States? He told us: “None of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice.” He showed us this with his example, too, by visiting the homeless and poor while here. He invited us to reach out to the marginalized and the vulnerable, to have a faith that is public and social. In fact, the Church’s teaching on social justice, that is, Catholic social teaching is central to our faith and a key to our Catholic identity.
