World Day for the Poor - Caritas in Action!
Webmaster • November 16, 2020
The Directory for Catechesis states that ‘charitable action is an integral part of the catechetical proclamation’ and ‘[t]he need for an organic approach to pastoral care requires the coordination of catechesis with the other activities of evangelisation.’
In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity And Social Friendship, Pope Francis writes:
“Social love” makes it possible to advance towards a civilization of love, to which all of us can feel called. Charity, with its impulse to universality, is capable of building a new world. No mere sentiment, it is the best means of discovering effective paths of development for everyone. Social love is a “force capable of inspiring new ways of approaching the problems of today’s world, of profoundly renewing structures, social organizations and legal systems from within”. (183)
Charity is at the heart of every healthy and open society, yet today “it is easily dismissed as irrelevant for interpreting and giving direction to moral responsibility”. Charity, when accompanied by a commitment to the truth, is much more than personal feeling, and consequently need not “fall prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions”. Indeed its close relation to truth fosters its universality and preserves it from being “confined to a narrow field devoid of relationships”. Otherwise, it would be “excluded from the plans and processes of promoting human development of universal range, in dialogue between knowledge and praxis”. Without truth, emotion lacks relational and social content. Charity’s openness to truth thus protects it from “a fideism that deprives it of its human and universal breadth”. (184)
Caritas in Action! Briefings 11 - 12, with the Contents headings as follows (the full documents can be viewed below):
Caritas in Action! Briefing 11 – November 2020
11.1 Participation in charity is an integral part of ‘the process of evangelisation’
11.2 ‘…charitable action is an integral part of the catechetical proclamation’
11.3 ‘…coordination of catechesis with the other activities of evangelisation’
11.4 Instruction "The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church"
11.5 Weaving together the processes and relationships for building ‘a civilisation of love’
Caritas in Action! Briefing 12 – November 2020
12.1 Exploring the organisational and relational processes of the Catholic Church in its mission
- The warp and the weft of the Catholic Church community in England and Wales (NB. Purely illustrative.)
12.2 Participating in the organisational and relational processes at Diocesan and Parish levels
12.3 ‘“Social love” makes it possible to advance towards a civilization of love’
12.4 The main roles of the different levels of Caritas
12.5 Learning to become ‘witnesses to the faith’ in the twenty-first century
Saturday 31st January 2026 9:30am - 5:00pm St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College, Cardiff The Catholic Youth Conference will be celebrating the Regional Jubilee of Jesus Youth of 25 years in the UK. Open to all aged 16 and above, this day is for young adults to experience how God is guiding and working through young people. Archbishop Mark will be celebrating Holy Mass on the day. Please show your interest by registering before 25th January using link below or scan QR code: Registration link: https://forms.gle/HqevPZ8KfL2EsyrK6 Come and encounter Christ and be inspired to transform your life.
Archbishop Mark and Bishop Peter Brignall have issued a joint statement on Assisted Suicide: ‘As the Senedd prepares to debate whether to give legislative consent to Westminster's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Archbishop Mark and Bishop Peter Brignall wish to express their deep concern about legalising assisted suicide in Wales. International experience shows that where assisted suicide is legalised, eligibility criteria expand over time and subtle pressure is placed on those who are elderly, disabled, or who fear becoming a burden. True compassion means accompanying those who suffer and ensuring no one feels abandoned, not ending life. They urge Members of the Senedd to withhold consent and focus on strengthening palliative care. On Monday 26th January, those who can are asked to observe a day of fasting in solidarity with the vulnerable. Please also engage respectfully with your Member of the Senedd to make your voice heard on this important decision for Wales.’
Sunday 25th January 2026 Today is also a time to pray for and stand in solidarity with people affected by leprosy around the world. The John Bradburne Memorial Society (JBMS) is calling on individuals and communities to support its mission on World Leprosy Day. The Society is named in honour of John Bradburne, ‘Servant of God’, who served for ten years as warden of the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Zimbabwe. John Bradburne’s unwavering compassion, faith and dedication to those living with leprosy left a profound legacy. Inspired by his life and witness, JBMS continues his work by supporting people affected by leprosy, raising awareness of the disease, and helping fund the ongoing operations of Mutemwa. Please consider supporting this vital work through prayer, awareness or donation. Contributions to JBMS go directly towards supporting the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre where patients receive essential medical care, food and shelter. Visit: www.johnbradburne.com
The importance of family (Continue from last week) Pope John Paul II once said, “Every family carries a light and every family is a light...a light which must illuminate the Church’s path and the future of the world.” Therefore, family should be like a greenhouse for your children, where your tender loving care is given to their delicate hearts, your morality is shown to their simple hearts and your Catholic Faith is passed on to their innocent hearts. It is not easy to be a good parent, although no one is perfect, but one should keep trying and striving. Keep in mind that we are not without a real perfect example - the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let us see how they live and let them be our inspiration and guide to follow.
“...the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 4:16-17) Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
25th January 2026 This year’s theme is: “Let the word of Christ dwell among you.” Colossians 3:16. Archbishop Rino Fisichella told us: “...What we have received from the Apostle is not a simple moral exhortation, but the indication of a new way of living. Paul does not ask that the Word be merely listened to or studied; he wants it to dwell, that is, to take up stable residence, to shape our thoughts, guide our desires, and make credible the witness of the disciples...this motto remains for us a precious inheritance: an invitation addressed to the whole Church to place the Gospel once more at the centre, since every true renewal is born from docile listening to the Word. To welcome it means allowing ourselves to be accompanied by the One who does not deceive, because He gives life and hope. To be inhabited by the Word ultimately means permitting Christ to speak even today through our lives, so that every person may recognize His presence, which continues to illuminate the journey of history. ...When space is given to the Word, each person discovers that the Word of God dwells in the heart like a seed that, in due time, sprouts and bears fruit. Indeed, al of us are invited to nourish ourselves with the daily bread of the Word and, afterwards, to proclaim it to our brothers and sisters, for proclamation flows from the abundance of the heart...Today it is up to us to ensure that the same Word reaches the ends of the earth, so as to transform the life of all peoples by dwelling among us.”
Next Monday (2 February) is the feast day of the Presentation of the Lord. There will be blessing of candles during Mass. Please bring your own candles for blessing.
24th January 2026 Bethel Convention Centre, Birmingham A Catholic healing (& evangelisation) service led by Fr Xavier Vattayil (who is well-known worldwide for charism of healing with thousands of testimonies). Highlights of the day include: Worship, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, Children's Stream and Prayer Ministry. All welcome. Bus to the venue from Cardiff will be about 1 hr 40mins depends on traffic. Please contact Madeleine 07791 503 857
The importance of family We are being created by Love and with love. And we need the same love to grow and develop. What better love we can and should receive on this earth out of all human beings than the love from our father and mother? Parents, do you know your child needs and depends on your love since the moment of their conception? What is this love? It is not about just hugging and kissing, or lavish your child with money and presents; but your sacrifice for them when you look after them. Sacrifice of your me time, of your sleep, of your hobbies, of your job, of your dreams, of your wellbeing... How many are willing to do so? How many realise this love within a family is so important? Not only it sets the foundation of shaping the little one's future nature and belief, makes the parents become more mature, and what is more, it can even change the world! (continue next week)
“John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” ( John 1:29) Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.