“With the present Jubilee of Mercy I want to invite the Church to pray and work so that every Christian will have a humble and compassionate heart, one capable of proclaiming and witnessing to mercy. It is my hope that all of us will learn to ‘forgive and give,’ to become more open “to those living on the outermost fringes of society – fringes which modern society itself creates,” and to refuse to fall into “a humiliating indifference or a monotonous routine which prevents us from discovering what is new!”
~ Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2016
Pope Francis offers a fitting reflection for January, Poverty Awareness Month. The Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has excellent resources to inspire prayer and action to address poverty in the United States. Check out the printable calendar (en Español), longer daily reflections (en Español), and daily emails.