“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus… (Luke 16)

The readings today remind us of the call to take care of the poor and the needy; not to be blind to their plight, but to open our hearts and hands to them.

We cannot totally eradicate poverty and hunger in this world, but we can do many things to help alleviate it, one person and one program at a time. The important thing is not to close our eyes and hearts to the needs of others. We all have opportunities to help those in need, and we can support many different and good programs, including those run by our parish (food bank); Catholic Charities (which is supported by our contribution each year to the Annual Catholic Appeal), Fr. Joe’s Villages, and many other charities.

Here at St. Catherine Labouré we are now being offered a special way to help another group of unfortunates – the homeless – through the Interfaith Shelter Network.