Dear Friends,
 
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?”
 
This question from St. James in today’s second reading should convict all of us. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re a    culture that loves to talk, to opine, to protest, to advocate, etc., but we might be losing our ability to act. There is so much talking about what should be done, what could be done; not as much action working towards what should be done and could be done! Additionally, we tend to over-institutionalize our charitable works. By that I mean: We like to give to charities to help the poor - and of course, this is a great thing to do - but we need more direct, face-to-face contact with those in need. We need to respond practically in our compassion, to allow ourselves to be moved by the plight of our brothers and sisters, and to show them our love and compassion directly, rather than just through charitable institutions. 
 
In our time of crisis in the Catholic Church, this same advice needs to be heeded. We, of course, should speak against evil, abuse, injustice. But our response shouldn’t stop there. It should translate into practical works. It does nothing to just say “This is wrong, I’m appalled.” We need to say that and then act on it. Pray for the Church, pray for priests and bishops, pray for the victims, fast and make sacrifices for them, stay close to the Sacraments, speak out when you see injustice or abuse. This is how we express our faith in works.
 
In Christ, 
Fr Marotti