Social Concerns Column for Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Lord protects the stranger… -- Psalm 146:2a

Training for English Language Tutors: Saturday, April 21. 
St. Michael parish has partnered with the Livermore Public Library’s excellent and popular program to help adult parishioners improve their English skills.  If you speak English, you have all the skills you need to tutor a fellow St. Michael parishioner.  The time commitment is about two hours per week.  You do NOT have to be bilingual.  Interested?  Call Joanne, 443-1422.

First Friday Fast for Food Security
is a campaign by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  It is a real challenge to eat on $3, and you may go hungry: just like people on food stamps.  The next First Friday is Good Friday, April 6.  More on Facebook (“First Fridays for Food Security”) or http://tinyurl.com/FirstFridayFast2012

Fighting Poverty with Faith. 
Bread for the World (http://www.bread.org) has published “Advocacy 101: Citizen Action Guide” with practical advice for using our citizenship to fight hunger.  As people of faith and conscience, we should remind leaders of their responsibilities to their people and offer constructive alternatives for public policy.  Recommendations for us include prayer and writing letters to Congress.  Our bishops frequently ask all citizens to write to Congress on legislation with moral implications – join the Catholic Legislative Network (http://www.cacatholic.org) to receive our bishops’ alerts.

The Stations of the Cross Around the World with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). 
Station 8 Jesus Comforts the Women.  In India, more than 40% of children under the age of five are underweight. Children who suffer from malnutrition at a young age are at greater risk to suffer illness or death.  CRS, in cooperation with the government of India, trains health workers to educate mothers about good nutrition and immunizations for themselves and their children.   
Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor.  As a community of faith, we have the obligation to reach out to those most in need.  The Gospel specifically calls us to take action on behalf of the most vulnerable members of society.    – Courtesy of CRS, http://tinyurl.com/Stations2012

Would you like act on social justice?
The St. Michael Parish Social Concerns Ministry would like to help you to help others!  Call Joanne 443-1422.

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. – Acts 2:45