Social Concerns Column for Sunday, November 25, 2012

"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Catholic Relief Services Has a Blog (http://crs-blog.org).  
This blog is a fast and easy way to learn what the Church is doing to fight global poverty.  Because CRS volunteers are always on the ground in developing countries and preparing for disasters, their response is fast and efficient.

Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.  
"A basic moral test of society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation.  The option for the poor ... arises from the radical command to love one's neighbor as one's self.  The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society."  -- Catholic Charities Office for Social Justice, http://www.osjspm.org/

Thank You St. Michael for Your Generosity to Livermore Homeless Refuge.  
We are so grateful for your donations of sleeping bags and thermal undergarments last weekend.  You are literally saving lives during these cold Autumn nights.  If you missed the drive, you can always make a donation of supplies at the rectory, or for pick-up call Bob and Donna McKenzie, 925-443-7389 or 925-895-4167.  For more information, visit: www.livermorehomelessrefuge.org

Open Heart Kitchen Welcomes Your Donations and Helping Hand.  
Volunteers serve thousands every week here in the Tri-Valley.  Register as a volunteer or donate online at: http://www.openheartkitchen.org

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Welcomes Canned Food.  
Your donations of food to the boxes at the entrances to the church go directly to the hungry of Livermore.

Tri-Valley Hotline 211: Help for the Needy.  
Dial for help with food, housing, employment, health care, child care, elder care.  Translators are available.   http://www.211california.org/

“The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.” -- Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (48)