Francis of Assisi reads, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” Implicit in this saying is the understanding that often the most powerful sermons are unspoken.

On Sunday a group of St Catherine's students and staff celebrated Mass at Sacred Heart.  The focus of the Mass was to acknowledge the work of the Young Vinnies in the Archdiocese Colleges. The Gospel reading covered the theme of salvation and inclusivity,  a Mum’s love for her tormented daughter fires her resolve to seek the healing of Jesus. This love impresses Jesus to widen his boundary of care. Her love seems to stretch the reach of Jesus. “Woman you have great faith”. Our faith is alive in each of our relationships. Gospel living and preaching to be truthful requires heart.  Salvation in Isaiah's Gospel requires that we attach ourselves to the work of God, to love and serve.

We are given an opportunity to proclaim our faith whenever we are in a relationship with others, in every encounter with others.  As St Francis said, if necessary, we must use words, yet our actions will always preach more perfectly.

Our primary purpose is not to help the poor; this is a means to an end, our actual aim is to preserve in ourselves the catholic faith and communicate it clearly to others through channels of love.  Charity teaches us that we gain much more when we visit the poor than they do.

Social action is a crucial part of our faith.  When we reach out and help others, we know how positive this impact is on all lives.  Evidence shows that helping others can also benefit our mental health and well-being. For example, it can reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem and happiness. There are many ways to help others as part of our everyday lives.