About three months from now we will be making reference to Santa Claus in town, and hopefully we are more excited about celebrating Jesus’ presence in town as we celebrate Christmas 2015. For now, we are excited about the visit of Pope Francis to our town, or at least to our nation. And we ought to be really excited by the fact that millions will gather to see him, and millions more will tune in to read or hear his message to citizens of our country and people around the world. I hope that we have taken the opportunity to listen to his messages and realize they are consistent with the Gospel that has been part of our Catholic ethos for centuries.

A careful ear to current events receives information about Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to our nation. The event is part of the Meeting for Marriage and Family Life. Pope Francis’ attention in the media has inspired many Catholics to reconnect with information about our faith. Among the other papal highlights is the announcement of the upcoming Year of Mercy which will begin later this year. However, I think its better to participate than to anticipate so its worth recognizing that we continue to be deep in the Year of Consecrated Life.

Many of us are aware that in some way, shape or form we have returned to the work of forming our young people. Remembering that we intentionally form them according to the human, physical and spiritual standards; that leaves adults the arduous task of helping God make good people. Our Catechism, by way of reminder, teaches that parents are the first teachers of their children. Of course that means that human, physical and spiritual formation ought to be at the heart of parenting, and therefore be at the center of each home.

Moreover, the goal of economics and politics is to serve humanity, beginning with the poorest and most vulnerable wherever they may be, even in their mothers' wombs. Every economic and political theory or action must set about providing each inhabitant of the planet with the minimum wherewithal to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a family, educating children, praising God and developing one's own human potential. This is the main thing; in the absence of such a vision, all economic activity is meaningless. Vatican City, June 17, 2013 (Pope Francis' letter to David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who will host the upcoming G8 Summit in Northern Ireland.)