Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear a short but powerful plea from the disciples: “Increase our faith.” These are words we might find rising in our own hearts when life feels uncertain, when prayers seem unanswered, when we face challenges bigger than ourselves. The disciples knew that following Jesus would require more trust than they could muster on their own. So, they turned to the only One who could give what they lacked.

Dear Friends in Christ, This weekend’s Gospel about the rich man and Lazarus gives us one of the clearest moral lessons Jesus ever taught. The story is not only about wealth and poverty, but about the position of our hearts before God and our neighbor. The rich man’s failure was not that he was wealthy, but that he closed his heart to the suffering man at his very doorstep. He looked away, day after day, until it was too late. In contrast, Lazarus—poor, afflicted, and forgotten by the world—was embraced by God for eternity.

This fall marks the 6th year of the AVCC Social Justice Ministry! With our loyal group, we’ve strived to build our understanding of Catholic Social Teaching, focusing each year on one of the 7 themes of CST. This year, we’re ready to introduce the important theme of Life & Dignity of the Human Person. We’ll be offering a variety of activities throughout the ministry year to help us examine how all human life is sacred--in all stages and circumstances, within the context of God’s creation.

Dear Friends in Christ, In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). These words are at the very heart of our faith. They remind us that life is not an accident, not a possession, but a sacred gift from God. Each of us has been created in God’s own image and likeness. That means every person—no matter their background, age, ability, or circumstance—is a beloved child of God, worthy of dignity, respect, and love.