God is love. In this simple conviction is the vast mystery that when we experience love in our lives or deliver it out into the world, we find ourselves steeped in the very presence of God.

We often feel this most intensely with those closest to us: spouses, children and relatives whom we fiercely love and protect. But God made us social beings who have to depend on one another, develop relationships and community, and learn to care about each other’s complicated needs. As Jesus taught throughout the Gospels, the magnitude of our love is greatest when we impart it to the poor and vulnerable, or to those who seem hard to love. In doing so, we learn to love more widely and in new ways.

Together, with the Church’s Holy Sacraments and the proclamation of the Word, this ever-expanding love of neighbor is how God concretely communicates His presence to us (Deus Caritas Est, 25a). Pope St. John Paul II explained that this even influences how open we truly are to recognizing Christ in the Sacrament and the Word we receive at every Mass. “[B]y our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need we will be recognized as true followers of Christ,” he asserts. “This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged” (Mane Nobiscum Domine, no.28). This is why “Love in Action” is a fundamental principle our parishes are to prioritize through Beacons of Light. It encompasses all those beautiful and prophetic ministries of charity and social justice that help build a civilization of love in the world.

In my work at Catholic Charities, I witness Love in Action in parishes’ organized volunteerism to welcome refugee families as they resettle. I celebrate it in parishioners’ regular service to distribute food to hungry visitors at our food pantries. Love in Action is also lived out through ministries that support pregnant mothers in crisis and stand up for the lives of the unborn against abortion. We see it in letter-writing campaigns to state legislators to end the death penalty, in twinning relationships with mission parishes and in concerted efforts to reduce a church or school’s environmental footprint. As disparate as these examples may seem in our ideologically fragmented culture, they are all faithful expressions of the Church’s social doctrine that guide us in building a society where everyone cares for everyone.

Of course, these works of mercy that Love in Action encompasses are nothing new. But organizing for them in our new Families of Parishes certainly is! With a little bit of organization and intentionality, we can harness each member parish’s enthusiasm and resources toward a greater impact on the whole Family’s behalf.

An immediate goal in the Beacons of Light process is for every Family of Parishes to designate someone as a Love in Action Coordinator (or another title chosen by the Family). Additionally, from across a Family of Parishes, parishioners representing various charity and justice ministries should form a Love in Action Team that collaborates with the coordinator to envision how multiple Love in Action ministries might evolve and grow across the Family.

To train and support these leaders, Catholic Charities, archdiocesan staff and volunteers will offer a three-part series in multiple deaneries throughout next year: “A Vision for Love in Action: Building Communities of Salt & Light.” The training will provide a basic foundation in our Church’s teaching for these ministries and share available resources and models for organization. If you are involved in a Love in Action ministry or interested in joining one, I encourage you to attend one of these trainings. Keep an eye out for details when one comes to your deanery! May God bless our humble efforts to evangelize the divine presence through our actions of love.

TONY STIERITZ is the CEO of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio and Director of the Archdiocesan Department of Life, Human Dignity and Charity.

This article appeared in the December 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.