This past Sunday, many of us took time to honor that special someone who taught us how to ride our first bicycle, change our first tire, catch our first baseball, and get through life without calling a plumber or asking for directions. Father’s Day was celebrated in 52 countries around the world, from Cuba to Greece to Afghanistan.

Reencontro is saving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Mozambique.

The Bible has some important things to say about the value of godly fathers. “A righteous man who walks in his integrity – How blessed are his sons after him.” (Prov. 20:7) Even the Trinity itself is described in terms of a Father-Son relationship.

Sadly, many children have never known a father’s love. Some are orphans, others abandoned, others imprisoned in a home life wrecked by drug and alcohol abuse. The absence of a father figure helps to perpetuate the cycle of poverty in countries where even healthy, intact families struggle to get by. That includes Mozambique, where Cross Catholic is working with a local ministry called Reencontro to provide shelter, food, clothing, health care, and emotional support for AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children.

Thirteen-year-old Alicia came to Reencontro after her father passed away and her family was thrown out on the street. The Catholic-led program gave Alicia’s family a place to stay, saved her little sister Lidia from severe and incapacitating malnutrition, and enrolled Alicia in a Catholic boarding school, where she has learned to trust in her heavenly father to supply all her needs.

“I used to think that I wanted to become a nurse, but now I feel that my vocation is to become a nun,” Alicia said. “So in the future, I want to dedicate my life to the service of the church and to those who suffer.”

Click here to learn more about how Cross Catholic is reaching out to fatherless and vulnerable children.

As I drive around town, it isn’t hard to find statues and buildings that have been erected to the affluent and famous.  One medical building’s pediatric wing is named for a philanthropist.  The same is true of the baseball stadium of a local university.  People have always found it satisfying to have their legacy “made permanent” by fashioning it in steel and stone.

We celebrate the life of Vic Gonsalves

And there’s no doubt that such monuments can do a lot of good.  They often provide a home for some useful service to the community.  Still, there is a legacy that, while less obvious, seems more profound to me.  It is the legacy of a life lived for others.

This week, Vic Gonsalves departed this world and left that kind of legacy behind.

Vic was one of the first employees of Cross International Catholic Outreach and he came out of retirement to accept that role.  He was responsible for seeing that shipments of food, medicines and other important materials were properly shipped overseas and effectively distributed to the poor.  It was a job he did well, because he did it for the Lord and because he cared about the poor families who relied on his help.

Those families are Vic’s legacy.  Some are children who will live out better lives thanks to his commitment and generosity.  Others, the elderly, passed on to heaven before Vic, and we are sure that they welcomed him into their midst.  They are the friends Christ describes in Luke 14…

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

And again in Luke 16:

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Today, in glory, Vic is among those friends, celebrating and looking down on the children living out better lives, thanks to the role he has played at Cross.  We give thanks for Vic and for the legacy he has left us – a legacy in more than stone.

Anyone watching the stock market in the past few days knows what a volatile place the financial world is these days. The same is true in politics and world events. In less than a year, a crisis in Turkey has sent shock waves through the entire European Union, and analysts expect a bigger “storm” to come.

Because we are designed by God (unlike the fallible things we create), our closeness to God offers us a unique opportunity to find shelter in this broken world

It is pretty clear that humanity’s faith in financial, political, and international leaders is being challenged — and rightly so. Frankly, these people, nations, and practices have always been fallible because they have been human at their core.  They are as susceptible to the influences of sin as we are ourselves.

In the midst of this turmoil, a friend of mine has just announced a miraculous event — the birth of his daughter.  He shared his joy with me, and sent along pictures of the beautiful girl he and his wife named “Maia.”  He pointed out that the name, unbeknownst to him when it was chosen, means “close to God” in Hebrew.

Considering the condition of the world, I smiled at the irony of that.  Given how traumatic, dangerous, and unpredictable the world is these days, this newborn child reminds us that we should all remain very “close to God.” Because we are designed by God (unlike the fallible things we create), our closeness to God offers us a unique opportunity to find shelter in this broken world and to be enveloped in his perfection, purpose, and peace.

As a Catholic charity, we believe it is important to carry this belief into the mission field too.  We approach the poor with the knowledge that they can find refuge from their plight by drawing closer to God. We share this important truth with them, and we work with priests and nuns overseas to play a role in that ministry too.

This world will never be perfect while sinful humans taint its economy, politics and culture, but we can thank God that all is not lost as long as our Lord stands ready to empower and guide us. That is as true for baby Maia as it is for you, me, and those we minister to overseas. As our Lord expressed it in Matthew 7:24:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

May we all remember this powerful promise as the man-made storms rage overhead!

On Thursday, many Christians spent some extra time talking to God while our country observed the National Day of Prayer. The tradition was formally established by Congress in 1952 but has precedents going all the way back to 1775, when the Continental Congress declared “a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”

Today, many Catholics will spend some extra time talking to God while our country observes the National Day of Prayer.

Of course, we can have a conversation with God on any day of the year. Prayer has always played a central role in the life and faith of Catholics. Jesus himself prayed to the Father on a regular basis and taught his disciples to do the same, and you could fill a library with the books that have been written during just the last few decades on how to pray, what to pray, where to pray it and why.

Here at Cross International Catholic Outreach, we begin each workday with a time of prayer and devotions. From a worldly perspective, this might seem like a colossal waste of time and a loss of productivity. But from a heavenly perspective, a conversation with God is the most important “business meeting” we can have. It keeps us focused on the right priorities, reminds us of our dependence on God’s goodness, and opens doors to blessings. We pray for our ministry partners, our friends, relatives, the poor, and prayer requests from donors.

Prayer is also a big part of the ministries we support. Any secular charity can give food to the hungry or medicine to the sick; but our partners do their work in a context of Christian fellowship and heartfelt prayer that imparts real, lasting hope to the poor and suffering

Check out our “God is at the Office” statement to learn more about Cross Catholic’s spiritual focus.

If you’ve ever wondered where the most religious place on earth is, a new study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has an answer: sub-Saharan Africa. More specifically, the countries south of the Sahara Desert and north of South Africa.

The sisters at Kabulonga Cheshire Home are impacting African society with Catholic moral values and the love of Christ.

Researchers found that a large majority of Africans consider religion “very important.” But the more interesting find has to do with which religions they are practicing. Just a century ago, traditional indigenous beliefs dominated the region. But Christian missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, have turned the tables to the point that one in five of the world’s Christians now lives in sub-Saharan Africa!

This reversal is great testimony to the effectiveness of evangelism, but it’s not the whole story. In many cases, indigenous African beliefs, such as sacrifices to ancestors, have been incorporated into their newfound Christianity. A man might go to Mass on Sunday and then on Monday earn a living as a witch doctor. And as the infamous Rwanda genocide has shown, the tribal violence that plagued pre-evangelized Africa continues to be a problem.

How should we as Catholics respond to this? Deep, sincere faith cannot be forced, but God has given us the tools to be an effective witness, and one of those tools is the simple act of loving our neighbors. That’s what is happening at Kabulonga Cheshire Home in Zambia, where the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi are providing care for children with birth defects and physical disabilities. The love and compassion the children experience is in stark contrast to their previous lives of loneliness and isolation in a country where disabilities carry a heavy stigma. Now the children do not have to be ashamed, and they have learned that there is a God in heaven who accepts them the way they are.

Cross International is an enthusiastic partner and supporter of Kabulonga Cheshire Home. Click here to find out how you can help the sisters impact Africa with Christ’s love.

For many people, St. Patrick’s Day is a time to wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage, and have a night out with friends. But behind all the merrymaking is a story of a 4th century missionary whose life exemplified the kind of self-sacrificial love we strive to emulate here at Cross.

A stained-glass depiction of St. Patrick, who converted Ireland to Christianity in the 5th century.

Before St. Patrick came to Ireland voluntarily as a preacher of the gospel, he came in shackles as a slave. This injustice could have embittered Patrick toward the Irish people, who had kidnapped him from his homeland in Britain. But after escaping on a boat and vowing never again to set foot in Ireland, God gave Patrick a supernatural compassion for his pagan captors who desperately needed Christ.

It’s easy to have compassion on a friend, or on those who suffer by no fault of their own. But Cross Catholic aims to do more than this, because when we come across people who do not share our values or faith and who have made choices that have worsened their situation, Christ’s radical love compels us to show mercy. We are called not only to serve those who are kind, hard-working, intelligent, and attractive, but also those who are rough around the edges, difficult to look at, and unlikely to thank us for our help.

The question isn’t whether the needy deserve our compassion, but whether Christ deserves our obedience. When Cross Catholic provides houses for poor families living in the Filipino slums, the houses go to those who need them most, without discrimination. We give to everyone as if we were giving to Christ himself. In Ethiopia, our rehabilitation program for handicapped children has been a great opportunity for local Catholics to build bridges to people of other faiths and has resulted in a positive relationship with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. When Catholics reach out in love to their neighbors, it makes people eager to learn why we do what we do.

Now that Lent has begun, Catholics are spending even more time in prayer and fasting in the weeks leading up to Easter, when we will celebrate our Savior’s resurrection.

There’s a tradition that during Lent, we are supposed to give up a particular luxury we enjoy, such as unhealthy foods or even television. But this year, some Christian religious leaders are calling for a slightly different approach: don’t just give something up – give it away. Reach out with your time and talents to others in need.

“Remember all the gifts God has given you,” suggests a recent Catholic Digest article. “Imitate God’s generosity by increasing your offering to your parish and to outside charities, and keep it up throughout the coming year.”

Lent is a great opportunity for believers to bless others while denying themselves. We can turn our thoughts not only to the needs of the neighbor across the street, but also to the poor and downtrodden around the world. Of course, not everyone can personally travel to a faraway land to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but those of us who stay home have an important role to play in supporting those who go.

At Cross International Catholic Outreach, our mission partners simply could not do what they do without the generous giving of our Catholic donors. Whether you choose to feed orphans at the Impaputo Children’s Center in Mozambique or build houses for poor families in the Philippines, your gifts make a real difference. Check out our online project catalog to see how you can be a blessing in someone’s life today!

If you haven’t read Pope Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), we suggest you take a look. It’s long, but well worth your time.

What’s amazing is that the Holy Father’s letter is even winning praise from evangelical Protestants, as you can see for yourself in a recent Christianity Today editorial. Caritas in Veritate focuses on the idea that love comes from God, and that the acceptance of God’s truth leads us to love our neighbor and seek social progress:

Cross Catholic supports the Working Boys' Center in Ecuador, where poor children get food, education, and the message of Christ's love.

Truth, and the love which it reveals, cannot be produced; they can only be received as a gift. Their ultimate source is not, and cannot be, mankind, but only God, who is himself Truth and Love.

Some people question why charity work should be tied to religious faith, as it is here at Cross Catholic. But the fact is that our love for God is what motivates us to love others. The “Catholic” in our name is not just a word we tack on for no reason: it’s a word that expresses why, and also how, we do what we do.

For example, at the Working Boys’ Center in Ecuador, the meals we provide for poor shoeshine boys and their families are given in a context that also builds faith and moral values. The families aren’t required to be Catholic, but Fr. John Halligan, who runs the Center, is very open about his beliefs. He holds daily Mass in the cafeteria, and also catechism classes; and though the religious aspect is optional, most of the families choose to participate.

It’s important to meet the immediate physical needs of the poor. But only the power of Christ can overcome destructive behaviors such as alcoholism and drug addiction that often exacerbate their poverty and trap them in despair. Real progress begins with God.

Click here to learn more about the spiritual focus of our service to the poorest of the poor.