Re-sparked hope
The April issue on hope strengthened and re-sparked my hope which often weakens and wobbles in the face of all the sufferings going on around the world which many times leave me feeling very helpless as I watch the news.
Now I am more convinced than ever that I must continue to love in the present moment and pray for peace, harmony, reconciliation to come to humanity. I’m uniting my prayers to those of all my brothers and sisters who are living and working for a united world, which will come in God’s time and in God’s way.
— Shirley Tetreau, Toronto, Canada
Food justice
The article “Food justice, globally and locally: visiting Pope Francis’ farm store” in the February issue inspired my husband Mark and I to visit the store recently during our recent trip to Castel Gandolfo, Italy to attend a meeting for families.
We enjoyed the short walk to the store along the paved path to Pope Francis’ farm in Albano and then showed the Living City magazine to local residents to help locate the store. We purchased some yogurt and were given some cheese during our visit (local produce was not yet in season) and were then able to share with our new friends at the meeting. The Vatican guard was also able to give us some information about the farm. Thank you for the article that inspired our visit.
— Collette Davis, Sunbury, Ohio
The pope and the poor
As I read the March issue, I was struck by Pope Francis’ recognition of the Economy of Communion as a valuable approach to eliminating the scandal of gross political and economic inequality among brothers and sisters in the people of God.
He focuses serious concern on three things: money, poverty and the future.
For a just and fair sharing of money, something spiritual must be added: honesty. I have lived long enough to have known charities entrusted with a “trust” that was not trustworthy, which can break the heart of the donor. It is naïve, if not worse, not to beware!
— Fr. Julian Stead O.S.B., Newport, RI
Source of hope
That latest issue focusing on hope made me realize that believing in the love of God,
who is beneath everything that happens to us, is our source of hope, as underlined by many life stories shared from Nora Henschen’s accident to Dee Wilson’s illness.
I shared the magazine with the mother of a terminally ill patient I have.
And the March article on robots replacing human workers made me realize that, despite the fact that we have the option of ordering goods online, it’s better to go to the store to purchase stuff when you can. Human contact is far better than devices.
So when I needed to purchase a book, I got it from a nearby bookstore where I could browse for books, enjoy a cup of coffee and have that exchange of words with the cashier.
— Augie Rillera, Texas
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