Catholic means universal

I was taught from my earliest memory that Catholic means universal.  The Catholic Church that I grew up and made the sacraments in embraced that idea.  We were taught to be tolerant, and loving.  We were taught that part of our Christian duty was to evangelize, but we were not encouraged to denigrate or denounce other religions.

Religions were made by man to help us understand and deepen our relationship with God.  I believe in a God of love, and because of that, my religious belief system is rooted in love.  That prevents me from criticizing any religion or religious practice based in love.  I believe we are all children of God.  I believe that whatever helps anyone become closer to God, anything that helps anyone hear and understand God's messages to them, if that message is of love, is fine.

My books are very much steeped in Catholicism.  I've always been told to write what you know, and being Catholic is what I know.  But I try in my books to embrace that bigger meaning of Catholic.  I try to visit universal elements of our humanity.  Our love of family.  Our distress when we see injustice.  Our comfort in community.  Our endless capacity for good words and good works.

The world is very scary right now.  We have been enduring a pandemic for two years.  There is war raging in Ukraine.  There are humanitarian crises in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, South Sudan and Somalia; to name the most prominent.

Hunger and poverty continue to plague many in our world.  Human rights violations persist around the world.  It can all be overwhelming.

The most we can do, and the least we can do, is love.  Love those we don't know and pray for them.   Love those we do know despite disagreements.  The universal good we can do is to act with love at all times.  Bite back the unkind words.  Don't post the unkind meme.  Resist the argument.

The only thing we can really control is our response.  Start a tide of loving response with your words and actions.  Challenge the people in your world to do the same.  And pray.  Both for an end to suffering and war, and for an increase in love.