Now is not the time for indifference—but this is not a message of guilt. Many of us are already showing up. We volunteer. We donate. We check in on neighbors. We offer kindness where it’s needed most. And yet, as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 25:35—“for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”—there may come moments when we are called to stretch our hearts a little wider. Not because we haven’t done enough, but because love never stops at “enough.” Compassion invites us deeper, especially in times like these when the needs around us are so great.
The suffering is real, and it is urgent. Refugees seeking safety are turned away or left waiting in limbo. Workers clock in long hours but still can’t afford groceries. Elderly neighbors sit in silence, longing for connection in a world that seems to have moved on without them. These stories are not rare—they’re all around us. They call us not to despair, but to action. Jesus doesn’t ask us to save the world singlehandedly; he calls us to respond when we see hunger, thirst, loneliness, and need. That response, even in small ways, is how we live the Gospel with our hands and hearts.
This is a message of encouragement and invitation. You’re already doing sacred work—thank you. But if you feel that quiet nudge to do more, trust it. A visit to an elder, a meal for a struggling family, a warm welcome to someone who feels like a stranger—these acts transform lives. They build communities where everyone belongs. They proclaim that love still leads. This is the urgency of compassion—not to overwhelm us, but to inspire us. The time to act is now. Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep loving, together.