To this day, I can recall watching “Predators of the Mara,” a rerun of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the early 1980s. In that episode, a cheetah chases down and kills a young wildebeest. It is a remarkably brutal scene of struggle for the wildebeest to get free from the cat’s jaws locked on its neck. The horror I felt as I watched one animal kill another was tempered only by the calming voice of Marlin Perkins, who explained that the herd was ultimately stronger because predators in the Maasai Mara National Reserve helped to cull the sick and the weak. This was natural selection — survival of the fittest.

Over 10 years ago, as I was preparing to come to work for Catholic Charities, a friend suggested I read “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation. In those pages, I found not only an articulation of Catholic Social Teaching that would provide the practical foundation for the work of Catholic Charities, but also the honest voice of love and mercy that Pope Francis brought to the world. In that way, he has always felt like a guide in this work, and, like so many, I am deeply saddened by his passing.

Christmas is amazing. It is a homage to the singular, foundational event of Christianity, yet it is celebrated and promoted by people worldwide, regardless of faith.  In the United States, it is the only religious day that is also a federal holiday. Whether you go to midnight Mass, Christmas Eve service, or make a point to say “Happy holidays,” if you engage with the holiday season, you are acknowledging the birth of Christ. And regardless of what you believe in that respect, you cannot deny the central importance of the implications of that idea.

In 2005, the singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier released her fourth solo album, “Mercy Now.” The title song is a somber plea for mercy in our families, church, and nation. If you don’t know this song, you should stop reading and go find it on whichever music service you use and give it a listen. In the last line, Gauthier sings, “Every single one of us could use some mercy now.”

We live in an emotional time.  Our culture is increasingly shaped by those whose voices are the loudest and whose emotions are the strongest.  Loud voices and strong emotions are fine, but only if they are governed by reason and truth.

Immigration is a topic that triggers a strong emotional response for many people. Previously, Bishop Golka addressed “The Both/And of Immigration.”  In this issue he writes about the Church’s take on the common good. I’d like to share how Catholic Charities of Central Colorado works toward the common good and to dispel some myths about the work we do.