August 17, 2025
Dear Most Holy Trinity Family,
“I have come to set the world on fire, and how I wish that it were already blazing.”
(Luke 12:49)
In this sentence from Luke’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus’s desire to set the world on fire. I am not sure what you hear in these words, but I hear in them a longing to end wars and other social injustices. Those of us who have been Baptized and Confirmed received the fire from the Holy Spirit. Thus, with the grace of God, we can carry the flame given to us at our Baptism and Confirmation to set the world on fire with the same holy desire that burns within Jesus.
I want to thank all the supporters of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at MHT, because in supporting this program, you are engaged in the ministry of social justice. Those of you who contribute financially and/or volunteer your time are engaged in providing food and supporting economic justice. I thank you for your giving and serving, because you do it with kindness, joy, and with the desire to end all social injustice.
As you know, the Church has a long history and commitment to social justice concerns. As a result, within the body of documents of Catholic social teaching, seven principal themes stand out:
1. The Life and Dignity of the Human Person
2. The Call to Family, Community, and Participation
3. Rights and Responsibilities
4. The Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
6. Solidarity
7. The Care for God’s Creation
Moreover, if you read the decrees of the different General Congregations of the Society of Jesus, you will find out that the Society of Jesus also adopted the same interest for social justice concerns. Catholic social teaching is rooted in Scripture, and the Pastoral Plan of the Diocese of San José has included it among the priorities and objectives of the plan because these are part of the building blocks of the Catholic tradition.
So, when you gather to pray, study Scripture, or participate in faith sharing, try to make Catholic social teaching part of your prayer and reflection so that we may continue to keep the flame that we received at our Baptism and Confirmation burning with the same holy desire that Jesus has for a society free of war, hunger, discrimination, greed, and so many other social evils.
May the fire of the Holy Spirit continue to burn brightly in our hearts and in our works.
In Christ,
Fr. Elias Puentes, SJ
Pastor
