To be civilized is to care for anyone who is broken in any way. We can directly care for some of the broken through acts of compassion.

Shared meals are not the same as before the pandemic, and this affects newcomers in a unique way. Eating together has always been a social glue. It is a way to almost physically share part of your story with someone else, to build trust, and to enjoy others’ company. It’s a community-building tool that is all the more missed when other supports are lacking.

The worldwide pandemic was declared a year ago on March 11, 2020. We asked our readers to share what they have learned, how they have changed, who has made their life better, and how their life will be different afterwards.

Please consider joining our efforts and help us bring other Christians to action, collectively leaning on our faith and bringing hope to our marginalized neighbours who need it most.

There is a danger, and a temptation, stalking us when we would endeavor to make ourselves more extraordinary than we are. That “extra-'' is God’s work alone.

“Peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, February 21, 1999, our cherished son, brother, and friend, Matthew Stanford Robison, was received into a state of happiness, and began his rest from troubles, care, and sorrow in the arms of his Savior and friend Jesus Christ.”

St. Nicholas saw his resources as a gift from God to be shared with the poor and marginalized; Santa Claus encourages us to focus on gifting primarily to our loved ones and friends.

We may never know the full outcomes of timely generous acts, but sometimes we are privileged enough to see ripples of their astonishing consequences.