December 22nd, 2025
“She Pondered” by Mattie Karr
Charity in All Things
By Josef Luciano
On Nextdoor, a social media network for neighborhoods, I saw a man had issued an alert: “CALLING ALL NEIGHBORS. BE AWARE. MASS PORCH PIRATING THIS MORNING!”
The man went on to explain how he witnessed, via his Zoom camera, two young men poaching a host of packages from his doorstep while another accomplice drove in a minivan alongside them, with the rear side doors wide open, as they loaded up. The man included a photo in his post and indicated he had every intention of filing a police report. It was a call to arms. The man urged his community to stay vigilant.
Several hours later, the man provided an update: “TY FOR CONFIRMING THE VEHICLE WAS THE BOY SCOUTS!” The two young men were collecting food donations as part of a holiday food drive. Neighbors had left their food donations outside for pickup. They had innocently mistaken his recent grocery delivery from Instacart or a similar service as a very generous donation. Upon hearing the revelation, the man took the news in stride: “I’M GLAD MY GROCERIES WENT TO A GOOD CAUSE!”
It dawned on me while reading the story how much of our lives are about perspective. I am reminded of Our Lady in this Gospel reading today, Luke 1:46-56, for which we get the Magnificat prayer: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
At the Annunciation, Mary doesn't receive Gabriel's message as a huge burden. Rather, she agrees to it and rejoices in the lifelong commitment, which includes trust in God during her journey to Egypt, her son's ministry, his suffering, and even holding his dead body at the crucifixion. This message is a call to action: we are encouraged to reflect on Mary's fiat and to live out our own “fiat” by responding generously to God's will in our own lives, even when it is difficult.
This is easier said than done. It is easy to perceive any slight or indiscretion as a personal attack on us. Our keyboard warrior culture inculcates it. Advent and Christmas remind us of a simple yet profound lesson: the importance of charity in all things, be it with respect to others or to ourselves.
As Saint Alphonsus Liguori notes in Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year:
"The princes of the earth disdain even to look at the rebel who comes to ask pardon; but God acts not in this manner with us: He will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him."
So take heart. Be encouraged. Do not forget to pray. God gives you the grace to pray. He gives it to us all. We need to be praying. Because that's how we get to grace: to be brave, to be upright, to seek after the heart of God and be in uniformity with his will. If you struggle with deep sin, you must be praying. You will overcome it.
Josef Luciano is a writer and copy editor who lives in NYC. To read more from Josef or to contact him directly, please visit JosefLuciano.com.
Mattie Karr is a sacred artist on a mission to help Jesus heal hearts through beauty! You can see more of her artwork at www.mattiekarr.com.
David Kruse is a musician, painter, and writer located somewhere between Ohio, Minnesota, and Australia.