‘Witnesses of God’s Tenderness’

Dec. 1, 2025

Christ’s humble birth in Bethlehem draws our attention to those most in need of love

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

Dec. 1, 2025

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly (Photo by Michael Collopy)

As we approach Christmas, my thoughts naturally turn to my visit to the Holy Land this fall with our supreme chaplain, Archbishop William Lori, and Supreme Secretary John Marrella. We were joined by Msgr. Peter Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association–Pontifical Mission. During this Jubilee Year of Hope, our purpose was to bring a message of hope and solidarity to those suffering Christian communities deeply impacted by the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.

One of our most memorable stops was the Holy Family Children’s Home in Bethlehem. Operated by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the home provides a loving atmosphere for about 50 abandoned children. These children come from a variety of difficult circumstances. Some are newborns dropped off anonymously on the doorstep. Others have parents who are unable to care for them. Still others are victims of abuse and have been placed in the home by local authorities. Regardless of their background, the sisters provide what the children need the most: the healing that comes from a loving home and a genuine sense of belonging.

The sisters’ work is difficult. I could see it on their faces. No one is poorer or more vulnerable than an abandoned child — especially in a land torn apart by social and political conflict. Yet the sisters give the children a new life and the sense of security every child needs. And perhaps for the first time in their lives, the children have hope. This was evident to me in the joyful sounds of laughter and play echoing through the courtyard.

This is the heart of what it means to be a Knight of Columbus — to be attentive to the needs of others and never closed in on ourselves.

In his homily during Mass for the Jubilee of the Poor last month, Pope Leo reflected on the many forms of poverty that plague our world — material, moral and spiritual. He observed that they all share a common thread, a tragedy that cuts through all of them — the experience of loneliness. To break down the “walls of loneliness,” the Holy Father said, we must foster a “culture of attention.” That is, we must “be attentive to others, to each person, wherever we are, wherever we live, transmitting this attitude within our families, living it out in the workplace … in different communities, in the digital world, everywhere, reaching out to the marginalized and becoming the witnesses of God’s tenderness.”

This is the heart of what it means to be a Knight of Columbus — to be attentive to the needs of others and never closed in on ourselves. The Order was founded precisely to look outward — to care for widows, orphans, the vulnerable and the marginalized. Just as God does not abandon us in our hardships, we must never abandon others in theirs. Christ implores us: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).

As we journey through the Advent season and draw closer to Christmas and the conclusion of this great Jubilee Year of Hope, let us remember that Jesus Christ himself is the true author of our hope. He can break down the walls of our loneliness and give us the grace to be attentive to the real needs of others. He does not abandon us. He came as one of us to save us — poor and vulnerable, born in a Bethlehem manger in a time of great turmoil.

St. Paul writes, “For your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Christ came to offer us a new way — the Good News, which has the power to heal us and free us from the power of sin and death. May we open our hearts wide to the riches of his grace, attentive to ways we can generously share this wealth with our neighbors in need.

Vivat Jesus!

‘Witnesses of God’s Tenderness’

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