NATION/WORLD

When President Lyndon Johnson declared a "war on poverty" in his 1964 State of the Union address, few then expected just what it would take to wipe out domestic poverty. Fifty years later, acknowledging the task in front of them, Catholic and political leaders alike have stated their intent to lessen poverty in the United States.

With a huge swath of the United States — from the upper Midwest to the Atlantic Seaboard — alternating between one-two punches of cold snaps and snowstorms, everybody's talking about the weather. Catholic service providers are also doing something about the increased need for emergency services that such weather brings.

The pope made the remarks at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Jan. 6 on the feast of the Epiphany, which marks the manifestation of Jesus as savior to the world. In his homily, the pope said that life is a journey, and like the three Wise Men, or Magi, people are looking for the "fullness of truth and of love which we Christians recognize in Jesus, the light of the world."

True faith is marked by the daring desire to change the world with the loving heart of Jesus, Pope Francis said as he celebrated the feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus at the Church of the Gesu, the Jesuits' main church in Rome Jan. 3. The Mass was also a celebration of thanksgiving for the recent canonization of St. Peter Faber, a founding member of the Society of Jesus and the first of the Jesuits to be ordained a priest.

In the midst of their New Year's Eve celebration with low-income elderly residents, the Baltimore-based Little Sisters of the Poor learned that the Supreme Court issued an injunction temporarily protecting them from the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate.

Philadelphia photographer Matthew Christopher strongly believes in restoring abandoned buildings, but says if a structure is going to be demolished, it should at least be documented.

They drive around the surrounding neighborhoods where street prostitution is active. They try to meet people's basic needs, offering food, first aid and personal care items. Perhaps more importantly, they listen to their stories, often tales of sexual abuse as children and feelings of being unloved and feeling hopeless.

Fr. Jan Michael Joncas has composed more than 300 liturgical songs, but his name is widely known for the one that tops a list of favorites: "On Eagle's Wings."

Observing the feast of the church's first martyr, Pope Francis prayed for Christians suffering persecution and discrimination around the world, even in countries that nominally honor religious liberty.

Celebrating the first Christmas since his election, Pope Francis preached the goodness and tenderness of God, and prayed that men and women around the world would allow God's grace to transform them into peacemakers.