The pace of news from all over the world in recent days—including the promising steps towards peace in the Middle East—is so dizzying that you may have skimmed over the release of Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, “Dilexi Te,” on Oct 9^th.

While we haven’t yet had time to do a careful reading of this 20,000-word summons—in Pope Leo XIV’s own words—“that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor,” we’re happy to share 5 initial impressions and takeaways for your consideration:

1. Small Gestures of Love Matter

Quote: “No sign of affection, even the smallest, will ever be forgotten, especially if it is shown to those who are suffering, lonely or in need, as was the Lord at that time” (4).  

Challenge: Don’t underestimate the power of small acts—a gentle touch when your spouse is stressed, sitting with a child who’s had a hard day, being attuned to those in your family. These gestures, like the woman’s anointing of Jesus, bring profound comfort.

2. Practice Hospitality as a Family

Quote: In a parable cited in the exhortation, Jesus said, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (27).

Challenge: Look for ways to practice hospitality as a family without expectation of returns—invite the lonely neighbor, the struggling single parent, a family that is on the margins of your parish. Teach your children that your home and dinner table reflects God’s Kingdom.

3. Stop and See the Person

Quote: “If I encounter a person sleeping outdoors on a cold night, I can view him or her as an annoyance, an idler, an obstacle in my path… Or I can respond with faith and charity, and see in this person a human being with a dignity identical to my own, a creature infinitely loved by the Father, an image of God, a brother or sister redeemed by Jesus Christ” (cf. Pope Francis, 106).

Challenge: When you are on an errand or out in the community with one of your children and you encounter someone in need, pause rather than hurrying past. If possible, model for your children how to draw near to those less fortunate, acknowledging their humanity and having a conversation. These moments teach more than any “lecture” we may give our children about Christ’s call to love our neighbor.

4. Give Together, Grow Together

Quote: “Almsgiving will touch and soften our hardened hearts… We need to give alms as a way of reaching out and touching the suffering flesh of the poor” (119).

Challenge: Establish a family practice of regular giving—a change jar for donations, monthly support of a specific cause, or direct giving to someone in need. Let your children participate in deciding how to give. Generosity practiced together forms generous hearts.

5. Let the Poor Teach Your Family

Quote: “We must ‘let ourselves be evangelized’ by the poor and acknowledge ‘the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them’” (102).

Challenge: Create opportunities for your family to learn from those with less—volunteer together at a food bank or befriend a family in difficult circumstances. Afterward, highlight what you learned from serving the poor and less fortunate together.

Looking for when to discuss one of the challenges above as a family? Your dinner table, time of evening family prayer, or a drive to a sports practice are three prime times when you can initiate, lead, and set the tone, helping your family decide on how to answer Jesus’ summons to care for the poor.

Dilexi Te is far more than the above quotes and challenges, and it will undoubtedly reward any and all who prayerfully read and reflect upon it. As we lead our children heavenward, may our love for the poor deepen daily. May the corporal and spiritual works of mercy carried out by our own domestic church—or Trinity House—be part and parcel of our daily lives. And may we, aware of our own poverty, grow ever-closer to Jesus Christ, present in the poor around us.