Of service and celebration in regard to grace, charity

' Let us be generous, remembering always that the salvation of many souls is entrusted to our charity.'

It's near-impossible to walk the streets of Manhattan — or any other major American city — without running into a woman on the sidewalk begging for money. She may have a sign that she is a mother, explaining how many children she has. She may have a child or two right there with her.

With every such encounter, I think of a woman who is about to be seen on theater screens: Francesca Saverio Cabrini.…