The principle of solidarity is a fundamental theme of Catholic Social Teaching and reminds us that we are one human family our brothers' and sisters' keepers. It calls us to pursue justice throughout the world, no matter how distant the issues may seem.

Solidarity involves a shared understanding between people. Thus we must think in terms of both giving and receiving, so that can see the face of the poor and recognize the human dignity of people who live, work and pray with a family, just as we do.

Through the gifts of the Spirit we learn to do this, but in so doing we face many challenges.

• We must lose our preconceptions of the poor. They are not less than us nor incapable of taking care of themselves or their families. They may have had different opportunities. So, we ask ourselves: How do we fit into the reality of the poor?
• We must remember that the human dignity with which each one of us is endowed means that we have a responsibility to share our, resources - to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick and work for justice for everyone.
• We must recognize that circumstances for people in a particular area or country will be different. We cannot and should not try to re-make an individual into our own image.
• We must forget how isolated we are from the poor and begin to understand that we can take action in support of the poor.
• We must begin to realize that we are called to go and be the guests of the poor, recognizing that we gain tremendously from what the poor share with us.

We must come to know the poor as people. They, too, teach us and we are converted.