Living simply in this sense is not just about money. Many people are forced to live simply because they are on a low income, both in our own country and of course in the developing world. Instead, this is a challenge for all to reflect, celebrate and take action in order to work for justice, and to be happier in ourselves as a result. It’s about identifying what we need rather than grasping for more - sharing rather than hoarding.

Lots of organisations within the Church in England and Wales have already signed up to Live Simply, including CAFOD, the National Catholic Justice and Peace Network and Catholic Charismatic Renewal, creating a new network determined to transform our communities.

The inspiration behind Live Simply comes from the prophetic document, written by Pope Paul VI, On the Development of Peoples or Populorum Progressio. It lays out the social teaching of the Church in face of the growing poverty and injustice of the developing world. It is a clarion call for us to live a new kind of life, in a spirit of solidarity with the community, motivated by faith.

Some of its messages can be very hard for us to hear, even as charitable and well-meaning individuals. How does the following statement from St Ambrose make us feel, for example?
"You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor, but you are giving back what is theirs... You have been appropriating things that are meant to be for the common use of everyone."

The Live Simply project aims to bring such vital moral reflections to life in the Church today. In 1967, Pope Paul VI looked at the great challenges of the age and what the Church should be doing about them. It is urgent for us to do the same for our own times.

Many of us were part of the Make Poverty History campaign, which challenged the structural injustices that keep people in poverty. As a next step, Live Simply looks at our personal responsibility for creating transformation and change, both in ourselves and in the world. By living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor, we can help create a world in which human dignity is respected and everyone can reach their full potential. This would be true progress indeed, worth more than economic growth alone.

Find out more by contacting info@livesimply.org.uk or see website www.livesimply.org.uk.
Resources both for adults and young people to help your parish or group reflect, celebrate and act are now available. They include a National Youth Sunday Pack and an Advent Service with Leaders' Notes.

Housing Justice

Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action in the field of housing. It is active in over 35 communities, working through direct services of independent housing advice, resident-led regeneration, and through awareness-raising and campaigning programmes to influence policy-makers.

Poor housing and homelessness are key inequalities and exacerbate injustices for those who suffer them. Overcrowded, damp, or crime-ridden housing undermines family life, health, and contributes to family breakdown and failure to thrive - whether underachievement in education or difficulty in obtaining or keeping employment.

Homelessness is not only the rough sleepers in city doorways. There are many more 'hidden homeless',