Love is more about giving than receiving and is best expressed through action, not words, Pope Francis said. God's love, in fact, can only be experienced by people willing to let go of their egos and humbly let God take the lead, allowing him take their hand like a loving father with his children, the pope said in his homily June 27. Celebrating the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Francis focused his homily on the heart of Jesus and his immense love. "One can say that today is the feast of God's love in Jesus Christ, of God's love for us, of God's love in us," he said during an early morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The pope said, "There are two aspects of love. First, love is more about giving than receiving. Second, love is more about deeds than words," he said, according to Vatican Radio. Love is always given or transmitted to another, he said, and "love always gives life, fosters growth."

The goal of Life Teen "is to completely transform the idea of what youth ministry is in our church and what it can be," said the director of events for the Mesa-based organization. "It needs to be more dynamic. It's not meant to be boring, but to be an experience on Sunday night and not just a class," said Stephen Lenahan. "Everything in our church is so grand, why not for our youth on a Sunday night by showing them the beauty of our church?" Lenahan, who works in Life Teen's Atlanta office, made the comments to The Catholic Sun, newspaper of the Phoenix Diocese, during the organization's mid-June conference in in Scottsdale. The annual Catholic Youth Ministry Training Convention, sponsored by Mesa-based Life Teen Inc., was an opportunity for new and seasoned leaders to be renewed and affirmed in their ministry. The conference had as its "Inspire," and it didn't disappoint the 700 attendees with its 60 breakout sessions lead by well-known youth leaders offering practical and comprehensive training. Topics ranged from how to balance a budget and lead a youth group meeting to relational ministry and dynamic environments.

There's a dark, little-discussed side to large groups of people gathering for big sporting and other events -- from the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the annual College World Series in Omaha. It is an increase in human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking. During the June 14-24 baseball tournament, Catholic-related groups and other organizations planned to lead prayer sessions to raise awareness and bring the power of prayer to the issue. The prayer series is an ecumenical effort supported by the Archdiocese of Omaha. "The CWS is an exciting event for Omaha, but sex trafficking increases, with young girls trafficked into our hotels and motels," said Sister Celeste Wobeter, a Notre Dame Sister who helped organize the prayer series, with representatives of a number of faiths leading sessions in two-hour blocks from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at a Salvation Army chapel. People have been invited to join in the prayer at the chapel at any time, for whatever length of time they can, Sister Wobeter said. A website was created for the effort.

Marriage is -- "and can only ever be" -- a relationship "solely between one man and one woman, regardless of the decision of a judge or any vote," said Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison. "This is not based on any private sectarian viewpoint, but on the natural moral law that is universally binding on all peoples, at all times, and inscribed into our human nature, as man and woman from the beginning of creation," he said. Bishop Morlino made the comments in response to a late June 6 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb, who declared as unconstitutional a 2006 amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that outlawed same-sex marriage. Almost immediately, county clerk offices in Wisconsin began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Crabb was to decide later whether she would stay her decision while an appeal moved through the courts. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked an appeals court to stop such marriages while he appeals Crabb's decision. The American Civil Liberties Union sued Wisconsin ultimately on behalf of eight same-sex couples. It argued the state ban on same-sex marriage violated the plaintiffs' constitutional rights to equal protection and due process. In a June 9 statement, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, public policy arm of the state's bishops, said that with an appeal to be filed with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Crabb's ruling "is not the last word on the subject."

The Catholic Church must establish a presence in the digital world of communications or risk being at the margins of people's lives, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. "If the church is not present and does not share the good news of God's love for all people in this world, then we risk becoming marginal to the lives of many and are failing our mission to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth," Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli told more than 250 people at the Brooklyn Diocese's annual celebration of World Communications Day. The May 22 event was organized by the DeSales Media Group, the parent company of The Tablet, the diocesan newspaper. Many dioceses mark World Communications Day June 1. This year's theme is "Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter." Before the archbishop's keynote address, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Msgr. Kieran Harrington, president of DeSales, presented Archbishop Celli with the group's St. Francis de Sales Award. Archbishop Celli was honored for being instrumental in starting Pope Benedict XVI's Twitter account (@Pontifex), now handled by Pope Francis. He also oversaw the creation of the Pope App, which allows followers to receive updates regarding important papal events.

Father God, we come to you today to ask that you send strong and pure young men and women forward to lead your Church on earth. Lord, we need dedicated men who will carry your message and build your Church. Inspire men to come forward and embrace the priesthood as their vocation. Holy Spirit, enter the hearts of young women and lead them to the call of sisterhood as religious women of faith. Continue to use lay men and women as your vessels. Help us to lead with clarity and humility modeled by Blessed Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II. Send forth the trumpet blast that will bring forth these leaders and continue your work on earth. In the stillness and solitude, whisper in the ears of those who will respond and convince those who are struggling with the worldliness of our current culture. Father we ask all of this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen!

Although Christ ascended into heaven, he remains present in a new form through the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit in order to accompany and guide people in their daily lives, Pope Francis said. Because, "by ourselves, without Jesus, we can't do anything," he said at his Regina Coeli address to those gathered in St. Peter's Square on June 1, the day the feast of the Ascension was celebrated in Italy and many other countries. The feast day comes 40 days after Easter and commemorates Jesus' ascension into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God. But some countries, like Italy, observe the feast day the following Sunday. Pope Francis said Jesus returns to heaven to open the way and "show us that the destination of our journey is the Father." But Jesus still "remains present and operates in human history with the power and gifts of his Spirit; he is by the side of each one of us; even if we don't see him with our eyes," he said.