Post #4: What’s in a name?

April 12, 2021

Dear Reader,

If this blog post’s title sounds familiar, give credit to Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980), who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement, including the Catholic Worker paper. 

Dorothy Day was largely unfamiliar to me until I read her autobiography, “The Long Loneliness”.  Her story was highly engaging. I easily pictured a strong woman who had the zeal of a prophet, the intellect of a philosopher, and the compassion of a saint. 

Day was a journalist, social activist, and anarchist; however, what held my intrigue was how she eventually embraced Catholicism despite early struggles with faith. Before entering the Church, Day deliberately pushed God out of her mind and ran toward her socialistic views. Fortunately, she was a prolific reader.  It appears that grace’s work mediated faith through her desire to know, read, and think. Day read various religious books; these texts introduced her to Jesus and his Gospel message.  Day became a social justice pioneer who championed the Catholic social teaching principle regarding the preferential option for the poor. Day’s journey through life sought to ease suffering by assuming a life of voluntary poverty; she found her place with and among the poor through a call to live the Gospel message. Her love was found and expressed in community.  Dorothy Day fully grasped what it means to be part of the Body of Christ. 

So, when various names were considered options for this blog, none expressed so clearly my intentions than “The Catholic Thinker Movement.” The word ‘Catholic’ was both evident and fitting. The word ‘thinker’ was appropriate because the action of the mind is to think.  The word ‘movement’ clearly expresses the generated momentum of an active intellect, which I wanted to inspire. 

Some final thoughts:  The action of the will is to choose; the action of the mind is to think; the action of the heart is to love; and the action of the Catholic Christian is to serve:  What is your call in the mission?  How can you choose, know, love, and serve the poor among us?