The most precious time of the day for me is when I sit down to have dinner with my family. I tell my children that no matter where we were throughout the day or what we experienced, we are blessed to be able to come together and share stories over a meal.

Now, because it’s my favorite time does not mean it’s my kid’s favorite time. They’re known to roll their eyes or give short answers when asked about the best and worst parts of their day and are often eager to leave the table to find neighborhood friends or hide in their rooms. However, I remain adamant that we take our time and try to enjoy each other’s company. My children are still young, and I’m already amazed at how much our time together has diminished. I hope they’ll look back one day and recognize how important it was that we were intentional about bonding.

Being the new guy at work has reminded me how important it is for all of us to feel that we belong. I firmly believe that people’s longing to feel connection and understanding but not finding it is a major source of the distress and anxiety in our world. This is why the Catholic community’s power and beauty are so important: Families are the building blocks of society, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

As Catholic Christians, we know where to find others who will share our joys, struggles, and deepest hopes. Each Sunday at Mass we are surrounded by like-minded, faithful people who encourage us when we struggle, celebrate our joys with us, and remind us that God is with us no matter what we are going through. Genesis’ first chapters reveal that we are not made to be alone—we are made to be in communion with God and each other. We can’t make it alone. We need each other, and God designed it that way. We’re all part of something much bigger than ourselves.

A beauty of the Catholic Church is that everyone belongs. Sadly, there are many people out there who don’t know that. We—today’s disciples—must work harder to bring more people in to see.

To be missionary disciples we must model our actions on Jesus Christ. We read in the gospels that He took time to build relationships with people, shared meals with people, and welcomed people who were looking to belong. He never stopped seeking others. To imitate Him, we can start simply by asking: “How can my family and I work to make our parish a more welcoming place?”

When strangers walk into our churches, do they find a vibrant, loving Catholic community in action? Do they see happy faces on people who aren’t afraid to praise God and sing openly and joyfully? Do they feel welcomed and noticed? I found the smallest gestures made a big difference. Give people a smile or a handshake, move to the pew’s center so others feel invited to sit next to you, refrain from rushing out, and in the gathering space or outside, introduce new people to your friends. These little acts of love can go a long way.

Life can be challenging. So many people are suffering and need a place to go to ease the burden. While we can’t escape trials and tribulations, our faith tells us we were never meant to go it alone. No matter what, we always have the Lord with us. And even if there’s no family close by—or at all—the Church is our family. We belong. Through good times and bad, we are all in this together!