That impact is similar to the impact of St. Francis, taking Jesus and the gospels seriously. But Dorothy Day brings the radical witness of St. Francis into the modern era. We can dismiss St. Francis because the distance between us and him. But where Francis is remote, Day is modern.
The biggest impact of Dorothy Day upon me is her fierce and singular focus on the Works of Mercy from Matthew 25. Christians must feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Shelter the homeless. Give drink to the thirsty. Visit the sick. And visit the incarcerated.
It's because of Dorothy Day I find myself in a prison every week and sharing life with poor and homeless friends at Freedom Fellowship.
The heart and soul of the Christian life consists of the Works of Mercy.
Dorothy Day taught me that.
