ISB ~ James 1 v27

Religion:The Greek term is thrēskeia, which generally denotes religious acts of worship. For James, proper service to God is not reducible to a set of beliefs or liturgical rites; it includes prudent speech (1:26) as well as practical service to others.

visit orphans and widows:Pure religion reaches out to the needy and takes practical steps to provide for their welfare. Charity of this sort was expected of Israel (Deut 14:29) and is exemplified most perfectly by Yahweh (Ps 68:5) (CCC 2208).

• Religion involves two kinds of acts. Some are directed immediately to God, such as sacrifice, adoration, etc. Others are directed to honoring God by means of the virtues he commands. Thus, visiting the fatherless and widows is an act of religion, as is the effort to keep oneself unstained by the world (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, 81, 1).