WEEK THREE: The Moral Life (Life in Christ)
DAY 4: Learning to Detect Patterns (Social Justice)
The children’s show Sesame Street has a feature called One of These Things is Not Like the Others in which they show a series of images, inviting the viewer to identify which of the things was different or doesn’t match or belong to the group. The activity is accompanied by a song with the following lyrics:
One of these things is not like the others,One of these things just doesn’t belong,Can you tell which thing is not like the othersBy the time I finish my song?
I beg you, look for the words “social justice” or “economic justice” on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! Leave your church. Social justice and economic justice. They are code words. If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish. Go alert your bishop and tell them, “Excuse me are you down with this whole social justice thing?” I don’t care what the church is. If it’s my church, I’m alerting the church authorities: “Excuse me, what’s this social justice thing?” And if they say, “Yeah, we’re all in that social justice thing,” I’m in the wrong place.
Our responsibility to care for “the least of these” does not end with simple charity. Giving someone some money, or clothes, or shelter, is an important part of the Christian message. But so is advocating for them. It is not enough simply to help the poor, one must address the structures that keep them poor. Standing up for the rights of the poor is not being a Nazi, it’s being a Christian. And a Communist? It’s hard not to think of the retort of the great apostle of social justice, Dom Helder Camara, archbishop of Recife, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”
- As you look at our society and seek to detect patterns, what do you recognize as “not belonging?”
- What realities are preventing people from living in right relationship with one another?
- How can the average Catholic work for social justice?
- What role does prayer and reflection play in working for social justice?
- What does it take to ensure that our striving for social justice is not simply a vehicle for pushing our own political agenda?
- Which of the following Scripture passages speaks to you most powerfully of the call to justice?
- Isaiah 1:10-24
- Isaiah 58:6-12
- Jeremiah 22:1-19
- Amos 5:7-24
- Micah 6
- Matthew 25:31-46
- Luke 4:16-30
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you live in loving relationship with one another. Holy Trinity, help me to live in loving relationship with others, sharing your merciful love with those who are most in need of it. Help me to hear the cries of those who are deprived of what they need to reach their fulfillment. Grant that I may unselfishly share with others, tending to their physical and spiritual needs and cooperating with you in transforming the world through your merciful love. Amen.
- You Spot it, You Got it
- Losing One’s Life
- Pray for Those Who Persecute You
- Daniel Berrigan at 90
- The Language of the Cross
- Voices for Justice
- Radical Compassion
CCC References: 2419-2463
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I hope you’re enjoying our online summer retreat, Preparing for a Year of Faith! Take a few minutes each day at your convenience to “gather” here on my blog as we seek to add some flavor to our faith lives by deepening our understanding of the truths of our faith as given to us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.