You have been told, O man
Transcript of You have been told, O man
“You have been told, O man
what is good and what Yahweh asks of you, simply
this:
to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly
with your God."
- Micah 6:8
To define social justice and the social mission of the Church,
let us begin, by taking a look at what social ministry is:
2 Main Aspects Social Ministry
1. Social service (also known as Parish Outreach)
2. Social action
Social Service is giving direct aid to someone in need. It usually
involves performing one or more of the corporal works of mercy. That is,
giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the
sick or imprisoned, taking care of orphans and widows, welcoming aliens into
their homes, etc.
Another name for it is charity.
Social Action is correcting the structures that perpetuate the need.
Another name for this is Social Justice.
Through the lens of social justice, we begin to take a look at the problems and
issues facing us in our own communities, the nation and finally the world.
Very often when you are performing social service, you also become involved
in solving the problem which created the need in the first place, and the two
are closely related and often blend together.
Example:
Someone comes to your house, and tells you she has no food, because
she lost her job recently. You may know of an employer looking to hire
someone right away for a job requiring little or no skills. You give
that person food, then place that person in touch with the employer.
You then would have solved both problems for that person.
(A) the immediate need of food through an act of charity (social service)
(B) you would have corrected the problem which created and perpetuated the need. (social justice)
The Four Main Aspects of Social Justice
1. SOLIDARITY
2. EDUCATION
3.COMMUNITY
ORGANIZING
4. ADVOCACY
SOLIDARITY
a firm and persevering determination to commit
oneself to the common good… - John Paul II
Living as though other people and living things matter. Examples of this would be:
•FASTING in solidarity with the hungry, the oppressed etc
•LIVING SIMPLY. Do I really need all those gadgets coming out in the stores? Recycling where you can; being a good steward of all our natural resources and of our planet that God has given us.
•PRAYING for the poor, the homeless,foran end to child labor and prostitution,etc.
We have the obligation to educate ourselves and others about
social justice. Read all you can about the subject. Study all
you can about all the social issues facing us in the world
today. Spread the word about these issues. Examples : Global
Warming, the natural disasters, terrorisms, the death penalty,
oppressed and persecuted Christians in different parts of the
world, globalization, foreign debts, etc. ...............everything!
EDUCATION
Get involved in the community! Join or start a feeding
program. Start a community crime-watch program if one is
needed. Start or join a group in your parish that studies the
issues of the community/world and decide what can be done
about the problems facing us. Join the NAMFREL or PPCRV
during elections. Organize the community in consolidating the
efforts of giving its help to the poor. Join Habitat for
Humanity, Gawad Kalinga, etc…
Just do it!
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
This is giving a voice to those who have no
voice, that is, the poor, the sick, the unborn, the
dying, the disadvantaged, those imprisoned, the
homeless, the cultural minorities etc.
We are called to speak out! Write a letter to the
editor, make use of the social media, join a
march, call your elected officials and let them
know how you feel.
Very often legislation gets passed to the
disadvantage of many, because the elected
official simply didn't know how people feel
about the subject. This is because no one
bothered to call!
ADVOCACY
Where We Get Our Identity
• We are all One Body in Christ -1Cor 12:12
• Together we are Christ's Body, each of us a different part -1Cor 12:27
• All are one in Christ -Gal 3:28
• "I am the Vine, you are the branches.." -John 15:1-5
• You are God's temple. -1Cor 3:16
• Vatican II document: "Constitution on the Church“(Lumen Gentium) Chapter 1 states
that the Church is:
#1. A sign and instrument in the world.
#3. The Kingdom of Christ here on earth.
#7. All of us are to use our gifts to serve one another.
#9. Not as individuals are we called to be saved, but as One Body.
Our Mission
What do we do?
• Jesus begins His ministry of bringing the
Good News to the poor.
- Luke 4:16-19
• At the Last Judgement Christ will separate
the sheep from the goats.
- Matt 25:31-46
• You are the Salt of the Earth.
- Matt 5:3-16
•Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall
be called children of God.
- Matt 5:6-9
The Goals of
Social Justice and Parish Outreach
❑ To follow the command to:
"love one another as I have loved you".
❑ To enable everyone to enter into a relationship with Christ in
such a way, so that everyone can come to know Christ in the
same way that the Father knows the Son.
If we think about this for a
moment, it becomes clear. If our
basic human needs are met, that
is to say that if we are not
concerned with obtaining food,
clothing, shelter etc., then we are
better able to enter into a closer
relationship with Christ.
“If you want Peace,work for Justice.”
- Pope Paul VI
Things You Should Know
OUR CHURCH'S
SOCIAL MISSION:
Social Service (Charity)
- responds to the effects of a problem
Social Justice
- responds to the cause of the problem
JUSTICE IN THE WORLD:
Developed by a Synod of Bishops, signed by Pope Paul VI in November 1971.
1. Item #6 says "action for justice is a requirement of our faith."
2. Item #72 says that: action for justice must happen in the parish at all it's levels."
WHAT MAKES US CATHOLIC ?
1. Celebrate the Eucharist
2. Proclaim the Good News of the Gospel
3. Act for Justice
NB: These corresponds to the 3 constitutive elements of the Church:
Scriptures, Sacraments and the Social Mission
GREATEST COMMANDMENT
FROM JESUS (John 13:34):
I give you a new commandment:
(What): Love one another
(How): As I have loved you.
SAINT FRANCIS:
Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words!
Flows primarily from the life and words of Jesus Christ
Catholic Social Justice
Rooted in teachings of the Hebrew prophets
Catholic Social Teaching
❖Deeply rooted in the Bible
❖Continually developed in Catholic Social Teaching-- Observe, judge, act
Three Elements
The social teachings are made up of three different elements:
•principles for reflection;
•criteria for judgment;
•guidelines for action.
SEE – JUDGE - ACT
- The church doctrine (teaching) attempts to understand
how societies work
- It makes moral judgements about economic and social
matters in light of revealed truth
Catholic Social Justice Teaching
Purpose is to make Catholics aware that the
Church’s teaching on social justice is an
essential part of our faith.
Sharing Catholic Social Teaching:
Conclusion
The teaching of the Church on social concerns is anything but a cerebral and theoretical construction. This teaching is in part a reflection of the action and
commitment of Christians in society. Between doctrine and action, there exists a “give-and-take” and constant
enrichment. Just as action cut-off from its doctrinal sources would be empirical, so a teaching disconnected
from practice would be completely sterile.
Introduction to the Social Teaching of the Church.
Michel Schooyans. June 1992, Paris, France.
“Vision without action is only a dream; action without a vision will
soon pass away.”
- Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
St. Paul University, Quezon City, November 2004
+ Social Justice Prayer +
Almighty and eternal God, may your grace enkindle
in all of us a love for the many unfortunate people
whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition of life
unworthy of human beings.
Arouse in the hearts of those who call you Father a
hunger and thirst for social justice and for fraternal
charity in deeds and in truth.
Grant, O Lord, peace to souls, peace to families,
peace to our country and peace among nations.
Amen.
©2000 eCatholic/2000
All Rights Reserved
Acknowledgment:
• Office for Social JusticeArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolishttp://www.osjspm.org
• Social Justice – A Basic Introduction https://www.ecatholic2000.com/sj/socjust.shtml
• St. Mary’s Press (Living in Christ Series, 2012)
Prepared by:
ENRIQUE M. JAMILLAUST Institute of Religionhttp://sirjamilla.jimdo.com