Working for social justice Universal destination of goods catholic social teachings a call to be generous

Opening prayer: Prayer for generosity

Objectives; Understand the value of social justice presented in the 7th and 10th commandments. Discuss the different key themes of the Catholic Social Teachings of the Church. Give specific ways of promoting social justice in our country.

What is justice? The firm will to give persons their due. –St. Thomas Aquinas Giving to people what is due to them as human persons.

What is SOCIAL justice? - refers to conceptions of justice applied to an entire society. It is based on the idea of a just society, which gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society.

Immersion experience Share the most significant learning you acquired from your immersion experience. Assess yourself, have you been an instrument of justice for the people you had encountered in your immersion?

Justice is the heart of the Good News! “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year of mercy.” – Luke 4:18

Group activity: Tableau Criteria: Content – 10 points Creativity and Originality – 5 points Cooperation – 5 points Stage presence – 5 points TOTAL – 25 POINTS 7 groups Each group will be given a topic to be presented 8 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to present Assign someone who will explain your tableau Expect that each member will be asked about their topic after they present the tableau. This will serve as your quiz

Preparation for the presentation You have 8 minutes to prepare.... Make the most out of it….

The seventh and tenth commandments Old testament significance The seventh and tenth commandments 7th Commandment: “You shall not steal!” (Exodus 20:15, Deuteronomy 5:19) 10th Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods!” (Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:21) Both commandments protects the dignity of a person… giving what is just to the other, respecting what others had worked on.

7th Commandment: “You shall not steal 7th Commandment: “You shall not steal!” (Exodus 20:15, Deuteronomy 5:19) It forbids “all ways of robbing others’ freedom by stealing what is rightfully theirs.” It rejects 2 kinds of theft; theft from above and theft from below. The seventh commandment also forbids “the many less dramatic ways of robbing (another person’s) freedom, many ways of exploiting others and stealing from them what is rightfully theirs. CFC 1142

Root of sins such as stealing and fraud. 10th Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods!” (Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:21) Root of sins such as stealing and fraud. It warns us against unjustly craving another person’s possessions as well as being envious of the successes and possessions of others. The tenth commandment is more concerned with the root of such action---the disordered desires of the heart, its covetousness. CFC 1147

New testament significance - Christ has constantly warned us through his teachings against acts of stealing and our unjust craving for material possessions. Rich Young Man (Matthew 19:16-22) Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21) Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10) Christ teaches us to reform our unjust ways; being selfless, share, generosity, giving what is due to others and repair the wrong we caused others

New testament significance - We discern that opening up to the call of justice entails reforming our unjust ways, grounding our inner priorities on Christ’s life and teachings (conversion), and repairing the wrong we may have caused others. At the heart of these three attitudes is a radical trust in God’s generosity and providence, that summons us all the more to be truly generous and compassionate toward others. CFC 1156 Christ teaches us to reform our unjust ways; being selfless, share, generosity, giving what is due to others and repair the wrong we caused others

Group Activity: On a short bond paper, think of ways to stand up against both “theft from above” and “theft from below”. You have 5 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes each to present. Criteria: Content – 10 points Creativity – 5 points Cooperation – 10 points TOTAL – 20 points

Catholic Social Teachings of the Church – Set of moral principles, attitudes, and values of our Church that guide us in discerning how to confront the social realities of our times grounded on the life and teachings of Christ.

Key Themes of Catholic Social Teachings of the Church

1. Dignity of the Human Person Genesis 1:27 To support justice is to regard the sacredness of all human life regardless of gender, class, ethnicity, nationality, race, religious preference.

“Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) 2. Love and Justice Justice is achieved through love of neighbour by respecting their right and dignity. “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

3. Dignity of Work - Through work we participate in the work of creation. We work to become our true selves, not just to acquire possession. Genuine motives and the right intention to work. Work which is united to Jesus Christ is truly redemptive.

4. Ecological Responsibility/Private Property Dignity of all creation We are all called to respect and share the earth’s resources. The right to private property is valid and necessary but it does not nullify the value of this principle. Private property is under a social mortgage which means that it has an intrinsically social function.

5. Preferential Option for the Poor The “preference for the poor is a Christian preference.” Our moral obligation to care first and foremost for the needy---to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and visit the sick and the prisoners (Matthew: 25-31)

Video: Jesus on the cross

Individual Activity: I am for justice Give specific ways of promoting social justice in our country.