The Biblical Perspectives of Catholic Social Teaching Source: Evangelizing Presence: The Challenge of Social Transformation Pasquale T. Giordano, SJ Nancy Russell Catan

Catholic Social Principles … Help us to understand Catholic Social Thought. Always lead us somewhere, for some purpose, to do something, or to choose not to. Must lead to positive activity. A principled person knows where he or she is coming from and where he/she is going, always has a place to stand.

Social Principles are anchored on God’s Word in the Bible Human life is fulfilled in the knowledge and love of the living God in community with others. The Bible together with the social teaching of the Church give us a deeper vision of God as regards the purpose of creation, the dignity of human life in society, and the Christian vision of economic life.

The Focal Points of Israel’s Faith: Creation, Covenant, Community 1. We are created in God’s Image. COVENANT We are a People of the Covenant. Jesus Brings the Kingdom of God and Justice. COMMUNITY We are called to be Disciples in Community, and are Confronted by Poverty, Riches and the Challenge of Discipleship Being a Community of Disciples Means Being a Community of Hope

1. We are created in God’s Image. God is present in creation and to all created things and beings, and creative engagement with God’s handiwork is itself reverence for God. Every human being is created in His Image, and possesses an inalienable, God-given human dignity. We are tasked to be His faithful stewards in caring for the earth and all creation. (Gen 1,2)

Our God-given freedom is the freedom to choose between good and evil, to choose to sin or not, to love or to hate. By our labor, we are unfolding the Creator’s work and cooperating in His ongoing creation. Disobedience, sin and idolatry have spawned a cycle of alienation and turning away from God’s way of holiness (Gen 3-11). The fall of Adam and Eve is followed by the killing of Abel by Cain (Gen 3, 4) The story of the Tower of Babel tells us of the desire of man to be like God (Gen 11)

From early times to the present, the Church has affirmed that misuse of the world’s resources or appropriation of them by a minority of the world’s population betrays the gift of creation since whatever belongs to God belongs to all.

2. We are a People of the Covenant. God created a people that were to be His very own when He liberated the Israelites from captivity in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. Exodus and Deuteronomy present this as a key dimension of Israel’s faith and experience. God establishes His Covenant with them at Mt Sinai (Ex 19-24) giving them the 10 Commandments that make life in community possible.

“Covenant” has three meanings: Promise – God chooses us as His special people. Agreement – This needs a response from us. Bond – A Covenant is a binding relationship. We are judged by our response to this Covenant in faith and love for those whom God puts in our midst. O.T. justice shows us that a people are only as good as their treatment of the weak (Is 32:17). Fidelity to the Covenant means obedience to God, and concern for our neighbor.

3. Jesus Brings the Kingdom of God and Justice. In the N.T. Jesus proclaims “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk 1:15) He gives the commandments of love for God and neighbor, and clarifies who is our neighbor (Mk 12:28-34; Lk 10:29-37). We are instructed to exercise compassion as the bridge between seeing and action. Man cannot fully find himself except in the gift of giving of himself through a sensitivity of heart.

The Kingdom of God and Justice is explained in the Parable of the Last Judgment (Matt 25:31-46). The criteria for our judgment will be how we have treated the weakest in our midst.

4. We are called to be Disciples in Community. A key element in the Kingdom of God is discipleship, a deep union with Jesus, lived in community with others and for others, responding to God’s Covenant and Call. As Jesus’ disciples, we are told to abide in His love, to go and bear fruit, to live in the world, manifesting our discipleship by our love for each other (John 15:1-17).

At Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12) the Holy Spirit comes to empower us and guide us to missionary activity. True morality lies in following the Spirit within us, not just the rules and laws around us. Discipleship involves imitating the pattern of Jesus’ life by openness to God’s will in the service of others (Mk 10:42-45). An essential element of discipleship is our willingness to share in Jesus’ cross, especially in the areas of caring and concern for others (Mk 8:27-38).

5. We are confronted by Poverty, Riches, and the Challenge of Discipleship. The pattern of Christian life is presented in the Gospel of Luke. Mary’s Magnificat rejoices in a God who confuses the proud, deposes the mighty, raises up the lowly (Lk 1:51-53). Jesus warns against greed and reliance on wealth and possessions in the Parable of the Rich Fool (Lk 12:13-21).

Jesus reminds us not to be blind to the poverty that exists side by side with wealth (Lk 16:19-31). When Jesus calls the poor “blessed”, he is not praising their poverty condition, but their openness to God. When He states that the reign of God is theirs, he voices God’s special concern for them. These perspectives provide a basis today for the Church’s expressed “preferential option for the poor.”

As disciples we are challenged: To be compassionate with those who have less in life; To be an instrument in assisting people to experience the liberating love, justice and power of God; To an emptying of self, both individually and in community, to be able to fully experience the power of God in the midst of poverty and powerlessness.

6. Being a Community of Disciples Means Being a Community of Hope. The Biblical Vision of Creation, Covenant and Community, as well as the summons to Discipleship, unfolds between promise and fulfillment, between Genesis and Revelation. Rev 21:1-4; Is 11:1-9; Rom 8:18-25; 1 Pt 2:9-10; 2 Cor 5:17 We become Channels of HOPE through integral evangelization and sharing w/others.

The Focal Points of Israel’s Faith: Creation, Covenant, Community 1. We are created in God’s Image. COVENANT We are a People of the Covenant. Jesus Brings the Kingdom of God and Justice. COMMUNITY We are called to be Disciples in Community, and are Confronted by Poverty, Riches and the Challenge of Discipleship Being a Community of Disciples Means Being a Community of Hope

Creation + Covenant + Community CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP As Catholic Christians and members of the BCBP Community, we need to allow the Gospel’s powerful message of Creation, Covenant, and Community to embrace the spiritual, economic and social aspects of our lives, forming us into persons of integrated wholeness, into Channels of HOPE. Thus, we each become an authentic EVANGELIZING PRESENCE.

Discussion and Sharing CREATION, COVENANT, AND COMMUNITY. The BCBP’s MISSION and VISION. How are these interrelated? What effect do they have on your life – individually and in community? Evaluate your progress as a Disciple in living out the three essential challenges of Discipleship. In what ways can you become a better disciple?