Social Justice

Outline Notes

Direct Aid * No one escapes pain and suffering, Some hurts are related to personal causes. Other pain is brought about by Underlying causes. * The Works of Mercy: * Corporal works * Feed the Hungry * Give drink to the thirsty * Clothe the naked * Visit the sick * Shelter the homeless * Visit the imprisoned * Bury the dead * Spiritual Works * Counsel the doubtful * Instruct the ignorant * Admonish the sinner * Comfort the sorrowful * Forgive Injuries * Bear Wrongs patiently * Pray for the living and the dead * By doing charitable actions directly to help people in need, we are performing works of mercy * Mercy is a charity on a person-to-person level – caring for others, sharing their hurts, taking care of their needs as best we can * Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal * Jesus identified the Works of mercy when he told the story of the Judgment of Nations to describe his Second Coming and the Last Judgment of the living and the dead. * Jesus teaches us that we will be held accountable for are actions * These actions will impact out eternal life with Jesus
Charity and Justice * The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity inform all moral virtues. * Justice requires that we give to God and our neighbor what is their due, the most important, first thing being love. * Charity, also called love, moves us to imitate Christ in our response to the father and to one another * Charity gives life to and prompts all the virtues, including justice * Some of the most important ways that we give God the love, time, and focus he deserves is by following the first three commandments * Unjust attitudes * By taking part in the he Sunday celebration of the Eucharist , we make God a priority in our lives * The Gospel proclaimed at mass calls us to consider the reign of God in our lives and in the world * We must give God what is rightly his and others what is rightly theirs * By following the first three commandments in our lives, we are honoring the first part of the Great Commandment to love God, with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies * We are given grace to follow the fourth through seventh commandments and thus the second part of the Great Commandant to love our neighbor as ourselves * Catholic Action on behalf of social justice is rooted in those commandments, especially the fifth and seventh commandments. * Love gives life and meaning to the virtue of Justice * By loving one another we imitate the love Christ showed toward us. * Justice without Charity is a burden
Religious Life and Social Action * The religious lives of monks and nuns can be traced to the fourth century * Saint Patrick, Patron saint of Ireland, was the first to emphasize evangelization in the monastic life style * Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a recent – and visible – example who was spiritually fed through prayer and the Eucharist to work tiredly to establish social justice among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta and worldwide.
Changing Social Structures * Examining underlying causes and social structures, along with seeking long-term solutions and shared involvement of people, is a social action approach to life * Social action is a work of justice an expression of charity * Social action is Just as concerned with meeting people’s needs as works of mercy are. * Social action recognizes that providing only immediate relief for people who are mired in long term problems does not address the real causes of their suffering.
What are Social Structures? * Social Structures are commonly accepted ways of doing things that characterize Social relationships. * The Structures of a society reflect written and unwritten rules * Include customs such as a father dancing with his daughter at her wedding * Also includes laws and social policies * The structures present in society can promote justice or hinder justice. * Society promotes justice when it provides the conditions in which everyone can obtain what he or she is due * Attending and fixing social structures is an essential part of respecting the God-given dignity of all people * Social Structures are created and affected by decisions people make * There are two types of Social Structures * Graced Social Structure: Social structures that promote life, enhance human dignity, encourage the development of community, and reinforce caring behavior. * Sinful Social Structures: Social structures that destroy life, violate human dignity, facilitate selfishness and greed, perpetuate inequality, and fragment the human community. * Father Kammer is reminding us that we may live under “Structures of Sin”, which we should not accept * The Catechism calls socially-constructed situations and institutions contrary to God’s plan for human well-being social sin * Taxation is one expression of a social structure
“Power Over” Versus “Power With” * People engaged in works of mercy can “give till it hurts” and even put themselves totally at the service of those in need * People on the receiving end of acts of mercy have little or no say in whether or not they get what they need * Social action addresses directly the issue of power and seeks to create circumstances in which all people have decision- making power, as much as they can * A social action approach to justice seeks ways to increase the power of people who find that they have little recourse other than to beg on street corners * A social action approach also includes trying to restore people’s dignity by helping people who feel powerless to become contributing members of society * Socials actions aim to change the relationship between “haves” and “have-nots” * This can be threatening to people who possess greater power in society
The Two Feet of Christian Justice * The Two feet of Christian Justice are: * Works of Mercy * Concern with the present symptoms of injustice * Focus on individual needs * Look for immediate solutions * Provide a direct service with temporary results * Involve “haves” sharing with “have-nots” * Require no change in social structures * Works of Social Action * Concern with the underlying causes of injustice * Focus on changing social structures * Look for long-term solutions * Provide indirect help aimed at permanent change * Involve “haves” and “have-nots” working together and sharing power * Require working toward changes in social structures * The works of mercy and the works of social action are often called The two feet of Christian Justice; To walk in justice requires that we walk with both feet
Compassion, Charity, and Justice * The words “moved with compassion” imply that he was moved “in his gut”. Being moved with compassion, in depth of our being, for people who are hurting is the starting point for getting involved in works of justice. * Compassion leads to action, as it did for Jesus * Compassion for others leading to works of mercy and concern for justice represent the dual dynamics of Christian charity. * All charity flows from God becoming human in Christ out of compassion and for our salvation.
Compassion and Action * Action does not necessarily follow compassion. * Action and compassion go hand in hand * Works of mercy often start people off on the journey of doing justice * Charity breaks down barriers between people * Charity often pushes us beyond our usual comfort level toward involvement with people with whom we may not initially feel comfortable
Compassionate Prayer * Our current culture works against prayer, as we live in what is often aptly called a “Rat Race” * Through prayer we seek company with God
Choosing to live charitably * The term life choices refer to the choices we make that affect the way we live.
Avoiding “Compassion Fatigue” * Compassion fatigue refers to the combination of feelings that drains energy and lessens are dedication, keeping us from giving ourselves to work of justice in any form
The Art of Catholic Teaching 1. Act: Do something that helps to alleviate an immediate need 2. Reflect: Explore the underlying causes of injustice 3. Transform: Take action aimed at changing or transforming the social structures responsible for bringing about suffering and injustice

Keys Words:
Communities of resistance: Groups that take a unified stand against an area of injustice
Decision-making power: Ability to make choices regarding an institution or one’s life
Graced social structures: Structures of society that encourage and strengthen life, dignity, and the development of community
Life Choices: Decisions about living made by an individual or group
Long-Term solutions: Changes that provide ongoing resolutions to problems
Personal causes: individual actions that lead to problems
Sinful Social structures: Structures of society that discourage and weaken life, dignity, and the development of Community
Social Actions: Steps taken to change society’s structures
Social Sin: A term referring to sinful social structures resulting from the effects of personal sin and leading to social conditions and institutions that do not embody God’s goodness; also means “Structures of sin”
Underlying causes: Ways society is structured that affect people
Works of mercy: Charitable actions aimed at meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others