San Pedro Region Social Justice Ministry

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born July 29, 2013 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concerns.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 4, 2013 Lectionary Reflection

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Barb Born

August 4, 2013” Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catholic Social Teaching: Call to Family, Community and ParticipationEighteenth

“…How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community…” Themes from Catholic Social Teaching USCCB

Readings

First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

Psalm: 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-12

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

Catechism of the Catholic Church

“The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement—however beneficial it may be—such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone; the source of every good and of all love. (Introduction Cycle C, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Daily Roman Missal)

“All bow down before wealth. Wealth is that to which the multitude of men pay an instinctive homage. They measure happiness by wealth and by wealth they measure respectability…It is a homage resulting from a profound faith…that with wealth he may do all things. Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second…Notoriety or the making of noise in the world—it may be called newspaper fame—has come to be considered a great good in itself, and a ground of veneration.” (1723)

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Luke 12:15-21

“Jesus takes up the entire Old Testament tradition even with regard to economic goods, wealth and poverty, and he gives them great clarity and fullness. Through the gift of his Spirit and conversion of hearts, he comes to establish the “Kingdom of God,” so that a new manner of social life is made possible, in justice, brotherhood, solidarity and sharing. The Kingdom inaugurated by Christ perfects the original goodness of the created order and of human activity, which was compromised by sin. Freed from evil and being placed once more in communion with God, man is able to continue the work of Jesus, with the help of his Spirit. In this man is called to render justice to the poor, releasing the oppressed, consoling the afflicted, actively seeking a new social order in which adequate solutions to material poverty are offered and in which the forces thwarting the attempts of the weakest to free themselves from conditions of misery and slavery are more effectively controlled. When this happens, the Kingdom of God is already present on this earth, although it is not of the earth. It is in this Kingdom that the promises of the Prophets find final fulfillment. (325)

“In light of Revelation, economic activity is to be considered and undertaken as a grateful response to the vocation which God holds out for each person. Man is placed in the garden to till and keep it, making use of it within well specified limits with a commitment to perfecting it. Bearing witness to the grandeur and goodness of the Creator, he walks towards the fullness of freedom to which God calls him. Good administration of the gifts received, and of material goods also, is a work of justice towards oneself and towards others. What has been received should be used properly, preserved and increased, as suggested by the parable of talents. Economic activity and material progress must be placed at the service of man and society. If people dedicate themselves to those with the faith, hope and love of Christ’s disciples, even the economy and progress can be transformed into places of salvation and sanctification. In these areas too it is possible to express a love and a solidarity that are more than human, and to contribute to the growth of a new humanity that anticipates the world to come. Jesus sums up all of revelation in calling the believer to become rich before God. The economy too is useful to this end, when it function as an instrument for the overall growth of man and society, of the human quality of life, is not betrayed.” (326)

Colossians 3:11

“God shows no partiality, since all people have the same dignity as creatures made in his image and likeness…Since something of the glory of God shines on the face of every person, the dignity of every person before God is the basis of the dignity of man before other men. Moreover, this is the ultimate foundation of the radical equality and brotherhood among all people, regardless of their race, nation, sex, origin, culture or class.” (144)

“…In the definitive witness of love that God has made manifest in the cross of Christ, all the barriers of enmity have already been torn down and for those who live a new life in Christ, racial and cultural differences are no longer causes of division. Thanks to the Spirit, the Church is aware of the divine plan of unity that involves the entire human race, a plan destined to reunite in the mystery of salvation wrought under the saving Lordship of Christ all of created reality, which is fragmented and scattered…the Church fulfills her mission of restoring and bearing witness to the unity lost at Babel. Due to this ecclesial ministry, the human family is called to rediscover its unity and recognize the richness of its differences, in order to attain “full unity in Christ.” (431)

For the complete text read:

Reflection

Do we let possessions become vanity of vanities, a superlative expressing the supreme degree of futility and emptiness in our lives? Do we seek bigger abodes to store our goods and gloat over our abundance? Do possessions become a safety net to insulate us from the stark reality of poverty and struggle? Does earthly desire and greed fester into idolatry as a god replacing God as the preeminence in our life? Wisdom of the heart infused by God teaches us to number our days aright. This comes from amplifying the volume of His voice instead of the futility and emptiness in seeking earthly superlatives and possessions proclaimed in echoes from society’s airwaves about attaining contentment from self-indulgence. When will we stop lying to ourselves that what we have is who we are and melt the hardened shell of our heart to be renewed for knowledge in the image of the Creator? Then we can experience life with a foundation of what matters to God and not live behind a façade of our possessions.

Individual Reflection Luke 12:13-21

List five ways you like simply. List five ways you detach yourself from your possessions. Reflect if you own your possessions and could freely give them to someone in need or if your possessions “own” you to control who you are.

Family Reflection: Luke 12:13-21

Have each family member give away one item that they feel is a possession, maybe an article of clothing, a toy, a favorite kitchen dish or a book that has meaning in one’s life. Personally give the item to someone who needs it.

Blogs to Visit:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born July 18, 2013 The reflection maybe used for parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concerns

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Barb Born

July 28, 2013: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catholic Social Teaching: Care for God’s Creation

“We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of God’s creation. Care for the earth is a duty of our faith and a sign of our concern for all people. We should strive to live simply to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We have a moral obligation to protect the planet on which we live—to respect God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for human beings, especially children at their most vulnerable stages of development…”(54) Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship USCCB

Readings

First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32

Psalm: 138: 1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

Second Reading: Colossians 2:12-14

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

Catechism of the Catholic Church

“The acts of faith, hope, and charity enjoined by the first commandment are accompanied in prayer. Lifting up the mind toward God is an expression of our adoration of God: prayer of praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petition. Prayer is an indispensable condition for being able to obey God’s commandments. (We) ought to pray and not lose heart.” (2098) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Luke 11:11-13

“…The Lord puts nature at the service of his plan of redemption. He asks his disciples to look at things, at the seasons and at people with the trust of children who know they will never be abandoned by a provident Father. Far from being enslaved by things, the disciples of Jesus must know how to use them in order to bring about sharing and brotherhood.” (453)

For the complete text read:

Reflection

The disciples saw Jesus praying. The words he taught them to pray were the words He lived by. He reverenced and loved the Father. Jesus’ teachings and actions harkened the Kingdom of God grounded on justice, peace, joy and love. He fed 5000 to quench their physical hunger with bread and fish. With the simplicity of bread and wine, He initiated the spiritual feast of the Eucharistic table. In totality, He forgives sins. Jesus endured His final earthly test with an exclamation of hope. In our lives, do the words we pray reverberate in pious hollowness or do our lives utter sincere attempts to honor God? Do we strive to articulate the Kingdom of God by letting power sift through our hands and in that emptiness become servants? Do we acknowledge our needs are simple basic necessities personified by many hands contributing to mold our daily bread or do we live in the realm of entitlement for a filet mignon and cheesecake lifestyle? Can we forgive beyond polite platitudes, to not let wrongs gnaw on relationships in families and society, but let forgiveness heal? Does the hope and joy of eternity permeate the fabric of our daily lives to dispel fear? Jesus’ life was a prayer. Will we live our lives as a prayer, knowing in persistent seeking we will find the words of our prayers etch the substance of our souls with His promise, kindness and truth that invites us to trust and if we ask an offering of the Holy Spirit.

Individual Reflection: Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

Consider starting a Just Faith program at your parish. In a recent survey of Just Faith graduates within eight months of finishing the program, 96 percent feel their relationship with God has deepened, 95 percent have an increased understanding of the relationship between faith and action and 98 percent are committed to involvement in social ministry activities. Learn more at:

http://www.justfaith.org/

Family Reflection: Luke 11:1-13

Each day this week, recite the Our Father together. Briefly stop at the end of each stanza and have every family member share how they lived the stanza that day.

Blogs to Visit:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites

By Barb Born July 12, 2013 The Reflection maybe used for parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concerns

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary Reflection July 21, 2013

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Barb Born

July 21, 2013: 16^th Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Social Teaching: The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

“The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living: it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected—the right to productive work…” Themes from Catholic Social Teaching, USCCB

Readings

First Reading: Genesis: 18:1-10a

Psalm: 15:2-3, 3-4,5

Second Reading: Colossians 1:24-28

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Catechism of the Catholic Church

“God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us ‘partakers of the divine nature’ and of eternal life. With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ and into the joy of the Trinitarian life.” (1721) For the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Luke 10:40-42

“In his preaching, Jesus teaches man not to be enslaved by work. Before all else, he must be concerned about his soul; gaining the whole world is not the purpose of his life. The treasures of the earth, in fact, are consumed, while those in heaven are imperishable. It is on these later treasures that men and women must set their hearts. Work, then, should not be a source of anxiety. When people are worried and upset about many things, they run the risk of neglecting the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, which they truly need. Everything else, work included, will find its proper place, meaning and value only if it is orientated to this one thing that is necessary and will never be taken away. (260)

Reflection: Gospel Alleluia: Luke 8:15

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance”

Keeping the word with a generous heart extends beyond an electronic transfer from a checking account. A generous heart encompasses a gift given in meaning, gratitude and compassion. The gift may have monetary value or the priceless gift of self and time to be present, listen and comfort. A gift can sprout justice by giving dignity to the oppressed and empowering their minds, hearts, hands and feet. Generous hearts freely give the best they have been given to others, with no reservations. Generosity is stifled by busyness, anxiousness and worry. Refreshed and strengthened by the Word and the Lord’s presence in our lives, we are imparted freedom to live with generous hearts.

Individual Reflection: Luke 10:38-42

Take time to read one chapter of a Gospel each day this week. Reflect upon how the Word helps you to live with a generous heart.

Family Reflection: Genesis 18:1-10a

Visit or call a friend or family member that could use the family’s gift of time. How can you be a generous servant to them?

Blogs to Visit

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

Involvement Opportunities

List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice web sites.

By Barb Born The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concerns

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 14, 2013 Lectionary Reflection

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Barb Born

July 14, 2013: Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Social Teaching: Life and Dignity of the Human Person

“…We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.” Themes from Catholic Social Teaching, USCCB

Readings

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:10-14

Psalm: 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36,37 or Psalm 19:8, 9, 10,11

Second Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Catechism of the Catholic Church

“Without the help of grace, men would not know how to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives into evil and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse. This is the path of charity, that is of the love of God and of neighbor. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice, and it alone makes us capable of it. Charity inspires a life of self-giving: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (1889) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Colossians 1:15

“Christian realism sees the abysses of sin, but in the light of hope, greater than any evil…The Word that became man in Jesus Christ has always been mankind’s life and light, the light that enlightens every person…” (121)

Colossians 1:15-17

“Human activity aimed at enhancing and transforming the universe can and must unleash the perfections which find their origin and model in the uncreated Word…Created in him and through him, redeemed by him, the universe is not a happenstance conglomeration, but a “cosmos.” It falls to man to discover the order within it and to heed this order, bringing it to fulfillment…recovers again its original link with the divine source of Wisdom and Love. In this way—that is, bringing to light in ever greater measure “the unsearchable riches of Christ”, in creation, human work becomes a service raised to the grandeur of God.” (262)

Colossians 1:15-16, 1:15-18, 1:18, 1:20

“…Christ is the firstborn of all creation, and that all things were created through him and for him. In fact, all things hold together in him, since in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things. A part of this divine plan…in our own history, marked by our personal and collective effort to raise up the human condition and to overcome the obstacles which are continually arising along our way. It thus prepares us to share in the fullness which ‘dwells in the Lord’ and which he communicates ‘to his body, which is the Church’. At the same time sin, which is always attempting to trap us and which jeopardizes our human achievements, is conquered and redeemed by the ‘reconciliation’ accomplished by Christ” (327)

Colossians 1:15-20

“The entrance of Jesus Christ into the history of the world reaches its culmination in the Paschal Mystery, where nature itself takes part in the drama of the rejection of the Son of God and in the victory of his Resurrection. Crossing through death and grafting onto it the new splendor of the Resurrection, Jesus inaugurates a new world in which everything is subject to him and he creates anew those relationships of order and harmony that sin had destroyed. Knowledge of the imbalances existing between man and nature should be accomplished by an awareness that in Jesus the reconciliation of man and the world with God—such that every human being, aware of divine love, can find anew the peace that was lost—has been brought about…” (454)

To read the full text visit:

Reflection

Where have you wandered to refresh your soul? Where have you sought rejoicing in your heart? Where have you delved for wisdom? We may have traveled many miles across the sea or kilometers of thought mysteriously journeying in our intellect. But our searching ends, our yearning ceases when we head the voice of the Lord and return to the clarity of His precepts that are perfect, trustworthy and true. This is something very near to us, for our being in the image and likeness of God has it imprinted in our mouths and hearts. We only need to cease our searching and self-serving agendas and let God’s presence take precedent. From encountering the Divine within, peace transcends the cross to attitude and actions articulated in our lives. The road of religiosity, with medians of separation, ceases to exist. The concerns of neighbors are the concerns of all, no matter their faith, tongue or ethnicity. With the gift Jesus gives us at each Mass, he asks us to go forth with hearts of compassion and hands of mercy to peacefully unroot injustice—and not pass by on the opposite side of the road to ignore a concern or at a distance propel venomous, divisive verbiage to squander the opportunity for unity solidifying the common good.

Individual Reflection: Deuteronomy 30:10-14

Reflect on the words of this passage. How do you heed the voice of the Lord and carry it out? For the next month keep a journal of your reflections and at the end of the month summarize your experience. Share the summary with five friends and encourage them to reflect on how they heed the voice of the Lord and carry it out.

Family Reflections: Luke 10:25-37

July 14^th on the liturgical calendar is the memorial for Native American Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, except this year the date falls on Sunday. On the Internet, read about her life. How can her devotion to the Eucharist, prayer and caring for those in need enrich your family’s faith?

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha pray for us.

Blogs to Visit