The Bible Study Evangelista

Category:  Social Justice   Tag:  Bible reading ,  faith ,  faith and works ,  social justice A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. “The poor not only suffer injustice, they also struggle against it! . . . [Solidarity] means that the lives of all take priority over the appropriation of goods by a few. It also means fighting against the structural causes of poverty and inequality; of the lack of work, land and housing; and of the denial of social and labor rights. It means confronting the destructive effects of the empire of money: forced dislocation, painful emigration, human trafficking, drugs, war, violence and all those realities that many of you suffer and that we are all called upon to transform . . . Love for the poor is at the center of the Gospel.”

Category:  Social Justice Tag: Bible reading, faith, faith and works, social justice “In human society one man’s natural right gives rise to a corresponding duty in other men; the duty, that is, of recognizing and respecting that right. Every basic human right draws its authoritative force from the natural law, which confers it and attaches to it its respective duty. Hence, to claim one’s rights and ignore one’s duties, or only half fulfill them, is like building a house with one hand and tearing it down with the other.” —St. John XXIII, Peace on Earth (Pacem in Terris), no. 30  SHOW NOTES  Topics Discussed: Catholic social justice principle #3, rights and responsibilities The parable of the rich man and Lazarus US foreign aid Overview: Minutes 00:12:00 – Responsibilities and rights are inseparable, the contemporary imbalance Minutes 12:01-24:00 – The Bill of Rights, healthcare, single-parent families, smoking, abortion Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Rights begin with responsibility,

 Category:  Social Justice Tag:  Bible reading ,  faith ,  faith and works ,  marriage ,  social justice The person is not only sacred but also social. “We have all known the long loneliness, and we have learned that the only solution is love, and that love comes with community” (Servant of God, Dorothy Day). 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. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. “The family… is the first and most important school of mercy, in which we learn to see God’s loving face and to mature and develop as human beings” (Pope Francis). We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Category: Social Justice Tag:  Beatitudes , Bible reading , faith , faith and works , social justice “Human persons are willed by God: they are imprinted with God’s image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.” -St. JPII Topics Discussed: Catholic social justice principle #1, the life and dignity of the human person The Beatitudes as model for the justice of the Kingdom of God Overview: Minutes 00:12:00 – Life and dignity of the human person Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Beatitudes 1 &5 and 2&6 Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Josh, my nephew with Downs Syndrome Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Beatitudes 3&7 and 4&8, how two seemingly opposite “sides” of social justice issues can actually be working toward social justice in two equally important, but different, areas Additional Resources:   United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching   Book, Amazon: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church ,  P