Justice
The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love,
the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Opening Prayer
The Beatitudes
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:1-12
Introduction
There is no need to stretch the imagination to see that our world is full of injustices. They are not unique to our time, however. We can see injustice throughout history and many examples of injustice and those who battled it are found in Scripture. Our greatest example of a champion of justice is Jesus. He is the ultimate rebel with a cause!
Seeing the immediate need is not as difficult as looking beyond it to the reasons for it. There is a need to move from simple awareness of injustice to action on justice issues themselves. It’s not enough to treat the symptoms but understand their causes as well.
Questions
One of the biggest questions that are asked in the face of injustice is “How can God allow it to happen?” “What kind of God would allow X?” “How can a God who allows the world to be the way it is be a God of Love?”
How would you answer these questions?
Ask the group to create a list of injustices, try to guide the conversation so that all of creation is included in the list (e.g. environmental issues).
Who are some of the people throughout history who fought against injustice? What did they believe? What injustice were they tackling? How did they go about it?
Understanding
CCC 1807
Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour. Justice toward God is called the “virtue of religion.” Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbour. “You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour.” (Lev 19:15) “Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Col. 4:1)
Questions for discussion:
If all of creation reveals God, do you think that any injustice against creation is injustice towards God? How? What are some examples?
Justice towards one’s neighbour is rooted in our understanding of being made in the image and likeness of God and being part of God’s family. How would you behave towards others if you viewed them as Jesus or a brother or sister? How would this play out on a more global scale?
Go back to the Beatitudes that you prayed at the beginning of the session. How can the Beatitudes be used as a blueprint for justice? Divide the group so that each sub-group (or individual) has one of the beatitudes. Ask them to present the beatitude in poster form as both justice and injustice (i.e. how lack of the beatitude causes injustice).
For Further Reflection
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and gave me food, I was thirsty and gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I as hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Matthew 25:31-46
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.
Blessed Mother Teresa
In fact, to this very day, common sense in religion is rare, and we are too often trying to be heroic instead of just ordinarily good and kind.
Dorothy Day
Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness.
Jean Vanier
We can walk with them and share their pain … I believe that Jesus has called us to be men and women of compassion, to walk with people in their pain … And then we discover how the pain and the cross are intimately linked with the joy of the resurrection.
Jean Vanier
Ask your group to write down one above quotes in their journal. Spend some quiet time in prayer with the quote and note down what stands out. What do these words mean to you?
Action / Appropriation of Learning
The pain and suffering we experience and see around us are a powerful call to action. This is one catechetical unit that is best learned by direct experience.
Use the “So you want to be a volunteer” resource to find, plan, prepare for and debrief a service project. If you choose to do it on a separate day after the above learning, don’t let too much time go by between sessions. Ensure that during the debrief you identify what injustice you were combating and what some of its root causes could be
Closing Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may no so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
(St. Francis of Assisi)
Faith on Film: City of Joy
Discussion questions:
How does this move communicate the message of social justice?
Max ventured to search for peace and enlightenment. How does he find these things?
In what ways do people around you face injustice in their lives?
Personal Reflection:
In what ways can you work for justice in your community (home, school, work, parish)?
Research the various ways people experience injustice in developing countries. Is there something your group/parish can do to make a difference?
Quote:
But I ask you, is it better to be resigned to a life without ideals, or rather, to seek truth, goodness, justice, working for a world that reflects the beauty of God, even at the cost of facing the trials it may involve?
Pope John Paul II, WYD XII
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