“You have been told, O man

what is good and what Yahweh asks of you, simply

this:

to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly

with your God."

- Micah 6:8

To define social justice and the social mission of the Church,

let us begin, by taking a look at what social ministry is:

2 Main Aspects Social Ministry

1. Social service (also known as Parish Outreach)

2. Social action

Social Service is giving direct aid to someone in need. It usually

involves performing one or more of the corporal works of mercy. That is,

giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the

sick or imprisoned, taking care of orphans and widows, welcoming aliens into

their homes, etc.

Another name for it is charity.

Social Action is correcting the structures that perpetuate the need.

Another name for this is Social Justice.

Through the lens of social justice, we begin to take a look at the problems and

issues facing us in our own communities, the nation and finally the world.

Very often when you are performing social service, you also become involved

in solving the problem which created the need in the first place, and the two

are closely related and often blend together.

Example:

Someone comes to your house, and tells you she has no food, because

she lost her job recently. You may know of an employer looking to hire

someone right away for a job requiring little or no skills. You give

that person food, then place that person in touch with the employer.

You then would have solved both problems for that person.

(A) the immediate need of food through an act of charity (social service)

(B) you would have corrected the problem which created and perpetuated the need. (social justice)

The Four Main Aspects of Social Justice

1. SOLIDARITY

2. EDUCATION

3.COMMUNITY

ORGANIZING

4. ADVOCACY

SOLIDARITY

a firm and persevering determination to commit

oneself to the common good… - John Paul II

Living as though other people and living things matter. Examples of this would be:

•FASTING in solidarity with the hungry, the oppressed etc

•LIVING SIMPLY. Do I really need all those gadgets coming out in the stores? Recycling where you can; being a good steward of all our natural resources and of our planet that God has given us.

•PRAYING for the poor, the homeless,foran end to child labor and prostitution,etc.

We have the obligation to educate ourselves and others about

social justice. Read all you can about the subject. Study all

you can about all the social issues facing us in the world

today. Spread the word about these issues. Examples : Global

Warming, the natural disasters, terrorisms, the death penalty,

oppressed and persecuted Christians in different parts of the

world, globalization, foreign debts, etc. ...............everything!

EDUCATION

Get involved in the community! Join or start a feeding

program. Start a community crime-watch program if one is

needed. Start or join a group in your parish that studies the

issues of the community/world and decide what can be done

about the problems facing us. Join the NAMFREL or PPCRV

during elections. Organize the community in consolidating the

efforts of giving its help to the poor. Join Habitat for

Humanity, Gawad Kalinga, etc…

Just do it!

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

This is giving a voice to those who have no

voice, that is, the poor, the sick, the unborn, the

dying, the disadvantaged, those imprisoned, the

homeless, the cultural minorities etc.

We are called to speak out! Write a letter to the

editor, make use of the social media, join a

march, call your elected officials and let them

know how you feel.

Very often legislation gets passed to the

disadvantage of many, because the elected

official simply didn't know how people feel

about the subject. This is because no one

bothered to call!

ADVOCACY

Where We Get Our Identity

• We are all One Body in Christ -1Cor 12:12

• Together we are Christ's Body, each of us a different part -1Cor 12:27

• All are one in Christ -Gal 3:28

• "I am the Vine, you are the branches.." -John 15:1-5

• You are God's temple. -1Cor 3:16

• Vatican II document: "Constitution on the Church“(Lumen Gentium) Chapter 1 states

that the Church is:

#1. A sign and instrument in the world.

#3. The Kingdom of Christ here on earth.

#7. All of us are to use our gifts to serve one another.

#9. Not as individuals are we called to be saved, but as One Body.

Our Mission

What do we do?

• Jesus begins His ministry of bringing the

Good News to the poor.

- Luke 4:16-19

• At the Last Judgement Christ will separate

the sheep from the goats.

- Matt 25:31-46

• You are the Salt of the Earth.

- Matt 5:3-16

•Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall

be called children of God.

- Matt 5:6-9

The Goals of

Social Justice and Parish Outreach

❑ To follow the command to:

"love one another as I have loved you".

❑ To enable everyone to enter into a relationship with Christ in

such a way, so that everyone can come to know Christ in the

same way that the Father knows the Son.

If we think about this for a

moment, it becomes clear. If our

basic human needs are met, that

is to say that if we are not

concerned with obtaining food,

clothing, shelter etc., then we are

better able to enter into a closer

relationship with Christ.

“If you want Peace,work for Justice.”

- Pope Paul VI

Things You Should Know

OUR CHURCH'S

SOCIAL MISSION:

Social Service (Charity)

- responds to the effects of a problem

Social Justice

- responds to the cause of the problem

JUSTICE IN THE WORLD:

Developed by a Synod of Bishops, signed by Pope Paul VI in November 1971.

1. Item #6 says "action for justice is a requirement of our faith."

2. Item #72 says that: action for justice must happen in the parish at all it's levels."

WHAT MAKES US CATHOLIC ?

1. Celebrate the Eucharist

2. Proclaim the Good News of the Gospel

3. Act for Justice

NB: These corresponds to the 3 constitutive elements of the Church:

Scriptures, Sacraments and the Social Mission

GREATEST COMMANDMENT

FROM JESUS (John 13:34):

I give you a new commandment:

(What): Love one another

(How): As I have loved you.

SAINT FRANCIS:

Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words!

Flows primarily from the life and words of Jesus Christ

Catholic Social Justice

Rooted in teachings of the Hebrew prophets

Catholic Social Teaching

❖Deeply rooted in the Bible

❖Continually developed in Catholic Social Teaching-- Observe, judge, act

Three Elements

The social teachings are made up of three different elements:

•principles for reflection;

•criteria for judgment;

•guidelines for action.

SEE – JUDGE - ACT

- The church doctrine (teaching) attempts to understand

how societies work

- It makes moral judgements about economic and social

matters in light of revealed truth

Catholic Social Justice Teaching

Purpose is to make Catholics aware that the

Church’s teaching on social justice is an

essential part of our faith.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching:

Conclusion

The teaching of the Church on social concerns is anything but a cerebral and theoretical construction. This teaching is in part a reflection of the action and

commitment of Christians in society. Between doctrine and action, there exists a “give-and-take” and constant

enrichment. Just as action cut-off from its doctrinal sources would be empirical, so a teaching disconnected

from practice would be completely sterile.

Introduction to the Social Teaching of the Church.

Michel Schooyans. June 1992, Paris, France.

“Vision without action is only a dream; action without a vision will

soon pass away.”

- Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.

St. Paul University, Quezon City, November 2004

+ Social Justice Prayer +

Almighty and eternal God, may your grace enkindle

in all of us a love for the many unfortunate people

whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition of life

unworthy of human beings.

Arouse in the hearts of those who call you Father a

hunger and thirst for social justice and for fraternal

charity in deeds and in truth.

Grant, O Lord, peace to souls, peace to families,

peace to our country and peace among nations.

Amen.

©2000 eCatholic/2000

All Rights Reserved

Acknowledgment:

• Office for Social JusticeArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolishttp://www.osjspm.org

• Social Justice – A Basic Introduction https://www.ecatholic2000.com/sj/socjust.shtml

• St. Mary’s Press (Living in Christ Series, 2012)

Prepared by:

ENRIQUE M. JAMILLAUST Institute of Religionhttp://sirjamilla.jimdo.com