USCCB - (CCHD) - Sharing the Tradition, Shaping the Future

Sharing the Tradition, Shaping the Future

A Faith Sharing Experience for Christian Communities

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

To order this publication
Spanish Text

In its 2001 planning document, as approved by the general membership of the USCCB, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development was authorized to develop relevant materials on social justice issues in order to raise the consciousness of parishioners. This present document was prepared under that authorization. The specific text was approved by the [former] Chairman of the USCCB-CCHD Committee, Most Rev. John J. Leibrecht, and [was] authorized for publication by the undersigned.

"Monsignor William P. Fay
General Secretary, USCCB

This second edition was prepared by Education Staff of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and was derived from the edition prepared for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development by John Heinz, OFM, with assistance of Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM, and Ms. Rosemary Bleuher.

Excerpts from The Documents of Vatican II edited by Walter M. Abbott, SJ, copyright " 1966, Follett Publishing Company, Inc., Chicago are used with permission of the publisher, all rights reserved. No part of these excerpts may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means"electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise"without express written permission of Follett Publishing Company.

Produced by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development through the Office for Publishing and Promotion Services, USCCB.

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright " 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. 20017 and are used by permission of copyright owner. All rights reserved.

ISBN 1-57455-451-4

Revised Edition
First printing, July 2001

Copyright © 2001, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

Contents

Key to Papal and Episcopal Documents

Introduction

WEEK 1
Life and Dignity of the Human Person

WEEK 2
Call to Family, Community, and Participation

WEEK 3
Rights and Responsibilities of the Human Person

WEEK 4
Preferential Option For and With the Poor and Vulnerable

WEEK 5
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

WEEK 6
Solidarity

WEEK 7
Care for God"s Creation

Looking Ahead

Key to Papal and Episcopal Documents Used in This Book

ENGLISH TITLE LATIN TITLE (if applicable) and Author/Year

On the Condition of Workers Rerum Novarum (Pope Leo XIII, 1891)

Peace on Earth Pacem In Terris (Pope John XXIII, 1963)

The Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes (Vatican II, 1965)

On Human Work Laborem Exercens (Pope John Paul II, 1981)

Economic Justice for All U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986

On Social Concerns Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Pope John Paul II, 1987)

A Century of Catholic Social Teaching U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1990

On the Hundredth Anniversary of "Rerum Novarum" Centesimus Annus (Pope John Paul II, 1991)

Renewing the Earth U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1991

The Church in America Ecclesia in America (Pope John Paul II, 1997)

Introduction

This small-group sharing booklet has been prepared to enable adults to enter into and grow in awareness of the social justice tradition of the Catholic Church. Since the beginning of the tradition, God"s call to justice has been clear. For more than one hundred years, the Church has contributed to this tradition in a number of papal encyclicals and bishop"s pastoral letters.

Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical letter On Human Work, comments on this rich Catholic heritage of social teachings:

The Church"s social teaching finds its source in Sacred Scripture, beginning with the Book of Genesis and especially in the Gospel and the writings of the Apostles. From the beginning it was part of the Church"s teaching. . . . [This rich inheritance was] developed by the teaching of the Popes on the modern "social question," beginning with the Encyclical Rerum Novarum. (no. 3)

The reader is invited to enter this world of Catholic social teachings using weekly segments highlighting seven themes chosen by the U.S. Catholic bishops. Six of the themes are derived from the bishops" 1990 message A Century of Social Teaching: A Common Heritage, a Continuing Challenge. The seventh comes from their 1991 statement Renewing the Earth.

For a group, these segments are designed not as teaching instruments themselves, but as a means to break open what Catholic social teaching means in a group context. The group can explore how these basic teachings affect our individual lives. With the Holy Spirit as a guide, the group can come to new understandings about how to further the work of the reign of God.

The work of social justice is not the work of a few "experts." It should affect the lives of all. We come from many different backgrounds and experiences and we have different gifts to share, yet we share as baptized Christians in the challenging work of God.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. . . . We were all given to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor 12:12-13)

Each of the seven weekly sessions begins with a Gospel reading by someone from the group, followed by a short silent reflection on the reading. A member of the group then reads the brief prepared reflection. Focus questions for group discussion are included, which may be used to begin a discussion, relying on the power and grace of the Holy Spirit as a guide to a greater consciousness of God"s message of social justice.

The format offered here is only a suggestion. Individual groups should feel free to alter their experience in whatever way appropriate. For instance, a group may wish to focus on one action taken together throughout the seven weeks rather than on individual actions done each week. Below are suggested opening and closing prayers. Any other form of prayer that a group is comfortable with could be used.

To begin a group sharing experience, the following prayer may be used:

Lord our God, we bless you.

As we come together to ponder the Scriptures,

we ask you in your kindness

to fill us with the knowledge of your will

so that, pleasing you in all things,

we may grow in every good work.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.*

At the end of each session, the following prayer may be used:

May God, the source of all patience and encouragement,

enable us to live in perfect harmony with one another

in the spirit of Christ Jesus.

With one heart and one voice

may we glorify God, now and for ever. Amen.*

This booklet was prepared by the education staff of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is an education/action program of the U.S. bishops to help bring about social justice. With the support of Catholic parishioners and other contributors, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development carries out this mission in two ways: first, by funding and supporting self-help groups whose membership is primarily made up of economically disadvantaged people and who organize to improve conditions that affect their lives; and second, by educating U.S. Catholics on the issues of social justice in the United States. At the heart of both of these efforts is the hope of empowering people to fully participate and enjoy the freedoms, rights, and responsibilities that our communities, our nation, and indeed the world have to offer.

*Note: These prayers are taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, which is available from the USCCB, 3211 Fourth Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194, or call 800-235-8722. In the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area call 202-722-8716. Refer to publication no. 292-6.

Week Three

Theme for the Week
Rights and responsibilities of the human person

Opening Prayer

Group Reflection

Discuss as a group the action(s) taken during this past week prompted by last session"s reflections.

Scripture Reading

Luke 16:19-31

There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man"s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, "Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames." Abraham replied, "My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours." He said, "Then I beg you, father, send him to my father"s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment." But Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them." He said, "Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Then Abraham said, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

Silent Reflection by the Group

Reflection

In this week"s reading, Jesus tells us the story of a rich man, who has much of this world"s goods, living beside the poor man Lazarus, who has almost nothing. When they die, their conditions are reversed. Lazarus, the poor man, rests at Abraham"s side at the eternal banquet, while the rich man cannot obtain even a drink of water.

Once again, Jesus relates care of the poor to the very heart of living the Gospel. We are not told what type of person the rich man is, not even his name. He may be a very good husband and family provider, perhaps an outstanding man in his community. Likewise, we are told nothing about Lazarus. All we are told is that he is poor. Yet Jesus tells us that Lazarus is richly rewarded, while he paints a hopeless future for the rich man.

The parable is not about a vision of life after death; its emphasis is on the connection between justice and living the Gospel. The rich man lives in a religious tradition that stresses the care of the poor, widows, orphans, and immigrants. Yet he chooses to live a luxurious lifestyle in the face of someone suffering right outside his gate. He does not allow the teaching of Moses and the prophets to enter into his world. If he did, he would share of his plenty to see that the needs of Lazarus were met.

This story can illustrate Catholic social teaching concerning the rights and responsibilities of the human person. We all, like Lazarus, have basic rights. We have a right to have our physical and social needs met, along with the freedom and liberty to live our lives as we choose. Lazarus, like the rich man, was created in the image and likeness of God, yet he was sick, starving, and cut off from participation in his community. Because of this, he had no freedom or liberty; all he could do was suffer.

In his encyclical Peace on Earth, Pope John XXIII notes that persons have "the duty to claim those rights as marks of [their] dignity, while all others have the obligation to acknowledge those rights and respect them" (44).

The rich man wasn"t in the wrong because of his wealth. Pope John Paul II tells us he was condemned because he did not pay attention to the person in need. He did not live up to his responsibilities to safeguard the basic rights of the other person. Despite his religious tradition, he lived without regard for his God-given responsibilities to others.

Like the rich man, we live in a time and place of plenty, yet we are confronted daily on our streets and in our media by the faces of the poor. While we have plenty to fulfill the needs of food, clothing, housing, security, and the medical and social service needs for everyone, we are faced with a world where many people lack one or all of these basic needs. Without provision for these basic human needs, no true human liberty or freedom can exist. However, Pope Pius XI cautioned us that small gifts of charity do not exempt us from the great duties imposed by justice. Social injustice lies not in wealth, but in the maldistribution of wealth in the face of need. In the gospel passage we have read, neither the rich man nor anyone else in his community responded to the sight of one of God"s children living so inhumanly.

FOCUS QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION

What should the rich man have done? Why did no one else do anything for Lazarus?
Who in your community, nation, or the world is represented by Lazarus?
How is this story of Lazarus and the rich man played out today? What is your responsibility regarding worldly goods? What rights do others have to worldly goods?

Suggested Actions

If your community has a project to build or repair low-cost housing for the poor, volunteer some of your time. If it does not, find out how you can initiate such a project or a similar project.
Work on your parish social action committee and develop ideas on how to help those who are poor in your community.
Contact your diocesan director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to find out about how groups of low-income people are helping themselves, and volunteer some time with such a group.

Commitment to Actions
Discuss your personal or group commitment to specific action(s) for this coming week. Identify one action you can do with those who are poor.

Closing Prayer

Looking Ahead
In his teaching and preaching, Jesus continually proclaimed that the reign of God was at hand. Yet looking around us, we all too often see that the message of Jesus concerning love and justice for others does not rule our world. As Catholics, we are not called to wait for God to right all the wrongs our world endures; rather, we are challenged to begin building the reign of God, to act in faith as the Holy Spirit guides us in our world.

As Pope John Paul II instructs us in his encyclical letter On the Hundredth Anniversary of "Rerum Novarum,"

Today more than ever, the Church is aware that her social message will gain credibility more immediately from the witness of actions than as a result of its internal logic and consistency. (no. 57)

Once again in the words of Pope John Paul II, from his 1999 apostolic exhortation The Church in America,

It is a question not only of alleviating the most serious and urgent needs through individual action here and there, but of uncovering the roots of evil and proposing initiatives to make social, political and economic structure more just and fraternal. (no. 18)