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Catechism Current Events

Every form of discrimination

The equality of [humans] rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.

Vaticana, Libreria Editrice. Catechism of the Catholic Church . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition. Paragraph 1935

Every form…curbed and eradicated…incompatible with God’s design.

This is the Roman Catholic Church speaking to Catholics across the whole world; indeed, to all people on the planet. Including the USA. In 2024.

The year we vote on who we want as our leaders, who we want to follow.

Grace and peace to us all…

dw

p.s. This is the 10th in a series of recent posts on what the Catholic Catechism has to say about social justice.

Categories
Current Events Music Poetry Prayers

We are Bosnia

We are Bosnia

Music from my other site…for those times and ours, too. A desperate prayer.

Grace and peace to all of us…

dw

Categories
Catechism Current Events

In Common

Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all [people] have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.

Vaticana, Libreria Editrice. Catechism of the Catholic Church . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition. Paragraph 1934

What we share in common exceeds, both in quantity and quality, what we hold as differences: it’s God-given.

Just like the peace that passes all understanding.

And the love that doesn’t fail.

And the joy the world can’t take away.

In common because offered to all at no expense to us, ultimate expense to Jesus.

Could we rid our hands and minds of our differences enough, just enough, to embrace what God has given us all?

Grace and peace to us all…

dw

Categories
Catechism Current Events

Those people

This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies. Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one’s enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy.

Vaticana, Libreria Editrice. Catechism of the Catholic Church . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition. Paragraph 1933

The catechism reminds us of what Jesus tells us He would do:

  • make Himself a neighbor and actively serve those people who think or act differently from Him
  • forgive those people who offend Him
  • love those people who are his enemies

Do we choose to follow?

God in heaven, in your mercy, help us – those people – to follow.

Grace and peace to you

dw

Categories
Catechism Current Events Scripture

Even more urgent

The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

Vaticana, Libreria Editrice. Catechism of the Catholic Church . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition. Paragraph 1932

You can’t legislate morality. Laws don’t change people’s hearts.

But a society can legislate compassionately. Doing so is even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged.

If we legislate for the already-advantaged across the board except for one case (the unborn), where does that leave us?

If Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals support national policies that further disadvantage the already-disadvantaged;

and we try to justify ourselves by saying we legislated against abortion, woke-ness, and any non-straight lifestyle:

what do we expect to hear in response from the Son of Man, who was “hungry…thirsty…a stranger…naked…sick…in prison”?

‘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?’ 45 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.’

Matthew 25:44,45. Bibles, Harper . NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha (pp. 3021-3022). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, compassionate hearts, and understanding minds as we live “in the world” while not being “of the world”.

Grace and peace to you

dw