What Is Christian Social Doctrine?
I friend loaned me Wrestling with God, a book by Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI. I’m finding it inspiring and challenging. I guess you could say, I’m wrestling with some sections! Chapter four, for example, is on the Gospel mandate to reach out to the poor.
Rolheiser begins with a quote by James Forbes: “Nobody gets to heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.” My reaction: “Gulp!” and then, “Who’s gonna write my reference letter?” He describes how the Law of Moses legally obligated the people to give to the poor. A few examples: Every seventh year slaves were to be set free with enough of the master’s goods to live independently; every seventh year all economic debts were cancelled; at all times, landowners were forbidden to reap the corners of their fields, thus leaving these spaces to be reaped by the poor. Says Rolheiser, “We have much to learn from this society.”
Rolheiser believes we are basically generous and charitable people. But, he says, social justice goes beyond individual charitable giving (as good as charitable giving is!) He then summarizes Christian Social Doctrine in 10 points. I’m going to summarize his summary in 6 points.
- All people have equal dignity, equal rights, and equal access to resources and opportunity. “The riches of this world should flow equally and fairly to all.”
- The right to private property and accumulation of wealth is not an absolute one. It must be subordinated to the common good and to the fact that the goods of the earth are intended for all.
- We are obligated morally to come to the aid of those in need.
- The current situation in the world where some individuals and nations have excess while others lack the basic necessities is immoral, against the teachings of Christ, and must be redressed.
- The earth itself has inherent rights. (See Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si!)
- Movement toward the poor is a route to both God and spiritual health.
Lent is a good time to get back to the basics of our Christian (Catholic) faith. That’s one reason I’m reading this book–and devoting this blog to this topic of social justice. As I read this chapter, I asked myself (and I’m asking you!) questions such as these:
Are these tenets too naive and too idealistic? Do they ask too much of us? (Is Jesus asking too much of us? Matthew 25 is tough!)
Where do we see evidence of the church, specific organizations, and real individuals actually living these tenets? Is there any evidence that I am trying to live any of these tenets? What about my family, my religious congregation, and my parish?
When I look at our national and global problems, I’m tempted to throw up my hands in despair and say things like: “But I’m only one person… I’m too old for this now… These problems are too complex… I’m overwhelmed by it all.” What helps you to live your faith amid injustices, our global refugee crisis, critical climate issues, growing violence, divisiveness, the caronavirus, etc. etc.?
Does anything in this reflection stand out for you? I welcome any of your thoughts on this vital topic. Even a sentence or two would be fine.
This video is a simple reading of Mt. 25: 35-40. It is set against pictures of people reaching out to help others in all kinds of ways. I am inspired by the way these individuals are making an investment of their time and themselves in carrying out Jesus’ mandate of service.
Please respond below to the reflection, the video, or to the responses of other readers. As usual, we love hearing from you!
When God Asks Us to Move
I will be moving to a new place this fall–if all goes as planned. The house the three of us are living in needs some major repairs. The parish that owns the house cannot make these repairs. We understand completely. The parish is not kicking us out; we are being proactive. In future blogs I’ll reflect on this venerable house (it was built in 1848!) and the moving process. In this reflection, I would like to talk about moving on as a modus operandi of the spiritual life.
Here is a dialog between God and me. I did not actually hear God with my ears, of course. And I’m not writing so much about physically moving from this house. I’m writing about the deeper movement of the soul, the movement from where we are to where God is calling us to be.
And the Lord God spoke to me, saying, “Get up, my Beloved, and move to a new place.”
And I said: “But, God, what’s wrong with this place? What’s wrong with where I am? What’s wrong with me as I am? Can’t I stay here, please? I like it here.”
And God said, “Move.”
“But, God, don’t you see? I’m familiar with this place. And I like familiar things. Unfamiliar things scare me. And I’m comfortable here. I like being comfortable too.”
And God said nothing.
“God, I’m tired of moving. I’ve been moving my whole life. I just get settled somewhere, and you ask me to move again. When I was younger, it was easier for me to move into the future. The future was an exciting place, full of possibilities.
“But now, God, things are different. The future doesn’t look as expansive as it used to look. The path ahead for me seems more restricted. It’s darker too. Lots of ambiguity, uncertainty. Why can’t I stay here, God? In fact, I was even wondering if I might exchange this wind-torn tent for something a little more permanent, more stationary? Like a small sturdy log cabin? Or maybe even a modest brick house? What do you have against settling down, anyway?”
And God said, “My Beloved, I am asking you to get up and move on. Your journey is not over yet. You must keep moving forward. Pack a few essentials for the trip: Faith… Hope… and Love. And tuck in Humor… Patience… and Curiosity too. Sometimes I think they’re almost as important as the Big Three.”
I pout.
God continues: “Your life lies before you, Honey. Always before you. Movement is the essence of all that is. Think of planet earth rotating every day. Think of it circling the sun every year. Think of every single cell in your body as moving. And every molecule that composes every cell. And every atom that composes every molecule is spinning and twirling and dancing away! Flow is the essence of existence. Flow is the essence of salvation. Flow is the essence of me too.”
I sit and think. And then I say: “Okay, I get that. Everything’s moving. But why must I move? Give me one good reason.”
And God takes a deep breath and then says, “I’ll give you three good reasons: because I am asking you to move… because I will be with you every step of the way… and because I think the world of you!”
I am silent. God is silent. And then I say, “Okay. Okay. I’ll move…One more time… because… only because I think the world of you, too.”
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- Are there any words or phrases in this reflection that “hit home” with you? If so, what are they and why?
- What have been some of the major “moves” in your life? Did you welcome them or resist them? What helped you to make these moves?
- What are some of the “interior moves” that God asks of us–for example, to change our attitude about something? What helps us identify and make these moves?
Our song today is an oldie but goody: “Day by Day” from Godspell. The refrain is attributed to a 13th Century English Bishop, St. Richard of Chichester. I chose this song because it captures the essential movement in the spiritual life: SEE… LOVE… FOLLOW. I’m offering two versions. The first is the song with lyrics set against some beautiful nature pictures. The second is a clip from the movie (1973).
“Day by Day” with lyrics:
“Day by Day” film clip
I invite you to respond to this reflection, the song, or the other responses.
Quotations for Lent
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Today I’m offering you some quotations related to Lent (either directly or indirectly) that you might like to pray with during this special season of the year.
1.”No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.” St. John Chrysostom
2. “Lent’s not what you give up; it’s how you reach out.” Regina Brett
3. “The thing to mortify is fear, this obstinate tendency to protect ourselves from God, to defend ourselves by sacrifices of our choice against the invasion of God’s love.” Louis Evely
4. “Jesus says, ‘When you fast, do not look gloomy.’ In view of this fact, we might want to consider this penance for Lent: to fast from gloominess, that is, to fast from complaining, from focusing on what’s wrong in the world, from wearing a cheerless face, from snapping at others, and from feeling sorry for ourselves.” Melannie Svoboda, SND
5. “You do not need to wallow in guilt. Wallow in the mercy of God.” St. John Vianney
6. “You don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray,’ you can be sure you have already begun.” St. Josemaria Escriva
7. “You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving.” St. Francis de Sales
8. “The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of them need saving from the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” Barbara Brown Taylor
9. “If I want to discover my daily cross, all I have to do is ask myself a few questions: What would I like to get rid of in my life? With whom or what am I regularly irritated? Where does my pain, anxiety, stress, confusion or turmoil find its source? I ought not simply to endure or fight what is difficult for me, but rather to see my cross as a source of transformation. The cross is a way for me to grow if I accept it.” Sister Joyce Rupp
10. “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” Pope Francis
11. “Satan does not care how many people read about prayer, if only he can keep them from praying.” Paul Billheimer
12. “Is prayer your steering wheel or spare tire?” Corrie ten Boom
13. “God is hiding in the world. Our task is to let the Divine emerge from our deeds.” Rabbi Abraham Heschel
14. One way to begin prayer is to say, “OK, I’m here, God. Your move.” Sebastian Moore
15. “If there is any path at all on which I can approach You, God, it must lead through the very middle of my ordinary daily life. If you have given me no single place to which I can flee and be sure of finding you, then I must be able to find you in every place, and in each and every thing I do.” Karl Rahner, SJ
Do any of these quotations stir your heart today? If so, which one(s)? Why?
Do you have any favorite quotes that relate to Lent that you could share with us?
How might we celebrate this penitential season this year? Any ideas? Suggestions?
PS: I am happy to report that I will be emailing the manuscript for my new book to my editors early this week!!! Here’s a photo of the hard copy manuscript: all 22 chapters.
Next step: editors decide to accept it or not. If they accept, they will probably have some suggestions about improving the manuscript! Thanks again for your prayers! You’re the best!
Our song today is “Wounded Healer” by Audrey Assad. My prayer for all of us is this: may we give our hearts to Jesus today and every day.
I invite you to share your thoughts below–or respond to those who have shared theirs with us.
A Few Words about Cats
A while ago, I did a blog on dogs. Since then, a few readers (one friend in particular!) have asked, “When are you going to write about cats?” Well, today is that day. But today is also Presidents’ Day in the US, so I wondered how might I connect this holiday with cats? Here’s how.
President Abraham Lincoln liked cats. In fact, someone once asked his wife if the president had any hobbies. She supposedly replied, “Cats.” The truth is, many US Presidents had cats while in the White House—including Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Now that I’ve connected today’s holiday with my topic, let’s talk about cats.
Domestic cats today are the world’s most popular pet. They can be found almost everywhere—including on the internet! But where did domestic cats come from? They are likely descended from the African wildcat. We know domestic cats were in ancient Egypt over 4,000 years ago. The Egyptians regarded cats as sacred because they curbed disease and helped protect crops from rodents and other pests.
In China, cats were owned primarily by the wealthy. But soon they became so numerous, they eventually spread to India and Japan. Egyptian traders introduced cats to the Greeks and the Romans and other parts of Europe.
During the Middle Ages, cats fell out of favor. They were blamed for the Bubonic Plague. Some rulers ordered all cats to be killed. By killing the cats, the rats (the real culprits in spreading the disease) increased and multiplied. Only in 1600 was the reputation of the cat finally restored.
Here are some fun facts about cats:
A group of cats is called a clowder or a glaring… A male cat is a tom while a female is a molly or a queen... A cat lover is called an ailurophile (from the Greek: ailuros = cat; –phile = lover of.)
The average domestic cat lives about 12-15 years. Cats were thought to have nine lives—probably because cats have an innate sense of equilibrium that helps them land on their feet if they fall. Cats also sleep 13-14 hours a day! They are neat animals and spend 30-50% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
Cats also have powerful night vision. They can see at light levels six times lower than what we humans need to see. Wild cats are nocturnal. Some domestic cats may seem to be most active at night, but some people say domestic cats are really crepuscular, most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.
What are some of the benefits of owning a cat?
Cats can be a great emotional support during difficult times.
In one survey, 82% of women said they are more attracted to men who like animals. About 90% of those women said that men who own cats are “nicer” than guys who don’t.
A cat leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than a dog.
A cat is good for the human heart. Cats have been known to lower their owner’s stress levels.
I’ll conclude with a personal story. Growing up on a farm, we always had outdoor cats: Tommy, Babs, and Lucifer. (We didn’t give Lucifer his name. We adopted him when our neighbors moved away.) I also named several kittens after my favorite Cleveland Indians: Herbie (Herb Score), Rocky (Rocky Colavito), and Roger (Roger Maris who played for Cleveland years before he became a Yankee and earned an * for his 61 home runs in a season!)
One day, someone dumped a cat off in front of our farm. It was a lean black and white tom with a rather dour face. My brother, Pauly, and I fed him on the sly. The next day when our Dad saw the cat on the side porch, he yelled, “No more cats!” and shooed the cat off the porch and down the driveway. But Dad eventually gave in and the cat was added to our feline menagerie. My brother Pauly named the cat “Meow,” saying, “I want my cat to be able to say his own name!”
PS: Last week I ask for your prayers for my work on my new book on beauty. I just had to tell you that last week was one of the BEST and most productive weeks I’ve had so far writing this book. Wow! You’re amazing! Thank you!!!
What do you think of cats? If you are a cat lover, what makes you love cats? If you don’t like cats, why not?
Can you name other benefits a cat can provide?
Do you find cats affectionate or aloof or both?
I thought I’d conclude this reflection with two videos. The first is a cat video. The second is a music video.
Here’s the cat video. I trust that no cats were harmed in the making of this video.
Cats have a way of relieving stress. This song by Josh Baldwin is called “Peace.” It reminds us to lay our worries at the feet of Jesus.
Please respond to anything in this reflection below. I especially hope to hear from some of you cat lovers!
A Book on Beauty
As some of you know, I am working on a new book. Basically it’s on beauty and the spiritual life. It’s only about half written—and my deadline is April 1. So, I ask your prayers that the Holy Spirit may perch upon my shoulder and direct my thoughts and words!
Today I would like to share an excerpt from my book with you. This is from the chapter tentatively entitled “What Effect Does Beauty Have on Us?” It begins with this quote: To call something beautiful is not just to describe it, but to react to it. (Gordon Graham)
Two old friends were walking down the road one evening when they began to argue. As they went along they shouted at one another as each tried to impose his view upon the other. The longer they argued, the angrier they became. Suddenly, one of them caught sight of the setting sun. He pointed it out to his friend. Immediately the men ceased their arguing.
They stood side by side in silence, gazing at the wonder and beauty of the sunset. Several minutes later, when the sun had slipped beneath the horizon, the two friends started on their way again. Only now, having forgotten what they had been arguing about, they walked together cheerfully and at peace with one another.
Beauty affects us. It causes a reaction in us. In this case the beauty of the sunset made the men stop walking. It silenced them. It engaged them. And in the end, it brought peace between them.
[I then discuss beauty’s effect on the human brain and our psychological well-being. I give examples of beauty’s power to slow us down.]
Beauty’s power to lure people from their ordinary tasks is demonstrated every time there is a solar eclipse. When this phenomenon occurs, millions of people leave work, gather in public places, and don special glasses to take in the mystery and beauty of such an event. A harvest moon will likewise entice people out of their cozy homes to get a better look at the giant orangish orb. The sighting of an eagle or a blue heron also tempts people to stop and stare. A good question to ask ourselves is this: What kind of beauty do we pause for?
Studies have also shown that beauty can lift our spirits and ease our stress. A visit to the art museum, attendance at a concert, a stroll along a beach, the taste of a favorite meal, the face of a happy child, or the sight of a mother duck swimming with her brood of ducklings–all have a way of lifting our hearts and calming our spirits.
Beauty can also unite us with other people. We feel at one whether we are watching the bursting of fireworks on the Fourth of July, cheering for our favorite sports’ team, gazing up at the launching of a rocket, or singing our favorite carols at Christmas Mass. Yes, beauty has the power to unite us as few other things can.
[I then describe how beauty can be a pathway to God. I include some reflective questions and conclude with a prayer and a suggested video.]
How have you felt the power of beauty in your life?
What kind of beauty do you pause for?
Have you ever experienced beauty uniting you with other people?
PS: Here are a few of the places I will be giving talks or retreats. I’ll be posting these on my events calendar soon. You can check out the websites for details:
April 3, 2020 – Speaker at the Lorain First Friday Club luncheon, “Hanging onto Hope in Our Imperfect World”; Lorain Community College, 11:30-1:00.
June 20-26, 2020 – Retreat at St. Cyril Spiritual Center, Danville, PA: “How Can I Keep from Singing?”
July 13-20, 2020 – Retreat at King’s House Retreat Center, Belleville, IL: “How Can I Keep from Singing?”
August 7-9, 2020 – Weekend retreat at Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo, MN: “Wonder, Love, Courage, and Hope.”
September 11-13, 2020 – Weekend retreat at Benet House at St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL: “Four gifts of Autumn: Beauty, Letting Go, Harvest, and Hope.”
October 2-5, 2020 – Weekend retreat at Mount St. Joseph Conference & Retreat Center, Maple Mount, KY: “Holding onto Hope.”
December 11-13, 2020 – Weekend Advent retreat, St. Francis Renewal Center, Bethlehem, PA.
Our video is entitled “For the Beauty of the Earth” with lyrics by John Rutter and performed by the St. Phillips’ Boys’ Choir.
Please feel free to respond to this reflection below:
