PEOPLE of GOD
30
may 2020
Catholic Social Teaching: A Moral Guide in Uncertain Times By Cynthia Perez Roberson, CCHD Intern “He put all things beneath His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” (Ephesians 1: 22-23) The moral principles outlined in Catholic social teaching invite us to reflect on the central and fundamental teachings of our faith. Reports of God’s special love for the poorest among us were initially introduced by the Hebrew prophets. These teachings on God’s love and justice paved the way for Jesus’ declarations “to bring glad tidings to the poor...liberty to captives...recovery of sight to the blind” (Lk 4:18-19). The social mission of our Church is committed to the poor and most vulnerable. In our current circumstances, Catholic social teaching calls us to respond to the human suffering caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, especially those who are on the margins in our country and world. The Church from the beginning has emphasized how humanity is made in the “image and likeness of God.” We are called to bear fruit and to build up the Body of Christ. To continually welcome Jesus into our ordinary life in this month of May, the liturgy calls us to celebrate two significant feast days, the Solemnity of Pentecost and St. Joseph the Worker. We read in the book of Acts, that on the day of Pentecost, the early Church marked this day as the start of the Messianic Age, an age where the Holy Spirit will guide the Christian faith to manifest God’s creative and royal power. The feast of St. Joseph was established to give workers a model and a protector in St. Joseph, whose vocation gave dignity to the drudgeries of work, which contributed to the care of his Holy Family. Meanwhile, the socio-economic strain that has emerged from our current global health crisis requires a valuing of human life and dignity over economic concerns. The US Bishops remind us that “the economy must serve the people, not the other way around.” To address the personal and economic uncertainties presented by the global pandemic, Catholics turn to the Church’s moral principles to overcome the hardships caused by this pandemic. Human dignity, solidarity, priority for the poor, concern for the common good and
dignity of workers are principles that guide us in these times. These principles help ensure strong societal bonds and just actions in a time when many are suffering. In the face of the pandemic, the primary moral commitment of the social mission of the Church is human solidarity. In solidarity, we recognize that we are brothers and sisters in one human family, and that we are called to truly love one another as God has loved us. If you are interested introducing Catholic social teaching you may contact me, Cynthia Roberson, at croberson@archdiosf.org or 505.440.1962 to schedule an interactive presentation (in English or Spanish) through Zoom on how our faith calls us to respond to root causes of poverty!
Heroic Mothers
By Carol Feeney, Project Rachel Coordinator
To all of our heroic mothers: parenting mothers, pregnant mothers, grandmothers, adoptive mothers, mothers who have lost a child, mothers with empty nests, godmothers, spiritual mothers, aunties and mentors who mother us; all kinds of mothers who labor and strive to bring loving people into our world, thank you for choosing life! The Catholic Church is compassionate toward mothers who chose life despite challenging circumstances such as poverty and singleness. Motherhood for such women can mean social isolation. They may not have the loving support of family and friends, or other resources they need to successfully raise a healthy family. Thankfully, our parishes are full of life-loving people who can welcome and befriend moms who are pregnant or who are parenting young children, provide them support and help guide them toward self-sufficiency. During the month of May, in celebration of mothers, in what way can you, your friends, family and parish bless a pregnant or parenting mother in need? May our Blessed Mother Mary grant protection to all pregnant mothers facing difficulties. May the angels safeguard them in their vulnerability. May our merciful Father, the Creator of Life, magnify our efforts to become instruments of His love and compassion. May St. Joseph, the patron saint of families, pray for us as we strive to build a culture of life and a civilization of love. Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come.”
