Social Justice Ch. 7 (Justice & Poverty) Vocabulary

Jesus became lowly and lived a life of poverty

-called no place home -relied on the generosity of others for support -died with no possessions

because the Israelites, like all people, were sinners

all too often the needs of the poor were ignored

Jesus' 1st public speech announced that

as God's agent he came to reach out to the most needy

The Israelites showed their love for God

by their love for neighbor

the core of the fundamental option or preferential love for the poor is

evaluating social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and the powerless

in his earthly ministry, jesus responded to the basic needs of people, often within the context of

food

poverty

from a Latin word "paupertas," it literally translates as pauper, or poor

severest human tragedy of all is that poverty leads to

hunger and, ultimately, death -link between poverty and hunger is ironclad

love of neighbor

mandatory

a christian response to poverty

preferential option for the poor

Incarnation

the great proof of God's love for humanity and his great love and compassion for the poor

Jesus' parables reveal his attitude toward

the poor and lowly

Jesus' prophetic voice repeating... (announced time and time again in the OLD TESTAMENT)

-God's love for the poor -God's command for the well-off to respond to the needy

causes of hunger

-corruption -exploiting limited resources -unfair and high interest on foreign loans -politics

4 institutions that can help us as individuals and as a society to stand with the poor

-families and individuals -community organizations and faith-based institutions -the marketplace and institutions of business, commerce, and labor -government *all 4 legs = essential and complementary to overcome poverty

poverty of the soul

-lack of purpose in life, a sense of hopelessness about any lasting meaning -materially well off but who look for meaning in the acquisition of more goods -make gods out of created goods like possessions, power, prestige, physical beauty, sex

material poverty

-lack of the necessary means of survival like nutritious food and safe drinking water and basic health care such as immunizations against preventable diseases -chronic unemployment/jobs that don't earn enough $ to take care of one's family -being lonely and having no one to count on for help -being voiceless and powerless in the political and economic sectors where decisions are made that keep people poor -accepting the terrible consequences that accompany poverty (ie. broken homes, drug addiction, unplanned pregnancies) -living in crime-infested neighborhoods, being look down on, living with chronic fear

throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus associated with the poor and outcast

-lepers -despised women -children -tax collectors -common folk

Bible names those who are poor including...

-materially impoverished, members of the lower class whom the powerful exploited -the afflicted and powerless -the hungry, the unclothed, the homeless, prisoners -orphans who have no parental love to support them -lepers whom society feared and isolated, forbidding them to have normal contact with people -sinners like the women caught in adultery whom society was going to destroy because the law was broken -strangers and outsiders -widows who had no social status, who could not inherit from their husbands, who were totally dependent on the whims of judges -outcast tax collectors (ie. Zaccheus), but no longer accepeted as the true sons of Abraham

ideally, the sabbatical and jubilee years were to be a great help to...

-reduce poverty -help the poor assume a respectable position in society

Jesus healed those who were ill

-the blind -the lame -the deaf and mute -lepers

in eucharist

-we are to become the bread of life for others -we are to be christ's hands & feet to those in need (live in solidarity with one another for one another)

what does it mean to have a special love for the poor?

-we cannot love immodestly or selfishly use riches or wealth -we must put into practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy -evaluate social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and powerless

moral response to the hunger problem

1. we must manage earthly goods more efficiently 2. we must apply the principle of subsidiarity so power is not taken from those who right possess it 3. we must practice the principle of solidarity (brothers' and sisters' keepers/food aid)

in pastoral letter ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL, american bishops spell out the challenges which the "preferential love for the poor" requires for today's church

1. we must speak for those who have no one to speak for them. we must defend the defenseless, those whom the bible calls "the poor." 2. we must look at things from the side of the poor and powerless 3. we must evaluate lifestyle, policies, and social institutions in terms of how they affect the poor 4. we must help people experience god's saving love and liberating power so they may respond to the gospel in freedom and dignity 5. as individual christians and a church community, we must empty ourselves so god's power can touch us in the midst of poverty and powerlessness

JESUS' STANDARD FOR HOW WE SHOULD TREAT POOR PEOPLE IS SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD, COMPELLING

DO TO OTHERS WHATEVER YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU

our neighbor is everyone, especially the person in need

EVEN OUR ENEMIES

the jubilee year

EVERY 50 YEARS, THE GRAND SABBATICAL -people were supposed to return to their proper place in the community -original owners were to lay legal claim to their property

the sabbatical year

EVERY 7 YEARS -land was not to be farmed -debts were to be forgiven -salves were to be let go

poverty of the spirit

POSITIVE (Jesus praised in 1st Beatitude) -we totally depend on God -God alone is our savior, sole source of all good gifts -source of true humility -moves us to share our blessings with the truly poor -compels us to fight for justice so that the most defenseless, powerless, and impoverished may obtain what they truly need to live in dignity as human beings, children of a loving Father

lord himself who will separate the sheep from goats on judgement day

goats = those who refuse to respond to the needy

time and time again the OT teaches about

injustice & reassures the poor that God indeed hears their cries

main purpose of a special commitment and love for the poor

is to help poor people to become active participants in society

danger with money

it can control us when we should be controlling it

virtue of humility

prompts us to express our gratitude to God by sharing our personal gifts, talents, and wealth with others, but especially with our most needy neighbors

prophet Amos

taught that injustice will be punished

prophet Zachariah

taught the Israelites how to be just

Jesus chose this lifestyle of openness and dependence on the Father to...

teach us about Truth, to show us what it means to love, and to sacrifice his life to gain eternal life for all humanity

Lazarus and the Rich Man

teaches that we must first notice and then respond to the needs of the poor in our midst *we cannot ignore them, doing so risks eternal separation from God

observing the sabbatical and jubilee years was a reminder to the jewish people

that they were former slaves whom a just and loving God rescued in return, they had a duty to care preferentially for the oppressed and the poor in their midst

appendix to their pastoral reflection on poverty entitled A Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to Respect the Dignity of All God's Children

the american bishops outline 10 important themes that represent a "Catholic Framework for Economic Life"

another way catholics respond to world hunger is

through participation in the Eucharist

when asked who is our neighbor, jesus..

told the parable of the Good Samaritan - a hated samaritan went out of his way to minister to the wounds of a beaten traveler (TEACHES US THAT WE MUST GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO HELP THOSE IN NEED)

idea behind practice of (sabbatical and?) jubilee years

try to keep the various tribes of Israel in some kind of equal balance so some would not get excessively wealthy nor others inordinately impoverished

YAHWEH SENT PROPEHTS TO

warn the Israelites about their wickedness & to call people back to justice

parable of the wealthy farmer

warned us how riches can make us arrogant and neglectful of others' needs

jesus does NOT condemn

wealth or rich people