Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights, Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation.
This week International Volunteer Cheryl Rice reflects on Rights and Responsibilities.
This week’s theme is “Rights and Responsibilities,” and I want to take a moment to reflect upon the issue of health care as a basic human right. Those of you living in the North of Ireland benefit from the NHS. While the health system in place is not perfect, it does provide access to health care to all its citizens and visitors. I know this from personal experience.
One of the scary experiences I had in Ireland was was battling some flu-like sickness and one morning I woke up with a rash covering my body. I didn’t know what to do. My private health insurance was not processed and I was scared. A friend insisted that I go to the A&E (ER), but I was very resistant. As I American, I didn’t think they would see me because I didn’t have health insurance. But, that’s not how it works in Northern Ireland. Everyone who goes to the A&E gets seen. Everyone gets the medicine they need. And, it is free.
As Pacem in Terris reads, “We must speak of man's rights. Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health...” (#11)
getting sick. I As a human being, I had the right to health care and I got it, no strings attached. Because of this experience, issues surrounding health care have become very important to me. I am lucky enough to have a job that provides health insurance to its employees, but not all people have that luxury. There are many Americans and global citizens, who, because they are alive and a human being, deserve health care, but do not receive it.
Before coming to Northern Ireland and experiencing the benefits of a more universal health care, I didn’t take much interest in this issue. But I have learned, just because I have the basic right to healthcare, does not mean I can forget about those who do no. I have to responsibility to pray and advocate for those who are lacking this basic human right. I have a responsibility to help insure that all people have their basic rights respected, not because I am in a place of privilege, but because I am a human being. And, at the end of the day, we are all human beings and need to be responsible for our human family.
Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect
on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights,
Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity &
Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for
Creation.
Passionist Student, Frank Trias offers the following reflection on Right to Work.
“For the worker deserves their Wages” Luke 10:7
Feeling short-changed? Feel your effort is neither appreciated nor reflected in the reward you are given despite your hard work? If so, you are not alone in feeling this way. Catholic Social Teaching has long been an advocate for human rights and in particular for workers’ rights. Take Dorothy Day and the still active Catholic Workers movement for inspiration. However it seems that during the gloom of the economic depression we are constantly being reminded of, in the media and by well-paid politicians, a new modern challenge has emerged. On these shores everyone has the right to work, legal citizens anyway, but the challenge is finding work.
The lack of opportunity married with tough economic times has bred a new kind of social injustice. Many who are lucky enough to have employment will still be living below the bread-line and struggling to get by. It is clear that the national minimum wage has nowhere near matched the rise in inflation over the past decade. Job shortage has led to fierce competition amongst job-seekers with many being left behind and those fortunate enough to work taking any scraps thrown to them by opportunistic employers. For many families this means parents, sometimes single, having to take on two or maybe three jobs to survive .The rot has set in and the degradation of community and family life continues to alienate humanity from itself in the materialistic western culture.
However rather than jump on the already overflowing bandwagon of prophets of doom out there (it is easy to point the finger), let us take Psalm 139 as inspiration “for even darkness is like light to you”. For with every injustice comes an opportunity for action.
One shining light amongst this current injustice is the ‘Living Wage Foundation’. As this is a short piece I will simply highlight their aim - to challenge people, employers and employees, to look at the reality of the national minimum wage in comparison with what is considered a national living wage. Many organizations have already signed up and are proud to flash their badge as ‘living wage employers’ and not merely minimum (slave) wage employers. The foundation is also empowering individuals by educating them with the facts about employment rather than beat them down with petty gratitude. The ‘Living Wage Foundation’ came about through the initiative of localized community groups on the margins. I was unsurprised to learn that amongst them were religious groups. My own encounter with the foundation came in the shape of an exuberant group of Catholic school girls (some of whom weren’t even old enough to work!) doing great street work in promoting the cause. The idea of a fair wage is not something new, like much of Catholic Social Teaching it is often hidden like a precious pearl in an oyster on the bottom of the sea bed of Catholic doctrine. However back in 1981 the colossal figure and advocate of human rights, the late John Paul II, was already promoting not only a living wage but a family wage in his letter on the dignity of human work Laborem Exercens. Predicting the signs of the times he saw that an individual not only needs to support themselves but also a family if they want to remain stable.
Many leading politicians have already backed the living wage in London. However words need action and it is time the government took steps in making the living wage, and who knows maybe even a family wage, the new national minimum. So if you are falling on hard times and you feel there is a little more your employer or local MP could do to contribute then why not get informed? Rally some support and, without anarchy or uprising, state your case for a living wage because as Scripture says
“for the worker deserves their wages” Luke 10:7
Resources:
Living Wage Foundation:
http://www.livingwage.org.uk/home
Catholic Worker London:
http://londoncatholicworker.org/
Laborem Exercens (In English):
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens_en.html
Catholic Social Teaching UK: Life and Work
http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/themes/life-work/
Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect
on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights,
Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity &
Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for
Creation.
International Volunteer, Kate Balmforth offers the
following reflection on Care for Creation.
Sorry this post is a few days late, folks-Tobar Mhuire was bustling this week! Passionist Student, Frank Trias will offer a reflection, as regularly scheduled, this Wednesday!
Care for creation is the foundational Social Teaching for Christians. It is the first commandment of God and it is why we were created. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and care for it.”[1] It encompasses all other Christian teachings. Love and obedience to God, Love of neighbor, Love of Enemy and Love of Self, the Right to Life, Right to be Human, Right to Work, Call for Solidarity, Care for the Poor and more, all begin and end with the commandment to care for what is created by God. And yet, it is rarely given more attention than a bulletin board display in the back of a church hall, on the Sunday before or after Earth Day.
I could go into detail on the ways that we daily fail to fully live into this commandment but a quick internet search will identify hundreds of modern prophets who better articulate the changes we need to make. We need to change so we can sustain and we need to change soon. But rather than rehash the reasons I should be recycling more, I want to suggest that caring for creation needs to be integrated into our every action. Caring for creation need to be as natural and enjoyable as breathing fresh air. And we need to realize that what we do and what we fail to do for the environment has consequences for our relationship with God.
How much simpler would our lives be if every day we woke up with
the singular commitment to follow the divine call to care for creation?
How much closer would we be to bringing about the reign of God?
I suspect that we are quick to forget about our fundamental purpose because it is almost too huge to wrap our brains around. We feel the need to compartmentalize creation, to set priorities. At some level that may be a helpful mechanism but we’ve gotten out of balance. We’ve allowed the mechanism to become the rule. The good news is, that with a little practice!, we can rebalance. And this is the best time of year to reflect on our fundamental purpose on earth, to care for creation. The days are getting longer and warmer. Starting tomorrow, I’ll walk more and drive less. I’ll put away the processed colas and drink more water, and I’ll embrace my friends, family and neighbors like the unique creations of God that they are.
And I'll begin each day with this helpful prayer by Jennie Frost Butler.
Infinite Spirit, when I pray each day
for shelter for the homeless,
let me not ignore the pet without a home;
As I ask for protection for those in areas
of turmoil and unrest, let me not forget endangered species of life;
When I pray that the hungry be fed,
let me be mindful
that all God’s creatures have need of sustenance;
As I ask Divine assistance
for those afflicted
by fire, flood, earthquake, storm or drought,
let me
remember that this includes every living thing;
In seeking miracle cures
for human disease,
may I also speak for the well-being of the planet itself.
Let the words of my mouth,
the meditations of my heart
and the
actions of my life be as one,
that I may live each day in harmony
With Mother Earth. Amen.
[1] Genesis 2:15
Over the past 4 months, the team from Tobar Mhuire has been working in partnership with Youthworks to deliver a personal and social development programme to young men from our sister parish of Holy Cross, Ardoyne. This has included looking at skills for effective living; exploring prejudice and discrimination, and taking part in a service project in the grounds of Tobar Mhuire every Sunday afternoon.
The latest phase of the programme saw us visit New York; Pittsburg and Washington, where we were hosted by the Amizade organisation. We shall tell you more about this exciting project shortly, but the trip to the States saw the young men visit Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburg Steelers; meet homeless people in Washington; climb 50 foot wooden towers; participate in the Good Friday Stations around the streets of New York and generally act as ambassadors for their home parish. We are deeply indebted to Suzanne from the Amizade team for her organisation of the week and for her wonderful calming company! As I said, more information about this project will be online soon. In the meantime, enjoy the video show!
Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights, Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation.
Management Team Volunteer, Kieran Hill offers the following reflection on Family.
'The human person is not only sacred but social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community. No community is more central than the family; it needs to be supported and strengthened, not undermined. It is the basic cell of society and the state has an obligation to support the family. What happens in the family is at the basis of a truly human social life'. (Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1999)
This summary statement by the United States Catholic Bishops relating to Family, Community and wider Participation, despite its brevity, contains fundamental principles relevant to human existence which have been distilled from the Gospels and presented within the God-given wisdom acquired within the Church. It is only possible within this short article to make some short but hopefully important observations.
Much has been written about the family from sociological, psychological and social-psychological viewpoints, linking healthy outcomes at personal, family, community and societal levels to positive family relationships and experiences especially where love, caring, respect and dignity of each person are valued. The learning and experiences of growing up in a family stay with us into adult life.
There are many pressures on modern family life in societies which promote individual achievement and competition and where values can both contradict and seriously challenge the relevance and influence of Christian beliefs and practices. What can happen on an individual level can impact what happens at family, community and societal level. The social dimension to family life requires effort to maintain positive social relations. Time taken to communicate, interact and have shared experiences, including those afforded through mealtimes, is time well invested. It is through this social interaction that much is passed on to the next generation and is carried out into the local parishes schools and communities and to society as a whole.
I wish to comment on two key elements that underpin the social dimension from a Catholic Social Teaching viewpoint. Love and faith. Discreet but very much interconnected, these are the elements that influence and are influenced by our social relationships. The writer and contemplative priest Thomas Merton has shared some insights into these two concepts which I suggest is helpful to briefly comment on here.
Merton puts it this way:
Love comes out of God and gathers us to God …So we all become
doors and windows through which God shines back into His own house.*
This is a beautiful image of a connection between God's House and our family home. Both as members and the family as a single identity have 'doors and windows' through which we receive, share and return Love back to God's 'House'.
For Merton:
The root of Christian Love is not the will to love, but the faith that
one is loved...loved by God.**
In other words having faith that God is love and loves us is a source of great strength in family life, especially when times get tough.
Several years ago, my daughter became ill and she required an operation both to treat and to make a diagnosis. This was a very stressful and worrying time for all members of my family, not least my daughter. My faith turned me to pray to God. At that time I would have emphasised the importance of my faith. Looking at the situation again, it was God's love that turned me in the direction of prayer, connecting to whatever faith I had in God's love for me and my family. God's love did shine in through our 'doors and windows' and in the light of a very successful outcome for my daughter, was shared within the family and beyond, and hopefully all returned stronger back to God's House.
Taking time to reflect on love and faith, and how these are experienced and passed on in the social relations of family life can help build a more solid foundation upon which Catholic Social Teaching in this area can be better understood, received and put into practice.
*Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation, p. 67, 2007.
**Ibid., p.75.
Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights, Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation.
Passionist Student, Gareth Thomas offers the following reflection on Solidarity.
A wise man (not one of three wise men that came to see Jesus), once told me that the difference between solidarity and care for the poor can be put in this way:
A man is told that two streets away a man that he has met and chatted to from time to time is trapped in a house fire to which this man replies “oh poor chap, I’ll say a little prayer for him.” On another occasion this same man is told that two streets away his eldest daughter is trapped in a house fire, what does he do this time? Immediately he runs to rescue his daughter!
Maybe the right thing is always to do both, to pray and to act, but to be in solidarity with the poor is to be intimately concerned and involved with our brothers and sisters to the point that our love for those who are suffering brings forth action in each and every one of us. One of the most powerful examples in the Gospels of love of neighbour is the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is interesting however that as much love as the Good Samaritan shows, it is simply a charitable act that is shown, the Good Samaritan does not himself look after the man but entrusts his care to others. Neither does the Good Samaritan later check, we are told, if the man is ok, he goes on about his own business, this is not what Jesus in God does with us, this is not what solidarity with the poor means, this is not what Christians are called to do, Christians are called to go beyond these simple efforts if they are in good health, good wealth, and are able to do so.
Over seven weeks, members of the Tobar Mhuire Team reflect on the principles of the Catholic Social Teaching; Solidarity, Human Rights,
Dignity of Human Life, Call to Family & Community, Dignity & Rights of Work, Preferential Option for the Poor, and Care for Creation.
To be honest, as popular as service trips and immersion experiences are in the United States, I have never been one. Until two years ago, I never volunteered in either my local or global community. I took a class on Catholic Social Teaching as an undergraduate student. Of course I agreed with themes and principles that were taught in class, but I left the learning in the classroom. When I went to Boston College to study Theology, despite the world renowned ethics professors, I had no serious interest in taking any of their classes. My whole faith experience was based on me and Jesus.
And all of a sudden, that changed. I moved. I actually moved six houses down the street and my world changed forever. I move in with five amazing people, people who were dedicated to advocating for equality, for women’s rights, for the end of domestic violence, and for the poor and marginalized both in Boston and the developing world. I had the honour of living and learning from a community committed to justice and I have become a better person because of it.
I learned that my family is bigger than my mom, dad, sister and brother. I learned that my community is bigger than my friends, colleagues, and professors.
I saw the face of Jesus in my house mates. Their commitment to loving their neighbor, no matter his or her race, gender, occupation, education level, socio-economic position, or sexual orientation, was a powerful reminder to me who Jesus Christ was. He was one to dine with the sinner, reach out and touch the sick, and built relationships with those most marginalized in his society. It was Jesus who said, “Whatever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”In my case, it was “whatever you DIDN’T do for the least of my people, that you DIDN’T do unto to me.” I soon began to realize my faith compels me to do something.
The big question becomes, what can I do? How do I begin this task of advocating and promoting justice? The answer came to me in the form of Catholic Social Teaching. What is Catholic Social Teaching? It is the comprehensive teaching of the Catholic Church, informed by the Gospels and the lived experiences of Christians, on social, political, and economic issues. Popes have written encyclicals, bishops have created statements, and theologians have decided their lives to exploring, nuancing, updating, and reflecting upon Catholic Social Teaching.
Catholic Social Teaching gives us concrete steps for putting our faith into action. CST gives us seven different themes that help shape our actions.
· Life and Dignity of the Human Person
· Call to Family, Community, and Participation
· Rights and Responsibilities
· Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
· Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
· Solidarity
· Care for Creation
For the next seven weeks, a different team member is going to be reflecting on one of these themes. The hope is that we will both learning more about each theme and be inspired to incorporate the themes into our lives. The key is to start small. I challenge you to find one practical and concrete way you can express each week’s theme in your everyday life. Just one thing. But if we all do one thing, think of the difference we will make!
Cheryl Rice, International Volunteer
On the cross we hear Jesus cry out in the words of Psalm 22, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
What seemingly shocking words from the lips of Jesus. How can this be so? What is happening here? We never could have imagined that it would be this way. Jesus the God man crying out in desolation and abandonment. Bewilderment and confusion invades us as we hear His painful cry ringing in our ears. How absurd, how senseless, is this the end for us too are we now doomed?
Throughout His life there were peak moments when he revealed His unique and extraordinary relationship with the God, He called His Father, using the word Abba (Mk.14:36) that expressed the depth of intimacy. “No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son (Matt. 11:27),” “I and the Father are one” (Jn.10:30), “to have seen me is to have seen the Father” (Jn.14:9) – no one ever dared to claim such intimacy with God before.
And now we hear Him cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Could it be possible? Is it true? Is everything He said about his relationship with His God, His Abba, all mere words, fantasy, the language of poetry and wishful thinking now crossed out as he feels the full blast of our human weakness, reduced to human rubble and annihilation.
All we can say to him is, now you know, now you know what it is like, now you cry as we cry, why God, why have you left me? What have I done to deserve this? Am I being punished for my sins? Why did you let it happen? That desolate cry that echoes down the corridors of human existence since its beginning.
But is it not at this moment more than any other moment in the life of Jesus that we can really identify with Him and He with us? Is it not here that he is most like us, that we are really one with him? We have reached a very profound moment in the life of Jesus and in the life of humankind, a moment when “the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25).
When is it that we receive real comfort and consolation? Is it when someone tells us everything will be alright, we’ll get over it? No, not really. Is it when someone tells us what we should do, what course of action to take or gives us words of advice or encouragement? Maybe. But far more important than anything anybody can do or say is simply, very simply the presence of one who cares. Someone whose attitude is, ‘I don’t know what to say or do but I’ll stay here with you, I won’t run away because I can’t stomach what is happening to you”, they may never put it into words, but silently remain present to and with us. The person who in a very real sense shares our burden, our pain, that’s the kind of presence that somehow give us new life, new vitality, new hope to pick up the pieces and go on. It is reflected in the kind of things we say when we look back at a time of crisis, ‘I’ll never forget so and so they stood by me and listened to me through thick and thin when I had no one to turn to.
This is but a pale reflection of what God does for us in Jesus. Our God is not a vague, distant god with a weird sense of humour who delights in our distress and demands his pound of flesh for our sins.
He is not a God of revenge, but a God who is so moved, so touched by our sorry plight, even our resistance to His Love that he comes close so close that in Jesus He experiences our experience of desolation and abandonment.
The mystery of His Love is not that He takes away all our questions or our pain right now, but that first and foremost His desire is to be with us and to fill us with his presence. Jesus experiences our ultimate and most terrifying fear, the fear of being totally abandoned; a fear that reaches its greatest intensity when we feel broken, helpless and useless. Jesus as He cries out from the cross feels abandoned but the reality of this sacred moment is that the Father’s Love is truly present, though hidden, in the depth of his suffering planting seeds of new life that will burst forth into Resurrection.
Even though we may feel forgotten by God even as we try to follow Him and live by His ways, we can never be alone or abandoned because of the Crucified and Risen Jesus. In our darkest moments, in the midst of our deepest questions, Jesus cries out with us and God enters our desolation and begins to do in us what he has done in Jesus. Psalm 22 begins with that cry of abandonment and distress but it becomes a Psalm of faith and trust in God – “In you our fathers put their trust….In you they trusted and never in vain….Do not leave me alone in my distress; come close there is no one to help….my strength, make haste to help me!.... those who seek the Lord will praise him….may your hearts live for ever!…..All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.”
Every Wednesday in Lent, a member of the Tobar Mhuire Team will offer a reflection on the week's Psalm. For the latest entry visit this page onWednesday or register to have the weekly reflection emailed
to you. Registration at this link: http://eepurl.com/vbvH1.
“When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream.” - Psalm 126:1
Have you ever been in a high stress situation? An emergency? A time where everything seems to slow down, and you have to focus? Where everything is crashing down around you, but somehow you make it? You survive. You figure it out. You are delivered. Then you look back on the impossibility of the situation, and feels like a dream. You wake up, and you’re okay, and you laugh because it felt so intense and high pressure at the time, but now you are free.
The Gospel reading from John 8:1-11 is a prime example of one of these dream-like situations. A woman who was caught in adultery is thrown before Jesus. Jesus is then asked by the Pharisees to condemn her as the Law commands, and this is where the dream begins: Jesus simply begins writing in the dirt. We don’t know what he wrote, but we know he took a break in his writing to say, “If there is one of you who has not sinned let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he kept on writing until everyone left. The woman was left behind with no one to condemn her, and neither did Jesus.
What I find so “dreamy” is how the details of the story are left out. There is no way to know what Jesus wrote. I imagine the story was used in early Christianity the same way it is now. We ask ourselves the question, “What do you think Jesus wrote?” Instead, a more important question might be, “What would Jesus write for you?”
What would Jesus have to write on the ground to transform your condemning heart? Even if you are condemning yourself. Like this woman, we’ve all experienced a time where we were in trouble, and we thought salvation, freedom, peace, forgiveness, healing, insert-your-desire-here, etc. etc. was impossible, but then there was a miracle, and we look back with joy, humor, love, grace, and mercy.
This is the picture that Psalm 126 brings to my mind. It’s a foreshadowing of what’s to come at the end of Holy Week. A message to keep it up. Now is the time to remember when you resurrected from an impossible situation, because another impossible situation is about to come--and just like the psalmist asserts, as loved children of God, we will all make it.
“They go out they go out, full of tears, carrying seeds for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.” - Psalm 126:6
Every Wednesday in Lent, a member of the Tobar Mhuire Team will offer a reflection on the week's Psalm. For the latest entry visit this page onWednesday or register to have the weekly reflection emailed
to you. Registration at this link: http://eepurl.com/vbvH1.
Psalm 32
A psalm of thanksgiving, rejoicing for the God who forgives sin once we quit playing around and denying we sin. Everything is restored in our relationship to God as soon as we get out of the trap of denial. I remember a priest saying some years ago that he had no problem with people who came to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and said they had no sins to confess. He used to say to them "Okay that will do for now. You've definitely told a lie and that is a
sin to confess!"All we have to do is come clean with God.
Long before Freud, the writer of Psalm 32 knew about the reality of guilt. In fact he saw more deeply than Sigmund the contours of the human heart, and the reality of sin which for him was a real and present danger. Sin for this psalmist is an objective fact that not only affects our relationship to God, but has a very negative effect on the human person, with real psychological and physical manifestations; loss of sleep, worry, anxiety, restlessness etc. He has insight into the vicousness of sin and its denial in robbing the human heart and human relationships of joy and peace.
This is perfect psalm for our Lenten journey, learning the joy of being forgiven and being restored by our loving, merciful God. The God who not only is compassionate, but a real source of strength in trials and difficulties, including the sins that cling so easily. Neither is this mercy a one off event, as Paul of the Cross says, "Our sins are a drop in the ocean of God's love."
Fr. Tom Scanlon, CP
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