2. Catholic Social Justice Scriptures Beatitudes An Eye for an Eye Love for Enemies Giving to the Needy Wealth Anointed at Bethany Lord of the Sabbath Workers in the Vineyard Jesus at the Temple Catholic Social Teaching Life & Dignity Call to Family & Community Rights and Responsibilities Option for Poor & Vulnerable Dignity Rights of Workers Solidarity Care for God’s Creation
4. The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who identify with the poor Those who do not identify with the rich and powerful Those who are humble Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Those who grieve over injustice Those who empathise
5. The Beatitudes Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Meek does not mean weak, it means controlled Those who anger but remain controlled Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Righteous means justice Those who thirst for justice, not vengeance.
6. The Beatitudes Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Extend compassion to all in need Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Whole hearted desire to do right Those who have integrity
7. The Beatitudes Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Working for peace amidst violence Soak up the pain, do not return it Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Suffering for just cause Perseverance
8. The Beatitudes Identify with poor in spirit Grieve over injustice in the world Get angry, but never aggressive Seek to do justice, even to my enemies Extend compassion to all those in need Act with integrity, not just publicity Work for peace in the midst of violence Suffer ourselves, rather than cause suffering
9. An Eye for an Eye Matthew 5 If someone strikes you , turn the other cheek If someone sues for your tunic, give them your cloak If you are forced to go one mile, go two Give to those who ask Lend to those who wish to borrow
10. Love for Enemies Matthew 5 Love those who are you enemy Where is the challenge in loving those who love you
11. Giving to the Needy Matthew 6 When you give, do not announce it to the world To announce it to the world means you are doing it for your own benefit
12. Wealth Matthew 19 Go sell all your possessions and give to the poor Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 6 You cannot serve both God and Money
13. Anointed at Bethany Matthew 26:6-13 A woman bathed Jesus’ head with expensive perfume The disciples rebuffed her for wasting it Sell it and give to the poor Jesus came to her rescue
14. Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2 Jesus’ disciples ‘worked’ on the Sabbath Pharisees confronted them “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”
15. Workers in the Vineyard Matthew 20 Parable where a vineyard owner employed workman Some worked all day and other worked only part of the day At the end the owner paid them all the same When the all-day workers complained he said “I’m not being unfair to you”
16. Jesus at the Temple Matthew 21 Jesus overturns the benches of the money changers and people selling doves He healed the lame and the blind
17. Jesus’ Ethos Beatitudes Fight for the poor An Eye for an Eye Do not seek revenge Love for Enemies Show love to all Giving to the Needy Have the right motivation Wealth Don’t worship wealth Anointed at Bethany Respect people’s dignity Lord of the Sabbath Not just rules Workers in the Vineyard Give according to need Don’t worry about ‘missing out’ Jesus at the Temple Fight the structures
19. Life & Dignity Human life is sacred. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral society. Human life & dignity is under attack from Abortion Assisted suicide (euthanasia) Death penalty Genetic engineering The measure of institutions – do they enhance or threaten life & dignity?
20. Call to Family & Community The organisation of our society affects dignity The family is the central social institution Human being grow and achieve fulfilment in community Be concern with the common good &well-being of all, especially the poor & vulnerable. Institutions should protect human life & dignity and promote the common good.
21. Rights and Responsibilities Healthy community is a product of protecting human rights and meeting responsibilities. Every human being has a right to life and those things required for human decency. There are corresponding duties and responsibilities to one another,, our family & our larger society.
22. Option for Poor & Vulnerable A basic moral test of society is how our most vulnerable members are treated Society should put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first
23. Dignity Rights of Workers The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Basic rights of workers must be respected: The right to productive work Decent & fair wages To organise and join unions To own private property To economic initiative
24. Solidarity We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences We cannot turn inwards & become indifferent and sometimes isolationist.
25. Care for God’s Creation We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. We are called to protect people and the environment.
IntroductionThe Beatitudes are part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. This sermon was at the beginning of his mission and serves as Jesus’ manifesto.Being his manifesto, each word and phrasing would have been very purposely chosen and arrangedThis was a very well crafted speech and each Beatitude should be read in the context of the pervious ones.Jesus was a talented orator, and employed techniques that would have given his speech more impact and made it easier to be remembered:Starting each line with ‘blessed’ gives a repetition and rhythm (like Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”)A call and response modelThe first half of the line is the most important, calling people to behave a particular wayThe second half of the line (the response) expands on this concept in the first. In Jesus’ world (as in today’s society) to be blessed is to be favouredIn the liberation theology tradition, Jesus was hoping to make a new society on this earth, a new kingdom in which the law of God (Love God, and love one another as you love yourself) ruled. This kingdom was called Heaven.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.This doesn’t mean, those that are weak willed, or doubtful.Jesus was fighting for the poor, against the rich and powerful in his society.His kingdom will be for the poor and those who identify with the poor, rather than those who identify with the rich and powerfulBlessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.This builds on the first BeatitudeThose who not only identify with the poor, but also grieve over the injustice that they suffer.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.In the Greek of the scriptures meek is a term that comes from horse trainingA horse which has been ‘broken’ so that it can be ridden. I basically mean – no longer wildThe horse still has to be powerful, have a fire inside, otherwise it would be useless. It’s meek not lameIn the context of the first two Beatitudes. Some one who identifies with the poor, mourns the injustice and feels a controlled anger about it.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.Again in the context. Identify with the poor, mourn the injustice, have an anger about it, and desire to put it rightRighteousness refers to correcting the situation – seeking justice – and is quite different from vengeance
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.This ties into the previous beatitude reinforcing the avoidance of vengeanceMercy flows from compassion, so extend compassionBlessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.Pure in heart refers to motivationFighting for the poor because they desire justice for them – not fighting for one’s own reward
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.It really important to notice that he says peacemakers, not peacekeepersPeacemakers must find themselves in a situation of conflict and resolve itThey cannot perpetuate the violenceBlessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heavenYou must be willing to suffer for this cause.
Matthew 5You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Matthew 6So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.
Matthew 19 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.Matthew 6No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 26:6-13While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
Mark 2 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Matthew 20"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went."He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.‘"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.‘ "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
Matthew 21Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'“The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
