Proclaim Justice

July 19, 2008

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches; In the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; They cheat an owner of his house, a man of his inheritance. Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; Nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil. Micah 2:1-3

He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. Matthew 12:19-20

Piety

Heavenly Father, I ask you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to defend the cause of the weak and fatherless and to maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. I ask you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
to rescue the weak and the needy and to deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/071908.shtml

Today's readings focus on the First Servant Song in Isaiah. Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. Isaiah 42:1-4

The notes to the New American Bible explain that this is the longest passage of Old Testament scripture quoted in the Gospels. The length and importance of this passage reinforced the "Nazareth Manifesto" (Luke 4:18-19) – "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

We learn whose side Jesus is on. The Lord will mete out mercy toward the poor. "A bruised reed he shall not break." This is in marked contrast to the judgment that will be handed down to the greedy. In the first reading, we hear the warning to those who are trying to steal land from the poor. The Lord promises that he will bring down justice against those who plan and carry out such inequity. Rather than siding with the rich and those who possess the land, Jesus instead takes the side of the powerless, the poor, the imprisoned, the blind and the oppressed.

Action

All around us there are signs of the inequality in the economic systems. Oil companies charge record prices and make record profits while the middle class and lower income homeowners face continuing prospects for foreclosure due to falling housing prices, inflation, unemployment, and rising interest rates. Their debt remains out of synch with the falling value of their homes. Like the poor in Micah, they face the prospect that someone will come and take away their inheritance and they will never get it back.

Beyond the economic concerns in our own nation, 2 billion people live on less than $2 per day.

Yesterday, Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90^th birthday. IN his first media interview in years, Mandela also sounded the prophetic call of Isaiah and Matthew. In a story in the Washington Post, Mandela expressed his sadness with the "demoralizing poverty still faced by so many of his countrymen."

"If you are poor, you are not likely to live long," he said. His message was simple _ the wealthy must do more.

"There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate, who have not been able to conquer poverty," Mandela said during the 10-minute interview, his first such exchange with journalists in years.

Such a preferential option for the poor which is the cornerstone of the Nazareth Manifesto is now firmly rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. This concept expresses a special concern in distributive justice for poor and vulnerable persons. The "poor" includes but is not limited to those who are economically deprived. The principle is rooted in the biblical notion of justice, where God calls us to be advocates for the voiceless and the powerless among us (e.g., "the widows and the orphans"), and where right relationships are restored. Regardless of the reasons, those who are in any way deprived or who are particularly vulnerable have a special moral claim on the community.

With more than 1.7 million non-profit organizations in America, there are many ways to help the poor locally, nationally and internationally. Whether you find your self and your family at home this week or perhaps on vacation or planning a summer vacation, make a personal vow to support the poor wherever you find them from your hometown to the place you may go on vacation. You can provide support to the programs of your local office of Catholic Charities or to reach out internationally, you can support numerous organizations like Catholic Relief Services. Others include the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (www.cliniclegal.org), the U.S. Catholic Mission Association (www.catholicmission.org), the Catholic Medical Mission Board (www.cmmb.org), Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (www.maryknoll.org), or any Catholic Worker house in your area.