Our Moral Life in Christ Chapter 9 Journal

By John Clohisy

1. Assigned reflection on Building Blocks of Catholic Social Theology at SLUH...
Two Building Blocks of Catholic Social teaching that I see present in the SLUH environment are the Principle of Solidarity and the Principle of Human Equality. I see solidarity in practice very often. As a runner, I have seen many instances when other teammates need help and they are provided for. A big example of solidarity I have seen through running is the annual Midwest Jesuit meet at De Smet. Jesuit high schools come from all over the midwest to compete, celebrate mass, enjoy dinner, and celebrate our common Jesuit heritage with our brothers. I find it very humbling to celebrate mass with them, and it's awesome how we all know the small prayer... "We dedicate all our thoughts, words, and actions TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD." The themes of "brotherhood" and "bleed with me" have also exemplified SLUH's emphasis on solidarity. Although there may be a few exceptions at SLUH, I have seen human equality practiced so much that it has come to a point where someone putting another person down due to race, beliefs, sex, or sexual orientation is looked upon with contempt. I see people in the community (in particular, Mr. Clark) stressing that we are all God's children, no one is better than anyone else, and everyone deserves to be treated and WILL be treated with just as much respect as the next person. The concept of human equality has been such a huge factor in the SLUH environment that it may often be overlooked. For the most part I believe that the Principle of Subsidiarity is practiced at SLUH. However, I feel that some of us may not always keep the least among us in mind while planning school activities and/or functions. Last summer I was talking to one of my former track teammates, and he told me that he would not be able to participate in either football or track during the upcoming school year because he had to do work-grant. I also hear of some students who will be going on a school trip to Europe this summer, costing upwards of $4000. Some kids would love to do this kind of thing, but their financial situations make it out of the question. Solutions to these problems are very hard to come up with and it is understandable that not everyone will be able to do absolutely everything they want, but I have often felt sorry for these guys. Another Principle that could be practiced further is Stewardship. The individuals who make up SLUH have, for the most part, all been extremely blessed in numerous ways. Sometimes I think we do not use all of our talents and gifts for the good of others. We do not always take the greatest care of our surroundings or do everything we can to take the best care of ourselves. Examples of this are littering in the halls and outside, getting drunk or high on weekends, or placing trivial desires over our much-needed sleep.

2. Photo of a key idea...

A human fetus (image taken from http://mobab.no-ip.org/nkurighttolife/)
The second building block of Catholic social teaching is the principle of Respect for Human Life. As Catholics, we believe in respecting life from conception to natural death because human life is precious no matter what stage. Each person has dignity and has a right to life.

3. Two major ideas from this section...
Before reading chapter nine, I had never thought to see the family as "the first school of social justice." After reading this, however, it makes complete sense. The family is the essential unit into which we are all thrown and our most influential learning experiences take place here as children. We also are told that the family must be a place of piety in which we develop a sense of duty towards our family, church, and country. This school of social justice is taught by the parents; the father at the head and the mother at the heart. Very importantly, a successful family must promote Christian charity and respect for all. If the parents scandalize the children in any way, one of the worst ways being child abuse, it will have lasting, terrible effects on the children and perhaps hinder them from living a life with Christian charity at the center.

"It is by what they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones." (cf. Mt 25: 31-36). This quote from Matthew's Gospel jumped out at me while reading chapter nine. I remember going over the Judgment of Nations and hearing that we will be judged according to the way we have treated the least among us. These two passages seem to go hand in hand. We can truly discern the part of God's will that calls us to care for the poor. I like the way our text puts it, saying that Jesus' followers are distinguishable by the way they treat the poor. "And they'll know we are Christians by our LOVE...."

4. One key question dealing with the material...
Why do we, as Catholics, even need Catholic Social Teaching if we just follow Christ's example?
In our current day and age, we are presented with many issues that no one in the time of Jesus ever needed to consider. Some prominent issues are embryonic stem-cell research, euthanasia, just warfare, cloning, and others. In our true pursuit to stick to Jesus teachings as the times change, it is essential for us to have a teaching authority to apply Christian morals to everyday situations. The Magisterium does just that, helping us to distinguish between Christlike and morally wrong.