Social Concerns Column for Sunday, October 9, 2011

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. --Proverbs 29:7

Fair Trade Gift Sale, Sunday, Oct 16, 8am - 1pm, courtyard.  
Why buy fairly traded crafts, chocolate, coffee and tea?  When you purchase products marked "Fair Trade", the artisan or farmer is guaranteed a living wage.  Catholic Relief Services is there in the community, helping people to help themselves up and out of poverty.  Your purchases are not a handout, but an act of partnership between producer and consumer.  You are giving the gift of the dignity of work to the artisan and farmer.

JPII on the Dignity of Work.  
"Awareness that man's work is a participation in God's activity ought to permeate even the most ordinary everyday activities. For, while providing the substance of life for themselves and their families, men and women are performing their activities in a way which appropriately benefits society. They can justly consider that by their labor they are unfolding the Creator's work, consulting the advantages of their brothers and sisters, and contributing by their personal industry to the realization in history of the divine plan."  -- Blessed John Paul II, Laborem Exercens (On Work)

Next English Language Tutor Training is October 29, 9am - 4pm.  
We have partnered with the Livermore Public Library’s excellent and popular program to help adults improve their English skills.  If you speak English, you have all the skills you need to tutor a fellow St. Michael parishioner.  By helping an adult become fluent in English, you will equip them to prosper in our society.  The time commitment is about two hours per week.  You do NOT have to be bilingual.  Interested?  Call Joanne, 443-1422.

Social Justice and Faith.  
"The work for social justice is first and foremost a work of faith, a profoundly religious task. It is Jesus who calls us to this mission, not any political or ideological agenda."  -- Diocesan Social Action Office of Cleveland, Ohio, "Overview of Catholic Social Teaching"

Catholic Social Teaching Resources: 
Learn more from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) and the Vatican (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

Building Communities of Salt and Light: Developing Effective Pro-Life and Social Ministry (November 5th).
The Diocese of Oakland’s Office for Life and Justice will be hosting a special training for Social Justice and Respect Life Ministers.  Tom Ulrich, Director for Parish Outreach at Catholic Relief Service, will lead a discussion around how to develop thriving parish social ministry.  Sat, Nov 5th, 9am – 3pm, Christ the Light Cathedral Conference Center, Oakland.  For more information: John Watkins (jwatkins@oakdiocese.org, 510-267-8379).  For carpooling from St. Michael, call Joanne, 443.1422.

Would you like to pursue a social justice project? 
The St. Michael Parish Social Concerns Ministry would like to help you to help others!  Call Joanne, 443-1422. 

This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. --Jeremiah 22:3