Social Concerns Column for Sunday, November 20, 2011

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.  --Psalm 10:17

Catholic Social Teaching: Rights and Responsibilities. 

People have a fundamental right to life and to those things necessary for human decency, such as food, shelter, health care, education and employment.  People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.  Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of others and to work for the common good.  When people lack the basic necessities to live a life of dignity, their fundamental rights are being denied.  In a world where some speak mostly of ‘rights’ and others mostly of ‘responsibilities,’ the Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met.  -- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops, 1998

Catholic Social Teaching Resources:
Learn more from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) and Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

Livermore Homeless Refuge Needs Volunteers to Clean Up. 
We need volunteers of any age to pitch in and clean up the host churches every two weeks as we move from one church to the next. The LHR has no permanent home; rather, churches around Livermore volunteer their facilities for two week stints.  Cleaning would be on a Saturday morning for about 90 minutes.  Cleaning involves wiping down, mopping and vacuuming the kitchen, bathroom, and room where our guests stay.  Are you a teen looking for service hours?  Are you a family who wants to pitch in together? Anyone willing to donate their time is welcome.  You can volunteer once, a few times, or come regularly.  We are very grateful for any time you can give.  Please call us: Donna & Bob McKenzie, 925-443-7389 or 925-895-4167


Care for Creation at Christmastime. 
Reduce waste going into landfills: consider reusing last year’s ribbon and wrapping paper; use gift bags that are easily reusable for next year; buy products made locally; buy products made from recycled materials; give gift cards and movie tickets.


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

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. --Isaiah 10:1-2