Social Concerns Column for Sunday, December 25, 2011, The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. --Psalm 33:5

Catholic World Day of Peace, January 1st.  

Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.”  There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.  -- Catholic Charities Office for Social Justice, http://www.osjspm.org/page.aspx?pid=491

Read more quotes on peace at: http://www.osjspm.org/admin/document.doc?id=22

What is “charity” and what is “justice” for a practicing Catholic?  

Msgr. Marvin Mottet, Diocese of Davenport, explains it this way: It takes two feet to walk and to keep our balance: one “justice,” the other “charity.” One foot is focused on institutional change, the other on direct service.

Without both feet, we lose balance. When I served on the National Committee of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, I saw an application from Bread for the World: they weren’t passing out food baskets or running soup kitchens, but working for institutional change—addressing public policies that could relieve hunger and poverty. I said, “This is what we are all about.”

If we use only the first foot (direct service), we could make matters worse by fostering dependency. If we use only the second foot (institutional change), we might become too far removed from the realities of the situation.  A true Christian lifestyle requires of us that we live in solidarity with those in need and come to their assistance in emergencies. We cannot isolate ourselves.

Direct service can provide us with the data needed for institutional changes. It is sometimes classified as “charity.” Institutional change is “working for justice.” There can be no love without justice. If we really love, we will work to change structures, systems, laws, and policies that are harmful to people.

Read the full article at: http://tinyurl.com/charity-justice


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, or keep reading this column every Sunday.  Every week our goal is to provide you opportunities for both feet: direct service and institutional change.

Social Concerns Column for Sunday, December 18, 2011

Jesus was a migrant: the flight to Egypt

Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. --Isaiah 32:16

US Bishops to Hold Conference on Immigration in January.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign will host a national conference, “A 50-State Issue: A Focus on State and Local Immigration Initiatives,” on January 11-13, 2012, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Participants will look at state and local immigration issues across the country, and discuss methods for opposing enforcement initiatives and supporting comprehensive immigration reform.  Visit http://www.cvent.com/d/wcqmsm, or contact Tony Cube (acube@usccb.org).

Christmas Tree Recycling. 
By recycling your tree, you are caring for God’s Creation and living out one of the themes of Church Social Teaching.  Instructions for recycling your Christmas tree are in your mailbox in Livermore Sanitation’s newsletter.  Please be sure to strip off all tinsel and ornaments.  Miss the free tree pick up?  Then simply chop up your live tree and place in your green recycling bin.  Sorry, artificial trees cannot be recycled.  Learn more at: http://www.livermoresanitation.com, 925-449-7300.

Catholic Social Teaching: Call to Family, Community, and Participation. 
The human person is social as well as sacred.  Our Catholic tradition teaches that human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community.  The family is the central social institution.  Family life needs to be supported by other institutions and governments. Excessive individualism, competition, and greed mitigate against community and the common good.  We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.  -- 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 the Vatican (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

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 Angvick, 443-1422.

He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. --Psalm 25:9

Social Concerns Column for Sunday, December 11, 2011

Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. --Amos 5:15

Call 2-1-1 for Help in Alameda County. 

2-1-1 is a free, non-emergency, confidential, 3-digit phone number and service that provides easy access to housing information and critical health and human services 24 hours a day.  2-1-1 is available in 140 languages!  For more information visit: http://www.211alamedacounty.org

¿NECESITA AYUDA?
http://www.211alamedacounty.org/2-1-1-languages.html
2-1-1 provee información GRATIS - por teléfono - in Español, sobre viviendas, salud y servicios sociales disponibles en el condado de Alameda.

Catholic Social Teaching: Care for God’s Creation. 

Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation.  -- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops, 1998.  Learn more from the US Bishops (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) and the Vatican (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

Holiday Waste Reduction Tips from California: A Season for Giving, Not for Discarding. 

The State of California asks you to help make this a green Christmas with many practical tips.  For example: (1) Give a gift card and eliminate fancy wrapping paper. (2) Send an e-card instead of a paper card.  (3) Check your tire pressure before going to visit grandma.  (4) Repurpose old holiday cards into gift tags, bookmarks, decorations; tie a ribbon through a hole in the top of the card for a fun tree decoration.  (5) Buy local and reduce your carbon footprint.  (6) Buy rechargeable batteries. And more and more!  Visit: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays

“God destined the earth and all it contains for all people and nations so that all created things would be shared fairly by all humankind under the guidance of justice tempered by charity.”  -- The Church in the Modern World, #69

Would you like to pursue a social justice project? 
The St. Michael Parish Social Concerns Ministry would like to help you to help others!  We recently attended a respect life, restorative justice and social justice workshop at the Cathedral of Christ the Light and have many resources for you.  Call Joanne, 443-1422.

"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. --Malachi 3:5

Social Concerns Column for Sunday, December 4, 2011

Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you. --Deuteronomy 16:20

The Parish and Good Works.  
A parish is . . . the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. The parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love.  -- #2179 Catechism of the Catholic Church

New Website to Help Uninsured in Alameda County
http://achealthcare.org
This website is an information resource for uninsured Alameda County residents seeking free or low-cost health care.  Please help spread the word.  The website also has links to other services, such as child care, domestic violence, emergency housing and senior services.


Catholic Social Teaching: Care for God’s Creation.  
All of creation is a gift from God and should be respected as such.  We show our respect by the way we care for the earth as stewards of all that has been entrusted to us.  We need to examine how our excessive consumerism and poor environmental practices are exploiting the earth and take measures to correct our destructive patterns.  -- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops, 1998. 

Learn more from the US Bishops (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) and the Vatican (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

Holiday Waste Reduction Tips from California: Buy Gifts Made from Recycled Materials.  

The State of California showcases innovative recycled-content gift items made from California waste.  These items are very attractive: jewelry, chess sets, furniture, picture frames, tote bags, angels, bird houses and more!  Learn more at: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays

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.

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. --Psalm 33:5

Social Concerns Column for Sunday, November 27, 2011

For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. --Psalm 11:7

Catholic Social Teaching: The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. 
Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation.  If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected – the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and join unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.  -- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops, 1998

Learn More About Catholic Social Teaching. 
Visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) or read the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI (http://tinyurl.com/CatholicSocialTeaching).

First Friday Fast for Food Security
is a campaign by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The goal is to deepen our compassion for the hungry by cutting back to $3 per person for food on the First Friday of the month.  It is a real challenge to eat on $3, and you may go hungry: just like people on food stamps.  Why not donate the money you do not spend on food to St. Vincent de Paul?  Learn the details on Facebook ("First Fridays for Food Security") or http://usccb.org/sdwp/Fasting-Resource-Intro-May-6.pdf

Benedict XVI's Message on World Food Day. 
“The Catholic Church is close to institutions that commit themselves to guarantee food. Through her structures and development agencies, she will continue to support them actively in this effort so that every nation and community will have the necessary food security, which no commitment or negotiation, no matter how accredited it is, will be able to ensure without real solidarity and genuine fraternity.”  Read the Pope’s entire message at: http://www.zenit.org/article-33674?l=english

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.

"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" --Deuteronomy 27:19

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

Social Concerns Column for Sunday, November 13, 2011

Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' --Zechariah 7:9

Catholic Social Teaching: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. 
In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.  -- Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops

Church Social Teaching Resources: 
Learn more from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://tinyurl.com/BishopsSocialTeaching) and the Vatican (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 (depending on how many people come).  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

Fair Trade Gift Sale a Success!  
Thanks to all of you who stopped by our table in the courtyard in mid-October.  You purchased products direct from artisans in Peru, Ecuador, USA, India, Cambodia, Chile, Bangladesh, Israel, etc.  You have helped these artisans and their families make a living.  Missed the sale?  You can order online year round at: http://www.crsfairtrade.org/

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.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. --Psalm 82:3