ENDEAVORING TO ACQUIRE WHAT WE DON’T HAVE.pptx

This is about the social teaching of the Church.

1. ENDEAVORING TO ACQUIRE WHAT WE DON’T HAVE AND SHARING WHAT WE HAVE

2. The transformation of the society requires integral development, to wit, development in all aspects . There must be a balance between the personal development and communal development, and the temporal (economic, political, and sociocultural) and the spiritual. Development cannot be considered authentic if it focuses only on the economic while the other aspects are neglected . So long as there is a wide chasm between the materially advantaged and the economically deprived, authentic development is negated. This situation requires authentic sharing not just of material goods and resources but also of skills, talents, expertise, and the like. Integral Development, Universal Purpose of Earthly Goods and Private Property

3. Psalm 24: 1 says, “The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord, the world and all that dwell it.” As beloved children of God, we are meant to share with others what we have and what we are. This is the only way that we can dignify ourselves as children of God.

4. Jesus warns us of trusting in wealth “but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing.” (Mark 4:19) And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

5. Authentic sharing is the key to realizing the universal purpose of all earthly goods. God created the earth and all it contains, not just for a few elite. Acquiring the goods of the earth or owning private property is meant to dignify all people. Through properties, they can live, develop their potential, and transform the world. To avoid the arrogation of properties by just a few individuals and to protect the right of all people to the world’s goods, there should be public properties, that is, properties shared by all. In this way, the dignity of all people and not just of a few is preserved.

6. The right to private property is recognized by the Church as one of the conditions for civil liberty and it is also an essential element of an authentically social and democratic economic policy.

7. Though right for private ownership flows from natural right all goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. This means that private properties are not end in themselves but they are means for the greater end, that is for the common good.

8. “You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his. You have been appropriating things that are meant to be for the common use of everyone the earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich.”

9. Universal Destination of Goods

10. Feudalism in the Middle Ages

11. Capitalism and Industrial Revolution The tenets of capitalism are profits as the motivating factor of the economy, unlimited private ownership, unlimited free competition, and noninterference of the State in economic matters.

12. Capitalism is the breeding ground for individualism, a principle being promoted in today’s globalized world. Sometimes misconstrued as the promotion of individual freedom, individualism is, in truth, narcissism. Individualistic people who live in an industrialized world try to make themselves autonomous and self-sufficient, without the need for someone except for sex.

13. This doctrine manifests itself in the ever-widening chasm between the rich and the materially deprived. In the so-called developed countries where progress is skewed towards the economic, there is no authentic development since the poor are pushed to the periphery of society. To be authentic, the development must preserve human dignity and promote solidarity. It must attend to all facets of human life, including the spiritual that concerns with one’s relationship with God and eternal salvation.

14. Individualism makes some people think that they can acquire wealth and property as much as they can. They justify their accumulation of wealth as a rightful reward for their hard work and talents. Properties, however, are meant for sharing.

15. St. Arnold Janssen is an exemplar of a Christian who has understood the very purpose of owning a property. After he was ordained as a priest, he worked as an ordinary teacher, receiving a meager salary that he spent to serve other people and make them happy. He used part of his first salary to buy his mother a coat for her name day. His dedication to teaching was made evident when he bought teaching materials, such as apparatus and periodicals for science classes, and established a library. Saint Arnold Janssen

16. Spending money for education and the propagation of faith is a great concern for St. Janssen. He paid for the school expenses of his youngest brother John whom he sent to the seminary in 1865. He spent his own money on the printing of the booklet he penned on the Apostleship of Prayer. Then he used the profits from selling the booklets for the offering of masses for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as well as for the printing of his next writings. The most noteworthy of all is that he lent a large amount of money to those who needed it but did not receive back most of the amount. Saint Arnold Janssen

17. Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical, “ Rerum Novarum ” ( On the New Things ): On the Conditions of Labor. On this work the Pope recognizes the role of the state to promote social justice but the Church should also be heard to ensure that such measures are not contrary to social principles and that the rights and dignity of people are always protected.

18. In 1931, Pope Pius XI issued another encyclical,“ Quadragesimo Anno ” (In the 40 th Year). This work reechoes the teachings of Leo XIII and call for the social order that is based on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. The Pope recognizes the importance of private property but it loses its morality if it is detached from the common good.

19. What do you think constitutes meaningful work? Is it solely about financial compensation, or are there other factors involved? How does society determine the value of different types of work? Do you think this valuation is fair and equitable? What role does education and skill development play in enhancing the value of human work? Should certain types of education be prioritized over others in this regard? In what ways does technology impact the value of human work? Does automation enhance or diminish the significance of certain jobs? Should the value of work be solely measured by economic output, or are there other metrics we should consider?

20. The Value of Human Work 1

21. The Value of Human Work 2

22. Work as a participation in the creative activity of God is commendable. It is a means in the furtherance of God’s kingdom of peace, justice, and joy. By becoming like humans in every way except sin, Jesus Christ sanctified human work. Aside from being a carpenter, He was busy working for the kingdom of God. His work of teaching, healing, and performing other miracles was, in truth, the work as well of the Father and the Holy Spirit. In John 5: 17, He describes his mission of love and salvation as that of working—that He is working just like His Father in heaven. Christians’ act of working should be a participation in Christ’s mission. That is why St. Paul says to the Philippians, “Therefore, my dearest friends, as you always obeyed me while I was with you, even more now that I am far from you, continue working for your salvation with fear and trembling.”

23. Work should be an instrument to alleviate poverty. The book of Proverbs says, “The lazy hand brings poverty; the diligent hand brings wealth. The prudent man reaps in summer; the one who sleeps at harvest time deserves scorn.” However, the saying does not justify the amassing of great wealth by the rich and the act of condemning the poor. Lazy people are found among both rich and poor. Also, the social sins of wealth accumulation and extreme poverty are so embedded in society that it is very difficult for the poor to ameliorate their economic condition.

24.   Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us.    For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you.    This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate.    For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. -Letter of St. Paul to the faithful of Thessalonica 3:6-13-

25. Growing in righteousness in our Christian life God wants us to grow in righteousness over the course of the Christian life, and, if we cooperate with his grace, we will . James 2:24: “Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?”

26. The Corporal Works of Mercy are: Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked. Visit the imprisoned. Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick. Bury the dead.

27. The Spiritual Works of Mercy are: To instruct the ignorant To counsel the doubtful To admonish the sinner To bear wrongs patiently To forgive offenses willingly To comfort the afflicted To pray for the living and the dead