In a Nutshell
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Immense human needs characterize our surrounding world. This very immensity creates a situation of risk or temptation for those hoping to address human need. Pope Benedict XVI recognized this in his first encyclical, "God Is Love." 1. "When we consider the immensity of others' needs, we can ... be driven toward an ideology that would aim at doing what God's governance of the world apparently cannot: fully resolving every problem." 2. "Or we can be tempted to give in to inertia, since it would seem that in any event nothing can be accomplished." Recognizing these temptations should lead to prayer, the pope said. "People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone," he wrote. |
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Church responsibility in worldly matters
By Father Robert L. KinastCatholic News Service
Religion and politics don't mix. Like many familiar sayings, this one has an element of truth to it and also an element that can be misleading.
The element of truth, as Vatican Council II affirmed, is that the secular sphere of human activity (politics broadly speaking) has a rightful autonomy, derived from the nature of creation (The Church in the Modern World, No. 36). People working in these areas (science, medical research, business, technology, for example) should pursue their endeavors according to the methods proper to their fields of specialty.
Bringing a tradition of balance and simplicity to our world
By Father Dale Launderville, OSBCatholic News Service
The church's voice long has encouraged moderation and restraint, and a balanced perspective. And in a world plagued by extremes of many kinds, the church reminds us to be faithful to the basics of our faith: God created and redeems us. We cannot pretend to save ourselves by the excessive works of our own hands.
The church's insights in this regard are among the ways it contributes to the world today, with its many problems and challenges.
Bringing Christ's compassionate face to the world
By Nancy de FlonCatholic News Service
Reading a popular syndicated Catholic question-and-answer column recently, I was taken aback to note someone asking how we could be expected to pay attention to social concerns when we had to devote our time to avoiding sin.
The church's worship challenges us each week to think about our call to bring Christ to the world. The Liturgy of the Word presents the great Hebrew prophets -- Amos, Isaiah and the others -- preaching that religious ritual is worthless if it isn't accompanied by care for the oppressed and help for the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and all those in need. In the Gospels Jesus enjoins us to reach out to the needy, ensuring us that the kingdom of God belongs to those who feed the hungry, care for the sick and visit those in prison.
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Faith in the Marketplace | |
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 This Week's Discussion Point: Does your parish aid suffering, hurting people? How? |
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Selected Response From Readers: |
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