Passionist spirituality has reflected on this question from the lens of our own Charism that is devoted to the memory of Christ Crucified. We see the Passion of Christ as a redemptive moment for all humanity. This moment suffering and death was a gift of God’s love to us all. It was a moment where God, through Jesus, took on our own suffering, injustice and pain. God’s incarnation with humanity was complete as it touched on all aspects of our humanity including our moments of suffering, despair and death. But even with this theology we continue to witness unimaginable suffering where we wonder what redeeming purpose could possibly come out of it.      

With this topic I would like to offer the Book of Job as a suggestion for theological reflection. This was exactly the question that the Jewish community faced with the Babylonian captivity because until then they thought that God’s action were always good and just (from their own perspective of what is good and just) and where equally confused about the actions of God when this cataclysmic event took place in their own time. The Temple was destroyed, many had been killed and executed including the entire royal family, and the remnant where exiled to Babylon where they thought they would perish. Out of this comes the Book of Job. In this Book the Israelites rework a new theology about how God can function in a way we can appreciate when evil events indiscriminately are allowed to happen. Job asks the question: “We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?”

In this book Job ultimately breaks down and becomes angry with God. Many of us can feel this anger with God right now. In Chapter 38 God responds back to Job by humbling Job back into his place within creation:

“Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now like a man: I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its size; do you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it? Into what were its pedestals sunk, And who laid the cornerstone?”

This may strike us as harsh but basically God is telling Job and reminding us all that we cannot measure the greater good and evil from our own narrow vantage point. The evil that Job faced, the evil that Israel faced and the evil that Haiti faces today has some purpose. We cannot imagine what purpose could possibly justify such an action but since we are not the authors of Creation (as God reminds Job) then we are to relegate this into the realm of faith.

As Lord Alfred Tennyson had said: “Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.”

In the principles of Catholic social teaching we are taught about the common good in this way. We are taught that God alone is good (Luke 18:19) and of course God is the sole author of all creation. The good we seek as Catholics is not our own good but the common good that “embraces the sum total of all those conditions of social life which enable individuals, families, and organizations to achieve complete an effective fulfillment.” (Mater et Magistra #74) Whatever universal good can possibly come out of this event God alone only knows, but we are left with doing what we can to build the common good in a place and with a people that have been absolutely devastated. The earthquake took place, and we are powerless to control what has already taken place. The issue for us is not to dwell on this but to act. We must act to promote the good to our Haitian brothers and sisters who are currently suffering from so much evil.

• Micah 5:1-4. Not from mighty Jerusalem but from insignificant Bethlehem would come the ruler of Israel; his origins reached back to most ancient promises.
• Hebrews 10:5-10. What was prefigured in Israelite sacrifices reached a fulfillment in the body of Jesus and his desire to do always the will of the Father. By this “will” we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for everyone.
• Luke 1:39-45. At the Visitation, Elizabeth declared to Mary: “Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.”

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

In a spiritual pamphlet that St. Paul of the Cross wrote and shared with members of religious life entitled “Mystical Death” the founder of the Passionist community describes a difficult process as the ultimate goal of a Christian: Union with the Divine Will.

I will be resigned and ready to do the Divine Will by desiring nothing, and I will be equally happy with His every will. I will strip myself of everything by a complete abandonment of myself to God. I will leave the care of myself entirely to Him.    

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday we celebrate Mary’s visitation of Elizabeth and her joyful reception by both Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist. In the readings Jesus and Mary are noted for accepting the Will of God. The Prophet Micah reminds the reader that the restoration of Israel will come from the humble origins of Bethlehem. It will be from this unexceptional region that the servant of the Lord will follow the Divine Will, “[he] shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.” In the letter to the Hebrews the author describes how the sacrifice of Jesus has replaced the sacrificial rituals of the Priests which had been the mediation for the people with their God. And how does Jesus become our salvation?  “Behold, I come to do your will.” …By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

This week we celebrate the actions of Mary and Jesus who said the ultimate yes to God — which is to fully adopt the Divine Will in lieu of their own passions and desires. What St. Paul of the Cross is telling his religious and the lay people to whom he offers spiritual direction is that this exercise is not restricted to Jesus and Mary. As part of our baptismal calling we are all called to say Yes to God and to resign ourselves to a cosmological Will that is beyond our own passions and desires. It is part of our faith not only to accept that through the Word of God creation came into existence, but also that creation has a Divine purpose and an ultimate plan.  

In Catholic teaching we are offered the social principle of the “common good” as a way for us to comprehend in our society how our social goal is not the good that we individually seek and want but the common good that serves us all and from which we can all truly benefit. This weekend lets us contemplate the Divine Will that Mary and Jesus followed and which we too are called to follow. This being a traditional season of peace let us consider the social issues that concern us and adopt the framework of the “common good”, considering those issues not from our own self-interest but from the interest of the Cosmological Christ who, we pray, will become incarnate again in us.

• Wisdom 7:7-11. I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me and in her company all good things.
• Hebrew 4:12-13. God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It judges the heart. Nothing is concealed. For everything we must render an account.
• Mark 10:17-30. One thing more you must do. Go and sell what you have and give to the poor. Whatever we have given up to follow Jesus, will return to us a hundred more in this life, plus persecution, and in the age to come, everlasting life.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

God’s gift of Wisdom is at the heart of this week’s lectionary readings. We understand that Grace happens when God freely bestows his gifts upon us. Catholic tradition tells us that there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that aid us in our struggle to follow Christ and redeem our humanity: broken by sin and the great temptations of self-indulgence. We require these gifts of God in order to achieve our ultimate purpose and calling which is to be one with God and all of creation. This week’s readings will help us comprehend the prominent role of the gift of Wisdom in the midst of this struggle.

This first reading reminds us of the great value placed on Wisdom by Solomon. If you had one wish in the world what would you wish for? According to this reading the answer would have to be Wisdom. The goodness that comes from Wisdom is not measurable by common social standards. The only appropriate way to consider the value of this gift is if you accept that under the guidance of Wisdom the ultimate sense of goodness flows from it. But having said this we must ask ourselves, “What is goodness”?

In our Christian spirituality and ethics, goodness is not defined as something that is self-gratifying or that simply produces our own personal happiness. Goodness is better understood under what Catholic social teaching calls, “the common good.” Mystics like St. Paul of the Cross would use the term, “the Divine Good” to describe the same concept. Good is a subjective term. What is good for me may not be good for another. So the concept of Divine or Common Good denotes another form of goodness that is not subjective. We would consider this to be a Goodness that is universal or an ultimate form of goodness from which everything that happens to ourselves and all humanity and indeed all creation can have the deepest meaning. So that even in our suffering people like St. Paul of the Cross can say that even in our suffering we may be serving the “Divine Will that can will only the greatest good.”

The Gospel account has a rich young man approach Jesus in pursuit of this greater good. Jesus offers him the Ten Commandments, but the young man has made it that far and now he wants to take the plunge into ultimate goodness no doubt believing that he is ready for the challenge. What Jesus does when he tells him to give all his belongings to the poor is to humble him into realizing the mystical challenge that is the common good. To serve God and the great good that comes from God is to be at the service of all creation, thus “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” For our part we must intentionally make that choice, to constantly see ourselves in relationship to God and to be at the service of all. As we can tell from the Gospel passage this radical call to goodness unnerves even the Apostles who begin to wonder if there is any hope in achieving this relationship with God. At that point Jesus will remind them that “for mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” So on our own we cannot hope to achieve this greater good. That is why we must have the grace of God’s wisdom to help guide us in this journey.

This may be unnerving and quite daunting but the second reading reminds us of how powerful and ever present the wisdom of God is. By faith we are told to accept that ultimately all things will be held accountable to the Divine Will. So we must not be afraid to ask for this great gift and to humble ourselves by allowing ourselves to be forged by this gift from God.

It is worth mentioning that just preceding this second reading, if we read the rest of Chapter 4 from this letter, we are told about the context from which God’s Divine Will is offered to us. The context is within the solitude of God’s rest. Sometimes, especially in our culture, we feel that we are beyond this ultimate wisdom. God does not seem to be speaking to us anymore. According to this chapter God is ever present and ever alive in our world, but we need to make time to first hear God’s wisdom in order to actually comprehend it. Solitude has been a prominent Christian value. For that reason the Passionists and other Catholic religious communities have upheld the importance for Christians to have an opportunity to engage in retreats periodically and to have spiritual direction in order to spend some intentional time in developing one’s relationship towards God. Many Catholic Religious communities have retreat centers that offer a variety of spiritual themes including silent retreats specifically designed to give each person the opportunity to hear God’s voice. Consider this spiritual option from our tradition as you reflect on the lectionary readings and contemplate how God’s wisdom is speaking to you.

Questions for your Reflection:

• Place yourself in the position of the rich young man. Consider your own hopes and expectations of your faith and imagine that Jesus is asking you to stretch those expectations further. How would you respond to call by God that makes you uncomfortable?
• How do you understand the “Common Good?” Take a moment to reflect on the concept of goodness from the perspective of the other. Consider something good for someone you know and love that may make demands on you. Now consider the good for people on the other side of the world that may make demands on your own society. How does this make you feel?
• What is your experience of spiritual exercises like Retreats or Spiritual Direction? Have you ever taken advantage of these services that our Church and the Religious community have to offer? If you would like to visit resources on these services visit either www.passionist.org if you live in the western part of the United States or www.thepassionists.org if you live in the eastern part to find these resources close to you.

Unlike other religious traditions and institutions our Catholic Church is one of the most hierarchical religious systems in our world. While our church is open to the spiritual and cultural diversity of our faith, our own tradition and teachings are ultimately formulated through the highest governing body known as the Magisterium. It is the opinion of the Passionist office of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation that the Catholic Church does have a unified position on the principle of this issue. Our own Passionist spirituality values this position. While the Catholic Church does have a position on the principle of this issue it does not offer a detail policy for how to carry out this principle, but the position does lend itself to contemplate certain policy direction.

The Catholic Position:
When we compare the various opinions of the Catholic American community on this subject it is noticeable that there is one fundamental question that tends to split the community into two camps that are either in favor or against universal healthcare. Is healthcare a basic human right or not? If you accept that people have the right to good healthcare then you will generally support some model of universal healthcare. On the other hand if you disagree with this position then healthcare is not a social responsibility but an individual’s privilege.

The Catholic Church does have a position with regards to this question. Healthcare is a basic human right. Catholic social teaching affirms this in the encyclical by Pope John XXIII known as Pacem in Terris:

#11: Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food, clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill health; disability stemming from his work; widowhood; old age; enforced unemployment; or whenever through no fault of his own he is deprived of the means of livelihood.

In 1993 The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops affirmed this basic right and offered a detailed position titled “Comprehensive Health Care Reform” in which they offer the following definitive position:

“Every person has a right to adequate health care. This right flows from the sanctity of human life and the dignity that belongs to all human persons, who are made in the image of God.” Healthcare is more than a commodity; it is a basic human right, and essential safeguard of human life and dignity.

The Catholic Church then does affirm healthcare as a basic human right. While our own Passionist spirituality does not develop itself in terms of defining rights or duties it does promote an ethic of compassion based on a spirituality on the Passion of Christ that identifies with the ongoing suffering of the human community as witness of the New Creation that was revealed to us in the Resurrection. As a lay and vowed community we are called to be in solidarity with those who suffer. While all members of the human community do suffer and we minister to all without any reservation we do acknowledge a fundamental option towards those who suffer injustice at the hand of society. We acknowledge a particular solidarity with the poor who St. Paul of the Cross reminded us had “the name of Jesus written on their foreheads.” This solidarity calls us to offer a compassionate position on issues of social concern. This social ethic was stated very well by our own Pope Benedict XVI in his recent Encyclical Spe Salvi:

#38. The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society. A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through “com-passion” is a cruel and inhuman society.

Universal healthcare is an issue because among other things we recognize that there are Americans who are left outside of the private healthcare system. We also recognize that some Americans who have poor insurance still suffer from a healthcare system that has poor or limited quality of access to their own healthcare needs. These are people who are struggling in our midst with a system that is not working at all for them. With the current economic crisis we know that many of our families, neighbors and maybe even ourselves may be facing this struggle as well. Our Passionist spirituality and our Catholic Church call us to promote some form of universal healthcare.

An American universal healthcare system:
Having made this position what should we advocate for in the midst of this healthcare debate? We do not offer a legislative position on this. We recognize that the call for a universal healthcare system in our nation must take into consideration the various economical and social elements that are currently part of the fabric of our own nation. We are a highly capitalistic society with powerful insurance and pharmaceutical industries. We also place a high secular value on the individual’s liberty and are generally nervous about top down government intervention. As challenging as these values and situation might be for promoting the Catholic position we can still be creative in seeing how we can promote a healthcare system that serves the common good while adapting to the situation and values of the American society.

The socialized medicine option of Great Britain may not be the model for America. However we can examine the healthcare system of others that resemble our own social values and economic forces. Switzerland is one such nation that may offer us such a model. It is the idea of a socially regulated insurance where all citizens are required to have coverage. On the one hand Government does set the price for medicine and the insurance company is not allowed to make a profit on basic services. But they are given the freedom to negotiate prices for services with providers and they are allowed to profitable supplemental insurance.

Henry Aaron is a senior fellow in the Economic Studies program at the Brookings Institute. He has adopted a very realistic goal for a healthcare model that he feels can be adopted by the various interests in America and can offer us an excellent first step in promoting a good American style universal healthcare system. In his proposal he advocates for a national healthcare insurance exchange. It would be a place where citizens are given the option of private and public insurance companies. Furthermore a good initial healthcare bill will improve on the information technology of the healthcare system and conduct a study on the comparative effectiveness of various health care models. While this may seem like a slow beginning it does offer a pragmatic base from which a well fitting universal healthcare system can grow in our nation.

To keep the dialogue going on the subject, wathc Paul Krugman’s response on the Universal Healthcare Debate:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMsLhx9coxo

The famous biblical episode of the Babylonian captivity expresses this historical teaching and we ought not to forget this lesson. The 8^th Century Prophets such as Jeremiah, Micah and Isaiah had warned the Israelite community that unless they followed the Mosaic Laws that protected the neediest members of their community and re-committed to the fair distribution of their lands than their covenant with God would be breached and God would respond with a social catastrophe. This was the occasion for the Babylonian captivity where early Jerusalem and the first Temple were destroyed. Yet the Prophets also predicted a divine renewal in the hopes that society can be rebuilt along the path of right relationships.

This would seem to be the case with what our global society is experiencing with this financial crisis. While our global economy continued to grow and demonstrate some impressive financial developments the basic moral value for the common good of the global society (a value that was adopted in the post World War II years) was left ignored as the gap between the wealthy and the impoverished widened.

Now we are living in the midst of the financial crisis. Judging by the results of the election, the American public is opting to reform a neo-liberal model of irresponsible global finance that left institutions unregulated and unaccountable. However the current AIG scandal is demonstrating how difficult it is to leave behind the culture of economic greed and unsustainable business practices.

Nevertheless, the consistent wisdom of our tradition informs us that if we are truly going to seek a sustainable future that is blessed by the invisible hand of Divine Providence than we must struggle to accept policy changes that construct an economic system that serves the common good. The AIG scandal has created a surge of popular discontent to business as usual. I fully agree that our government (or any other for that matter) should not legislate based on popular rage. An analysis of the causes that led to this culture should help us to adopt policies of fiscal and social responsibility, especially for our financial and credit institutions.

Chuck Collins, from the Institute for Policy Studies, offers an interesting policy alternative that could channel popular outrage in a more constructive way. Consider these options and think about how they may guide us in adopting a more compassionate global economy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv8ziUozufE

• Your view will usually tend to a conservative approach 
• social problems are usually the fault of Democrats or Liberals
• Solutions will come from less government regulations, tax cuts and military projects (Republican ideals)

If you are an avid watcher of MSNBC on the other hand:

• Your views will usually tend to a liberal approach
• Social problems are usually the fault of Republicans or Conservatives
• Solutions will come from more government regulations, social programs, and diplomatic projects (Democratic ideals)

Overall I have longed held the belief that our American media is highly opinionated, very simple and hardly objective and thoughtful. This perspective is reinforced when people come from other western countries and are appalled by the low quality of our media (I have refrained from using some of the prominant adjectives that are used to make this point.) Nevertheless the media is an essential part of our lives. Catholic Social Teaching tells us that:

The Media must be used to build up and sustain the human community in its different sectors: economic, political, cultural, educational and religious. “The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice and solidarity. - Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #415

I personally rely on the media to provide social information from which I can apply theological information and social analysis for the Passionist community and ministries. Yet at present our American media lets us down and leaves us with what I call highly opinionated shock and awe which aims at stoking our own partisan belligerence.

In my opinion CNN and the networks still fulfill their function in that at least they provide the basic headlines and information. I take all their opinions and analysis with a grain of salt however. After all many of these media corporations are beholden to their profitable pursuits and money will almost always trump the truth. The following 2001 media ownership chart is helpful in providing us a perspective of the private media family and the ultimate interest that they serve. For me this is helpful tool to help me discriminate between business interest and the actual story.   

MediaChannel.org — Media Ownership 2001.

As for the media sources that I recommend. Ironically, in my pursuit for the best news source and analysis. I have found that the two main financial newspapers to be an excellent source in giving the reader not only good detailed information but also excellent and academic analysis, especially on the economy. They are:

• Wall Street Journal: which tends towards a domestic financial focus that leans slightly conservative
• Financial Times: which tends towards an international/european financial focus that leans slightly progressive (my personal favorite.)

And finally I also recommed National Public Radio. I personally find NPR to be a very good source of information and global analysis. NPR is a champion at promoting global solidarity unlike any other media. But my other reason to champion NPR is because the issue of public media is also a Catholic Social Issue:

In the world of the media the intrinsic difficulties of communications are often exacerbated by ideology, the desire for profit and political control, rivalry and conflicts between groups and other social evils…

“In all three areas – the message, the process and structural issues – one fundamental moral principle always applies: the human person and the human community are the end and measure of the use of the media. A second principle is complementary to the first: the good of human beings cannot be attained independently of the common good of the community to which they belong.” It is necessary that citizens participate in the decision-making process concerning media policies. This participation, which is to be public, has to be genuinely representative and not skewed in favor of special interest groups when the media are a money-making venture. – Compendium of the Catholic Social Doctrine of the Church, #416

I was personally saddened when the Economic Stimulus debate and subsequent vote ended up bolstering the ongoing partisanship that has defined Washington all these years. Amidst this reality I continue to work and pray for a collaborative ecumenical social agenda that can move this country and the world forward in the midst of this ongoing economic, social and environmental crisis.

For us in the Catholic Community the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is a movement that aims to build this model. Below I will again past their wonderful video where they share their consistent position on all  Catholic social issues.

Their collaboration with Christian Churches Together (CCT) in addressing the issues of poverty also demonstrate this move by the Christian community from addressing only liberal or conservative issues to just being Christian.

Poverty is a very central Christian issue. The concern for the poor is found throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Even when St. Paul and St. James argued about the direction of the early church with regards to the Gentiles they both conceded on importance of “remembering the poor,” (Gal. 2:10)

Poverty was also an issue of preeminent importance to St. Paul of the Cross. He reminded the members of his community to always look to the poor, “For the name of Jesus is written on their foreheads.”

Today the Passionist community continue to serve this mandate and to promote both our services to the poor and to advocate on their behalf. In doing this we not only fulfill the vision of our founder but a basic tenet of the Catholic faith.

A consistent theme of Catholic social teaching is the option or love of preference for the poor. Today, this preference has to be expressed in worldwide dimensions, embracing the immense numbers of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without medical care, and those without hope. – Sollicitudo Rei Socialis by Pope John Paul II, 1987

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_fa1yRh-WM

This summer the North American Passionist JPIC Office took part in the Convention for the Common Good. At this event a number of Catholic communities and organizations joined to develop a political platform that would take a consistent approach with the Catholic social principle of the common good.

Pope John XXIII wrote a definition for the common good in an encyclical that he wrote prior to Vatican II:

It is necessary that public authorities have a correct understanding of the common good. This embraces the sum total of those conditions of social living, whereby men are enabled more fully and more readily to achieve their own perfection. Hence, we regard it as necessary that the various intermediary bodies and the numerous social undertaking wherein an expanded social structure primarily finds expression, be ruled by their own laws, and as the common good itself progresses, pursue this objective in a spirit of sincere concord among themselves.

Mater et Magistra, #65

Below is a wonderful “You Tube” video that depicts the platform and the concept behind the convention.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkeVVrBdI9o

This month a number of Catholic leaders discussed this platform and these policies with members of the Obama administration.

Catholics meet Obama team, discuss policy | National Catholic Reporter.

We are hopeful that the Catholic community can come together as a unified and consistent social voice to advocate on the needs of the poor, marginalized and oppressed. The North American Passionist JPIC Office will work with these organizations to promote this policies.