by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
On November 26, CCSJ held its annual general meeting (AGM) to report on its 2013 activities (read report here). Archbishop Joseph Harris joined us and motivated members, not only by his presence and by his words of thanks for the work in which members are engaged to further the mission of the Church, but also because of the challenges he threw out to us. For example, he challenged us to let our lives be a blessing for one another and to “DREAM BIG!”
This statement reminded me of a poster which my great-niece Cherisse has on her bedroom wall in London. It reads: “You say I dream too big. I say you think too small!” His Grace shared one of his wishes with us, that is, that each Catholic family will adopt a Missionary Project which will become integrated into their lives – part of their “mentis habitus”. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II both urged Catholics to adopt a novus mentis habitus: a new way of thinking, being, and serving.
Deacon William Ditewig writes: “Consider what this habitus is: it is a disposition to think and act in certain ways. It is learned recognition that certain actions, certain patterns of behaviour, are more in keeping with the best of who we are called to be, and so we choose to do certain things and to avoid others. This is why Aquinas described virtue itself as a ‘habit’. Habits, as Dominican theologian Aidan Nichols points out in his book The Shape of Catholic Theology, are based in nature and find both their source and their end in the supernatural. There are habits of thinking, of feeling, of willing religious and moral habits, all of which collectively form a hermeneutical framework for pastoral action…habits are learned through exercise…
“We are not being asked simply to find a new ‘way’ of thinking; rather, we are being asked to develop whole new ‘habits’ of thinking, being and acting…Exercising and developing new habits can lead to the kind of courageous new pastoral approaches such as those being modelled by Pope Francis. This is truly a creative disposition that finds its source and its end in our relationship with God, and not merely human wisdom…Developing a new habitus in service will keep us focused on the future, not merely repeating approaches of the past” (www.osv.com).
CCSJ will rise to this challenge. Since the fruits of our efforts to energise the faithful to embrace Catholic Social Teaching (CST) are not as abundant as we would wish, we will pray for God’s grace to inspire us to find new ways of working, new ways to energise others to get on the CST train. It is more than time that CST, the Church’s “best kept secret”, enters into the hearts and minds of each follower of Christ.
A useful document to help “pastors, parish councils, staff, committees, and other groups reflect on their parish’s social ministry” is the US Bishops’ document “Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Church” (www.usccb.org). The US Bishops rightly say: “(W)e believe the Church’s social mission is an essential measure of every parish community…We need to build local communities of faith where our social teaching is central, not fringe; where social ministry is integral, not optional; where it is the work of every believer, not just the mission of a few committed people and committees” (p.4).
The questions in this document “provide an opportunity to do a general assessment that can identify both strengths and weaknesses in efforts to integrate the Church’s social mission into various aspects of parish ministry”.
CCSJ will strive to find new ways of working with each Department in the Archdiocese. Collaboration is essential if we are to use our Archdiocese’s resources effectively and if we are to take heed of the words recorded by those who attended the 1971 Synod of Bishops: “Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel or, in other words, of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.”
We will continue to work also with others outside our Church circles. For example, see the advertisement on Page 14 of this week’s Catholic News inviting you to attend a Panel Discussion on World Human Rights Day, December 10, to be held at Santa Rosa Parish from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the theme Promoting and Protecting Human Rights. Prof Antoine, Dean, Faculty of Law, UWI, will focus on Juvenile Justice/Children’s Rights. Dr Bulkan, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law, UWI, will address certain human rights issues. Adrian Alexander of CURB will share information about Human Trafficking. Rev Greaves will show her DVD in which she interviewed three women who lost family members through homicide. Please join us.
