by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
“…you should all agree among yourselves and be sympathetic; love the brothers and sisters, have compassion and be self-effacing. Never pay back one wrong with another, or an angry word with another one; instead, pay back with a blessing. That is what you are called to do, so that you inherit a blessing yourself” (1 Pet 3: 8-9).
The CCSJ invites the faithful to start planning activities to observe Justice, Peace and Community Week (JPCW) which will be observed from October 24–31. The theme, Building Inclusive Communities, is linked to the sentiments expressed by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si. ‘Integral ecology’ includes building the common good, which is “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more easily and more fully” (Gaudium et Spes, #26).
The human misery caused by recent floods reminds us that environmental problems are social problems, and “social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds” (Laudato Si #219).
In the lead-up to the Week, we offer some reflections by Mikkel Trestrail, CCSJ’s former Parish Link Coordinator, to help ground our understanding of the importance of the theme:
“Why is this so important to have a week dedicated to COMMUNITY? The most obvious answer is that no matter who we are, we live in community. No person is an island; we all are connected to others in our families, workplaces, schools, churches, and neighbourhoods. Even if we choose to withdraw from relationships we can’t get rid of our desire to love and be loved; it is written into our very nature as human persons. God declared in the beginning, ‘it is not good for the man to be alone’ (Gen 2:18). This declaration is true for every human person, and because of this truth, relationships and community deserve our attention; it is fundamental to our existence as human persons.
“Secondly, it is critical for us to address the breakdown of communities. Each of us can feel the effects of broken relationships and communities in our life. In our families, workplaces, schools, and in communities there are so many instances of disrespect, violence, and pain because of our loss of a sense of community. CCSJ encourages people everywhere to become agents of change with respect to our experience of community in our country. We want the faithful to examine your own experience as a faith community. Is it one that gives life, or is it one that is filled with the same challenges as in the wider community? How can we do better?
“The final and most important reason for placing an emphasis on community is its link to the central mystery of our faith, the Blessed Trinity (CCC 234). During the course of the last century, the Church experienced a renewal in Trinitarian theology and its importance for our own lives. God exists in a ‘community of persons’. The Three are distinct, but at the same time they are equal in dignity and live in perfect unity so much so that they are One. This model of communal life therefore is the ideal template for any community to be built upon. As one theologian, Leonardo Boff says, the Trinity is the perfect community.
“Being made in the image and likeness of this Triune God means that the image of God is not only something personal to us, it is also a social reality. We reflect this image and likeness of God when we build communities based on the three Trinitarian values of respect for difference, recognition of our equal dignity as human persons, and living in true unity. As Christians we are called to shape the world based on the template of the Blessed Trinity, and this is why we call on each baptised person to get involved in JPCW in October. We need to reclaim our communities in the name of the Trinity!
“The Commission invites each member of our society therefore, but especially Catholic Christians, to find ways to create or re-create our experience of community based on the model of the Trinity. We also invite you to find ways to celebrate the gift of community life and to creatively strengthen the bonds of love in your families, parishes, workplaces, and in your communities. The question is how do we do this? The answer to this important question will come in our next article on JPCW, so stay tuned!”
