The social teaching of the Church is aimed at building a just society and helping us live lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Over the next week, we will address many of the key elements of this social teaching.
The sixth pillar on which the social teaching of the Church rests is: solidarity. Our solidarity reminds us that we are one human family – whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be.
Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.” The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers: our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
“To love someone is to desire that person’s good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is the good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of all of us, made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society. To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth)
Let us pray. “O God, lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth, from despair to hope, and from fear to trust. Let peace fill our hearts. Let peace fill our world. Let us dream together, pray together, and work together to build one world of peace and justice for all. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
