Social Justice: The Role of Prophets

 

Social Justice: The Role of Prophets

 

In Catholic teaching, prophets play a role in speaking God's word, calling people back to faith and justice. Here's what that looks like today:

·         Speaking truth to power: Prophets challenge injustices, like advocating for immigrants, the poor, marginalized, racially discriminated against, or environmental care.

·         Guiding the Church: Prophets help interpret signs of the times, guiding the Church's mission and social teachings.

·         Building up the faithful: Prophets inspire and challenge Christians to live out their faith authentically.

 

Examples of modern prophets include:

- Saints and holy figures: Like St. Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, who spoke out for justice and served the marginalized.

- Christian leaders: such as Pope Francis, Dom Hélder Câmara, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu

- Priests and clergy: when they call out social and environmental injustice in their homilies. For example, listen to this Palm Sunday homily by Fr Bill Burke in Sydney, Nova Scotia on their parish Facebook page. The homily begins at minute 46:00.

- Teachers: whether religious or lay, when they make their students aware of social and environmental injustice

- Ordinary Christians: Laypeople living out their faith in prophetic ways, like you all, when you advocate for social justice or environmental care.

 

Here are some references for the role of prophets in Catholic teaching:

·         Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

    - CCC 2595: "Prophecy is a word that expresses the interpretation of God's plan."

    - CCC 2596: "Prophets are called to denounce injustice and to announce God's judgment."

    - CCC 2597: "Prophecy is a permanent function of the Church, exercised by saints, pastors, and laypeople."

·         Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), Vatican II:

    - LG 12: "The Holy Spirit... arouses prophets in the Church."

·         Verbum Domini (Word of God), 2010 Synod of Bishops:

    - VD 15: "Prophecy... is a gift that is given to the Church... to speak God's word."

The Danger of Discipleship

In today's weekly reflection on the Sunday Scriptures (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time,) Mary M McGlone, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, writes in the National Catholic Reporter:

It's easy to go to Mass, to sing with a great choir and eat donuts with people afterward. There's no danger in that. But is that all that we are invited to as disciples?

There's a T-shirt recently promoted that displays the words, "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty." Advocating for peace, the recognition of the dignity of each person, for food and health care for everyone — within and beyond our borders — is not politics, it is Christianity in action. Supporting efforts toward peace belongs to our mission — even when it is neither comforting or safe.

Paul intended his message to the Christian community at Corinth to be, at the very least, a wake-up call. He had heard rumors about behavior unbecoming of disciples — rivalry, scorn of the poor, partisanship and much more. He minced no words in denouncing such conduct, reminding them that they were capable of much more: of being the body of Christ in their world.

Are we, too, capable of much more than we might imagine? What are our times calling forth from us?

Read Sr McGlone's full reflection here in the National Catholic Reporter.

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