SOCIAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION FIVE   THE SALESIAN MISSION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

SALESIAN SISTERS SOCIAL JUSTICE OFFICE BROOKLYN PARK    

NAMING THE PRESENT ACTION -    Rector Major   Fr Chavez.

Convinced that the best way to respond to poverty is, in fact , through preventive action. In many circumstances of hardship and marginalisation affecting the young throughout the world,  I present the preventive system of Don Bosco, from the point of view of  a conscious taking up of responsibility on the part of those being educated, who change from being those who are to be protected, because they are needy, to those who take on responsibility, because they have rights and recognise the rights of others. Faithful then to this precious Salesian inheritance , we must commit ourselves as educators to the  promotion and defence of human  rights and the rights of the young, concerned especially for the personal development of the young . Poverty and marginalisation are not a purely economic factor, but something that touches people's conscience and challenges society's thinking, that is culture; we need to move from a culture of having, appearances, dominating, to one of being , gratuity and sharing.  ( Fr Chavez - The Salesian Mission and Human Rights, 2009. pg 9 )

For Reflection

At all stages of their liberation, the oppressed must see themselves as people engaged in the vocation of becoming more fully human. Reflection and action become essential. True reflection leads to action, but that action will only be genuine praxis if there is critical reflection on its consequences.

While no one liberates themselves by their own efforts alone, neither are they liberated by others. The leaders must realise that their own conviction of the need for struggle was not given to them by anyone else - if it is authentic. This conviction cannot be packaged and sold; it is reached by means of a totality of reflection and action. Only the leaders' involvement in a real historical situation leads them to criticise it and to wish to change it.

( Paulo Freire -  Pedagogy of the oppressed.  pp 41 - 42 )

For Discussion and Action

1. The Rector Major speaks of a Gospel culture of being, gratuity ( thankfullness) and Sharing.  What Gospel Stories most inspire you to live these values?

2. Freire states, " Only the leaders' involvement  in a real historical situation leads them to criticise it and to wish to change it." Don Bosco was involved in the real life situation of the young people of Turin, suffering the social and economic effects of the Industrial revolution. He saw this first hand in visiting the young in prison. His heart and hands were moved to action - to empower them to change their situation.

Share this with the young and discuss what real life situations in your context, that  your hearts and hands are moved to change ?

3. True reflection leads to action, if there is critical reflection on its consequences. Reflect on one newspaper or TV news item that touches you.  Bring this to your reflection in prayer, how is the Gospel calling you to empower the reign of God in this situation. 

You might like to share and act on this as a community / group.

Concluding  Prayer

Praying for Social Justice

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers; half truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and superficial relationships, so that we may work for economic justice for all people.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain , hunger, homelessness and rejection, so that we may reach out to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done

God of Justice hear our prayer.

AMEN  

Social Justice Discussion Guide 6

Salesian Sisters Social Justice Office Brooklyn Park

Naming the Present Action -                  Rector Major Fr Chavez

Aware of the importance of the education of young people for the  transformation of society. Don Bosco became the promoter of new social and preventive projects, he thought about the relationship between work and the world, about contracts, leisure time, fostering popular culture and education. Don Bosco knew that it was not enough to cushion [ band aid ] the situation of hardship and abandonment the young were living in ( pallative action) , he set out to bring about cultural change ( transformative action ) through a setting and educative proposal involving very many people who identified with him and his mission.

Putting young people at the heart of the project and action, listening to their voices, identifying what their expectations are, their delussions and hopes. We accompany them on the way to an awareness of their own abilities, helping them to be more trusting in their possibilities for becoming active participants in their own project of life. Salesians have tried to see the situations of the young that society does not want to see: for example, street children, child soldiers, child labourers, children exploited. We have grown in our sensitivity towards the poorest,  ( Rector Major Fr chavez - The Salesian Mission and Human Rights, 2009, pg. 4 )

FOR REFLECTION

The challenge young people pose to the church is blunt. Are we who we say we are? Do we practice passion, transformed by a Love who never disappoints, and live by a faith so convincing that we stake our lives on it? We are not the first people to wonder this, in 1934, the leader of the youth delegation to the Universal Christian council for life and work - a twenty -eight- year - old named Deitrich Bonhoeffer - suggested that the " problem " of youth would not be answered by youth ministry but by Christ. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          In short, God bestows the gift of faith in the practice of passion, as Christ's passion meets us in relationships marked by the disciplines of costly love. Youth ministry must invite young people into communities that practice passion - not just any passion, but Gods passion - through acts of witness and worship that invite us to love foolishly, and to suffer loves consequences as we seek after God's own heart. So this is where we begin with a passionate God, and with young people searching for passionate love, hoping against hope that their search is not in vain.   

( Creasy- Dean , Kendra - Youth and the Quest for a passionate Church, 2004, pg 26 )   

For Discussion and Action

1. The Rector Major speaks of a transformation of Society, Creasy- Dean speaks of a love that transforms.

Share a Gospel text that highlights and speaks of the importance of Love and transformation for you?   

2. The challenge's young people pose to the church are blunt. Are we who we say we are and do we live by a faith so convincing that we stake our lives on it? 

Share an experience where you have been challenged to be who you say you are, and live by a faith so convincing that you can stake your life on it? How does this continue to call  you to action today?

3. In the light of the words of the Gospel, the Rector Major and the Reflection; how are we being called to live today? What steps can we make as a group to bring this about  ?

Concluding Prayer

God of Life,

who cares for all creation, give us your peace

May our security not come from arms, but from respect.

May our force not be of violence, but of love.

May our wealth not be in money, but in sharing.

May our path not be of ambition, but of justice.

May our victory not be from vengence, but in forgiveness.

Open and confident, we  want to defend the dignity of all creation

Sharing , today and forever, the bread of solidarity and peace

In the name of Jesus, who, as  a victim of violence, even from the cross

gave us all forgiveness

AMEN

Social Justice Discussion 7

Salesian Sisters Social Justice Office  Brooklyn Park

Naming the present Action                                       Rector Major Fr Chavez

We are heirs and bearers of an educative charism which tends to promoting a culture of life and change of structures. This is why we have the duty to promote human rights. The history of the Salesian family and its rapid expansion even in cultural and religious situations so different and distant from where it began, is witness to how Don Bosco's preventive system is one gateway for guranteeing  access for the education of young people in any context, and as a platform for dialogue for a new culture of rights and solidarity. As Salesians, education to human rights, especially those of children, is a priviledged way of bringing about, in various contexts, a commitment to prevention, integral human development, building up a more equitable world, a more just and healthy world. The language of human rights also allows for dialogue about and introduction of our pedagogy in the different cultures around the world.   

Don Bosco felt he was sent by God to respond to the cry of poor young people and understood, that it was important to give an immediate response to their difficulties, it was even more important to prevent their causes. Following his example, we want to meet up with them, convinced that the best way to respond to their poverty is through preventive action.

( Fr Chavez,  The Salesian Mission and Human Rights, 2009, pg 8 )

For Reflection

Godbearing ministry assumes that youth have a mission. God has utmost confidence in young people's ability to change the world, not to mention the church, and not only invites them but expects them to do so. " And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son," Gabriel tells Mary. God plunges ahead with the details while Mary is still figuring out what hit her. It simply never crosses God's mind to doubt Mary's ability to see this mission through. She might have qualms; she might say no; she might try to head for Tarshish instead of Nineveh. But we can't chalk up any hesitation on her part to a lack of confidence on God's part. God is recklessly sure of the difference this young girl can make and promises that the Holy Spirit can bring about , through her a miracle that she cannot pull off on her own. Godbearing ministry recognises that the miracle of faith is not only that we believe in Jesus Christ but that Jesus Christ believes in us.

Our tendency to affirm youth without expecting world- changing ministry fails to grasp the power God has placed at our disposal. Like the disciples, nothing short of a resurrection will convince us that Jesus is who he says he is or that the invitation that he extends is real. Seperating God's affirmation of young people from Gods invitation to them to participate in the divine transformation of the world is like seperating sodium and chloride. together, sodium and chloride make life - giving salt, apart they are unstable and toxic. The Godbearing alternative is discernment , the double responsibility of paying attention and calling attention to God.

( Creasy Dean, Kendra -  The Godbearing Life, 1998,    pg 64  )

FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION

1 The Rector Major states that Don Bosco felt that he was called by God to respond to the cry of poor young people.?

What Gospel passage most inspires your own personal call to ministry at this time?

2. Creasy -Dean states that Godbearing ministry has the double responsibility of paying attention to God and calling attention to God.

Reflect on this - How do you do this in your life?

3. Godbearing ministry assumes that youth have a mission. What are the ways that you empower young people to ministry in  your context.

Discuss and implement ways to further empower your young people for mission in your local context.

Concluding Prayer

God of Love

You are the creator of this land and all good things

We acknowledge the sufferieng of our people's

And we ask your forgiveness

We thank you for the Survival of Indigenous Cultures

Our hope is in you because you gave your son Jesus

To reconcile the world to you

We pray for your strength and grace to forgive

Accept and love one another

As you love us and forgive and accept us

In the sacrifice of your Son

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history

So that we may build a better future for our nation

Teach us to respect all cultures

teach us to care for our land and waters.

Help us to share justly the resources of this land

help us to bring about spiritual and social change

To imporve the quality of life for all groups in our communities.

especially the disadvantaged

Help our young people to find true dignity and self esteem by your Spirit

May your power and love be the foundations

on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation.

Through Jesus   AMEN

Social Justice Discussion 8

Salesian Sisters Social Justice Office Brooklyn Park

Naming the present Action                     Fr Chavez -  Rector Major

According to Don Bosco's heart, we are aware that the preventive system is based on a christian view of people and life; we are convinced that the deepest and most meaningful wealth of a person resides in the persons openness to God and the call of God for them.  Therefore we seek to reawaken or get young people to more deeply appreciate openness to the meaning of life, to develop a capacity to discover in daily existence the signs of God's presence and action, to communicate a conviction about the profound coherence there is between faith and human values like solidarity, freedom, truth, justice and peace. We believe that the Gospel involves our most authentic expression, regenerates our weaker aspects and enriches us by opening us to the horizons of God.

The social quality of the Salesian Mission could still gain greater understanding and realisation by committment to promoting human rights, especially those of the young, as a privileged way of achieving prevention in various contexts, integral human development, and building up a more equitable world: gradually introducing our pedagogy into the world's culture.

( Fr Chavez  The Salesian Mission and Human Rights,  2009, pg 7 )

Reflection 

Godbearing  ministry expands the circle even further, making the critical link between compassion and justice. Micah, the prophet, reminds Israel of this integral and intricate connection that runs throughout the Bible. " What does God require of you? but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" Drawing upon the innate sence of fairness that many of our youth profess ( or at least quietly posses.  )  Godbearing ministry draws others into the circle of concern. we need to challenge youth to ask " Is it fair? " not only in reference to their own interests ) " Is it fair for me?" meaning " Do I get what I deserve?" ) or even the intersts of a select group of others ( " Is it fair for us? " ) Godbearers broaden the question for youth to: Is it fair for all?" Put another way, compassion is the " sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it's like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy until there is peace and joy finally for you too."

 ( Creasy- Dean, Kendra. The Godbearing Life, 1998 , pg 155 )

For Discussion and Action

1. Creasy- Dean refers to the prophet Micah: read Micah 6:8

How does this Gospel speak to you today?

2. In the light of Micah 6:8 How can we achieve " the prevention " that the Rector Major is talking about in our local contexts?

3.  Reflect on the question " Is it fair for all" What local situation do you see this question relating to at the moment?

How might you respond as a group ?

 Concluding Prayer

Eternal Word,  Help us to ask the deep questions

Who will speak for the poor and broken?

Who will speak for the people oppressed ?

Who will speak with them so their voice will be heard?

Who will speak if YOU don't?

Who will speak for the ones who are voiceless?

Speak the truth in places of power?

Who wil speak for the children of violence?

Who will listen if you don't

With the Peace and Justice of your Son

AMEN