The World's Next Genocide?

In our world today, the themes of Catholic Social Teaching are extremely prevalent. A primary theme is  seeking justice for those who are unjustly persecuted. I think that as explained in the article, the Syrians are heading down a path of self-destruction. The motto “Christians to Beirut, Alawites to their graves!” is promoting violence, and the exact opposite of justice. As the Sunni extremist fight for a "cleansing" of the country, they are causing their country turmoil and violence. Catholic Social Teaching is not only a guide for the United States, but also for foreign countries. America is not perfect, however, we have made it a priority to never experience the horrors of genocides such as the Holocaust and the Rwanda Genocide in our country. It is very realistic to think that CST can guide us in our decisions as individuals and a nation. If individuals priorities justice and respect, then the nation will be guided and led by strong leaders who are dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. Hopefully if our nation can maintain peace and stability, Syria can use us as an example.

Silence begets violence

Although every national tragedy that our country suffers affects each citizen immensely, nothing could be more traumatic or terrible than the murder of innocent kindergarten children. This event will leave an irrevocable mark on our country forever, leaving kids nervous to go to school and parents wary of the safety of their children. I think that the shooting in Newtown has made people realize how important their loved ones are and how urgent the need is to address mental health in our society. We cannot let those who are troubled get left aside. As a community, we need to reach out and get those with mental illness the help they need, so that they don't irrationally cause damage to other lives. I think Catholic Social Teaching demonstrates the need to address our society's issues and work towards the future. The lives lost will never be forgotten, but our country cannot dwell on the tragedy. Rather, we must make an effort to better our country by improving gun laws, helping the mentally disturbed, and providing aid and support to those who lost their loved ones.

Factory Fire

The factory fire in Bangladesh is an incredible tragedy that is worsened by the fact that it could have been so easily avoided. The working conditions as well as the wages and hours of the people in Bangladesh factories are horrible and ignore the dignity of the human person. For those of us lucky enough to live in the United States, we need to refrain from buying from stores such as Walmart and Sears who abuse their overseas workers. It is important that we are knowledgable as consumers about the companies we buy our products from because otherwise we may be spending our valuable dollars on companies that are comparable to criminals. It is most definitely the governments responsibility to make sure the big business and companies in the United States do not undermine the rights of their foreign workers as well. No matter how "lucky" it is to have a job in Bangladesh, it is unjust to pay such low wages to hard working people that need to support their families. As citizens of the United States, it is our duty to stop buying from companies and corporations that do not respect the rights of every human person.

Radical Forgiveness

Pope John Paul II was an incredible leader of the Church that we are all lucky to have had as Pope in our lifetime. Despite almost being killed, Pope John Paul II forgave the attempted murderer. His strength of character and trust in God led him to forgiving the man who inflicted suffering on him. This story is similar to Immaculee's because she also forgave the man who succeeded in killing her family. These two people exemplify Christian ideals and uphold God's image in modern times. 

How's the World Messy?

      In our world today, we hear tragic and terrible news stories daily, almost to the point that it becomes second nature to expect something bad when we turn on the television. I specifically hear of injustice that occurs in the Middle Eastern countries because our troops are in Iraq and Afghanistan, but suffering occurs even in our own communities. When I hear these terrible new headlines, I am shocked but do not feel that I can make a difference because they occur so far away. However when I hear of injustice in school or the suffering of a friend, I try to help in any way I can. For example, towards the beginning of high school one of my friends was very sick for an extended period of time. She consistently missed school and felt stressed because of her inability to cure her illness and the immense workload she had to make up. As her best friend, I did my best to keep her on track with fulfilling her course work and also keep her spirits up by visiting her when she was sick.
        I think the Gospel tells us we need to respond to the call of injustice and suffering in our whole world, not just the small world we live in. In stories such as the Good Samaritan, God demonstrates that even strangers need our love and grace. One of the main messages in the Gospel is to care for the dear neighbor and respect everyone's dignity by serving others.
       As the articles suggests, we should not feel guilty because of the pain and suffering in our world. Conversely, we should act on our feelings and be proactive citizens. Many people are shocked by the intolerance in the world, however, very little people act on these feelings. In order to improve our society, we need to be sensitive of the universal needs of humanity.

Solidarity among the Nation

The article about the young Afghani woman who was murdered appalled me. There is no reason someone should be killed at all, nonetheless for refusing to objectify herself. Prostitution is illegal, and human trafficking is a serious issue that should be addressed more in Middle Eastern countries. Just like the world stands together during times of war, disease, or famine, we should practice solidarity against the men who murdered Mah Gul and stop the prositution throughout the globe. Mentioned in the article was the 15-year old girl who was shot in Pakistan for raising her voice. As American evolves and comes to terms with gender roles for women, the Middle East should advance and offer equality and solidarity among women.

Year of Faith

I think the Bishop’s suggestions for living the year of faith are very reasonable and can easily be done for any Catholic or Christian. Of all that he suggested, I think that participating in mass and helping those in need are what I will focus on this year. The Vatican urges Catholics to donate and help the marginalized, and I can easily do that this year as well as attending mass and singing the hymns and praying. Five resolutions I will make for the year are:

1.     Try to visit La Salle Academy at least once a month. I hope I can help tutor the kids and give them a hand in their school work.

2.     I want to raise money to build a senior citizens center in El Salvador with my friends from St. Basils as well as Marley and Fiona. We are planning 5Ks as well as asking big businesses for donations.

3.     I want to spend more time with my family and try to make a habit of going to church on Sundays. It isn’t always easy with my brothers’ and my schedules, but it will be easier if we all go together and plan a family brunch afterwards.

4.     I want to take more time to appreciate my life, my friends, my family, and my opportunities. Along with that, I would like to dedicate more time to God and reflection in my week.

5.     Finally, I want to just live a better life in which I think of others before myself and try to do something positive every day. Sometimes, it is easy to forget the needs of others besides yourself, but I will make it a habit to do at least one good thing for someone else every day.