The Story of Two Brothers
Two brothers shared a farm, the younger brother was married and had seven children. The older brother was single. They worked hard on land that was good. So for many years the harvests were abundant, and each year the brothers split the wealth of the land evenly. Thanking God for their prosperity, they gathered the grain into separate barns.

After one harvest time, the older, single brother thought to himself: "It is not right that we should divide the grain evenly. My brother has many mouths to feed and he needs more. I have only myself to look after. I can certainly get by with less." So each  night, the single brother would take grain from his barn and secretly transfer it to the married brother's barn.

That same night the married brother thought to himself: "It is not right that we should divide the grain evenly. I have many children who will look after me in my old age. My brother has only himself. Surely, he will need to save more for the future." So, each night the married brother would take grain from his barn and secretly transfer it to his older brother's barn.

So, as it happened, each night the brothers gave away their grain; yet, each morning they found their supply mysteriously replenished. Neither brother told the other about this miracle.

Then, one night after a month or so, the brothers met each other halfway between the barns. They realized at once what had been  happening. They embraced each other with laughter and tears. And at that spot they built a temple in which to worship God. [Adapted from John Shea, An Experience Named Spirit, pp.7-8]

Reflection
In the story above, the two men felt obliged to help one another because of their blood relationship. But as Christians, Jesus calls us to an even deeper obligation to those in need.

A lawyer once debated Jesus about what he needed to do in order to inherit Eternal Life. Jesus told him: "You will love the Lord, your Goid, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, any your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)

The man then asked, "And who is my neighbor?"

In response, Jesus shared the Parable of the Good Samaratan. Read: Luke 10:29-37.

Some Startling Facts

• Baseballs are made in Haiti, the poorest nation in the hemisphere.
• Sugar is imported from the Dominican Republic, where 60% of children die before age five.
• Much of our coffee comes from Guatemala. The average annual income in that country is $215.
• Every 14 hours, the United States Defense Department outspends the annual budget of U.N. World Food Programs
• Somalia exports bananas to the United States. It has one of the greatest food shortages in the world.
• Workers in Taiwan earn less than 25 cents an hour.
• One in five United States children is poor, that is, living below the poverty level.
• One billion people live on the equivalent of $4 a week each.
• Eleven million babies in the world die before their first birthday.

The above facts were shared to help you understand some of the reasons why people are hungry, homeless and in need today. We each play a role in the way other people are treated throughout the world.

When individuals try to perform actions which treat people fairly, it is called social justice. When individuals perform these actions because of their belief in Jesus and His teachings, it is called Christian social justice.

Social justice is the response people have towards the affairs of the world, bringing peace and justice to all people no matter where they may live in the world.

As Christians, we take this definition one step further and ask ourselves the question, "What would Jesus expect of us as His followers?"

Christian social justice has two different forms or styles. They are known as the two feet of Christian Justice.

The "Foot of Justice" tries to remove the problem from society forever by changing the government or creating a better way of life for the individuals involved.

The "Foot of Charity" tries to deal with the immediate need and does not look beyond that individual situation

Examples:

Read once again the Parable of the Good Samaritan and answer the questions below. This passage can be found online at Luke 10:29-37

Note: Samaritans and the Jewish people were strong enemies in Jesus' day. So strong was the hatred that a Jewish person would not even drink from the same well as a Samaritan. Also, a Levite is equal to a courtroom judge today.

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Year II - Session 1

Assignment for Catholic Social Teaching

How does the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) illustrate...