Social Action Opening Remarks

It’s good to be back doing this work of the heart.

As we embark upon this new year, it’s important to reflect upon how the Social Action program is cumulative. Those of us who were here last year were invited to consider the peacemakers around us and reflect upon how we could take up the important work of building a more just and peaceful world.

This year we get to apply all of that as we learn about the ways that the world needs us.

Last winter there was an article in Heart magazine, the RSCJ journal, entitled “Recognizing and honoring the divine in a world out of balance.” It was written by the RSCJ Representative to the UN, Sister Cecile Meijer. She wrote that, “A colleague once called our work [at the UN] “putting the Beatitudes in action.”  

In her article she addresses questions that we are primed to explore this year, such as “Where is our focus on the common good in such a world out of balance? How can we concretely live out our preferential option for the poor, recognizing on a daily basis the human dignity of each person? How do we recognize and honor the divine in all of creation?” She reminds us that “If justice is understood in the biblical sense of right relationships, tangible love and respect express themselves as justice, mercy and humility.”

Today’s theme is Partnerships for the Goals, which is way of reminding us to enter this year of Social Action with humility. Partnerships signal that we know we cannot go it alone. One of the criteria of Goal Three is that “The school is linked in a reciprocal manner with ministries among people who are poor, marginalized and suffering from injustice.” We may have time and talents to share in support of those on the margins, but we are failing to be transformed if we do not just as actively recognize the light of God in every person we encounter and reflect on what they have to share with us in turn.

An Australian aboriginal activist group once powerfully stated, "If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Pope Francis expressed a similar sentiment when he said, “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family,” to which Sister Meijer added that we cannot allow leaving anyone behind.

And so today we begin our journey of envisioning ourselves as global citizens, reminding ourselves that it is our mission to bring the heart of Christ into the world.