HOW DO WE PRACTICE JUSTICE?

HOW DO WE PRACTICE JUSTICE?

Many of us who are called Christians ought to give authentic witness on behalf of justice by various modes of action for justice, action inspired by love in accordance with the grace which they have received from God. This has to find its place in the sphere of social and political conflicts in which Christians bear witness to the gospel by pointing out to the evils that come with injustice.

For anyone to speak of justice has to be just in the eyes of those who need justice, rights must be preserved, no one has the right to deprive of his ordinary rights because he is associated with the Church or political party in one way or another. The lay people ought to be on the forefront to step up their constitutional right and the Christian vocation.

The women should have their own share of responsibility and participation in the community life of society and likewise of the Church. Women always on the receiving ends whenever there is war, political turmoil and tribal clashes. These matters should be subjected to a serious study employing adequate means and putting women on the forefront of discussions with competency.

It’s always rights of everyone to be heard by speaking freely the real situation under probe. This should be in the spirit of dialogue which preserves a legitimate diversity within the church. The church has reached a moment that has to listen to the laity attentively and with keen interest in what is being discussed. Sometimes what the magisterium speaks that is to say the official teachings of the church is always received in different modes of reception. Those who believe with the teachings and those who simply rubbish the teachings or those who simply stand at the fence and simply become indifference.

Justice within the church too has to be speedy in her procedures especially in marriage cases which have been shelved at the Vatican courts and simply accumulating dust. There is the feeling that as the cases drag on the couples in the marriage nullification cases will change their minds and abandon their intentions or change their minds. The lay members have to educate the Vatican on one or two issues on marriage problem matrix.  

The church is obliged to live and administer her own goodness in such a way that the gospel is proclaimed to the poor. If the church appears to be among the rich and powerful of this world its credibility is diminished. This can be seen when the examination of conscience now comes to the lifestyle of Bishops, priests, religious. The laity look at these categories of people and completely can’t know what gospel they preach which they seem not to live.

Education demands a renewal of hearts, recognition of sin as that which affects the individual and the social manifestations. The Gospel should awaken the conscience to a knowledge of the concrete situation and to call to secure a total improvement, transformation within the community to the importance of justice and rejecting injustice. Education makes men and women more human and never to be the tools of manipulation by politician forces and communication media. The people ought to take their own destinies and bring about communities which are truly humans.

Education for justice is imparted first in the family, church institutions, schools, trade unions and political parties should be part and parcel of the stakeholders of justice. Human beings are destined to become in Christ sharers in the divine nature, working for the salvation by deeds of justice.

Our mission demands that we should courageously denounce injustice, with charity, prudence and firmness.

In our daily sacramental liturgies and Eucharistic celebrations is the heart of the Church’s life that is true education for justice, a thanksgiving to the Father in Christ. Through our community sense of active participation, we keep our eyes focused on Christ the bond of our brotherhood. This reminds us of the Church’s mission. This is the mandate that we all receive when we are baptized in the process of formation of our conscience, the practice of penance as sacrament that should be emphasized on its social dimension of sin and its consequences. The Eucharist forms the community and places it at the service of men. The source of our common efforts against discrimination on grounds of ethnic, tribal colour, culture and the like should be observed by all.

© Joseph Baptist Nyamunga 2017