Social Justice: Opening our hearts to justice as we strive for peace

By F. DeKarlos Blackmon | Columnist

Each January we commemorate the World Day of Peace with a special message from the Holy Father inviting us to reflect on the important work of building peace. During this month, we not only commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King to renew our own commitment to justice and charity, but also observe Jan. 22 as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.
As we begin this new year, we are harkened to work for peace and justice for all people. This beatific imperative is rooted in the fundamental recognition of the sacred dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. Working for peace and justice in our communities means we are willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel. We stand ready to choose the seemingly more “difficult right” as opposed to the “easy wrongs” of indifference when faced with varied moral predicaments in society.
Considering the social unrest experienced throughout the world, our common challenge is meeting our own obligations as faithful Christians to be drum majors for justice in this contemporary age. By meditating on the law of the Lord, reflecting on the words and deeds of Christ, and praying to our Father whose kindness never fails, we can help to bring about a reorienting of our communities to the God of our Fathers. As the Gospel of John reminds us: Christ is the light of the world, for through him is the light of the human race, and when we endeavor to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel, we enjoy the certain hope we will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. For these reasons, if we profess to delight in the law of the Lord, we must not allow the counsel of the wicked or the way of sin to compete with our holiness.
Leaning on the God of our salvation, we must continue to pray for life, peace, justice and guidance as we navigate our pilgrim way. We cannot allow the Good News of salvation to be overwhelmed by the calamitous politicization of pro-life and social justice activities. We must live out the conviction that we are called to be pro-life, pro-charity, pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-marriage and pro-family. We are called to lift up and promote the Gospel of Life in its totality.
I encourage everyone to participate with Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin in the Mass for Peace and Justice on Jan. 9 at St. Joseph Parish in Killeen as we not only ask the Father of justice to open our hearts to the truth of the Gospel so that peace may rule in all hearts, but also commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King. In addition, I encourage everyone to participate in the activities of Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day on Jan. 23 (Masses will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at San José Parish, St. Louis Parish, Sacred Heart Parish and the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas).
Let us continue to work to prevent euthanasia, violence, capital punishment, abortion and the many ills that destroy the dignity of the human person. By God’s grace, we will overcome prejudice, racism, intolerance, extensive hunger and poverty. May we live the Gospel completely, standing up for that which we profess to believe. May the all-powerful Lord grant us his grace and keep us in his peace.

F. DeKarlos Blackmon, OblSB, is the director of the Secretariat of Life, Charity and Justice for the Diocese of Austin. Contact him at  (512) 949-2471 or [email protected].