justice for us: Catholic social teaching at home
What does it mean to live justly in the world today? How does our faith invite us to work for peace and justice wherever we are – even at home?
My friend Haley wrote a wonderful book on how her family embraced a counter-cultural lifestyle of seeking the Gospel more intentionally – The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture.
Inspired by her example (and wishing I could have read her book years ago), I’ve been reflecting on how Catholic social teaching has informed and inspired our parenting in big and small ways.
I hesitated to share this because we struggle daily with living out these parts of our faith. (I’d rather tell you to go read Haley’s book instead!) But what I loved most about The Grace of Enough were the practical ideas to start small in your own life.
When I shared these thoughts on Instagram, many of you asked if I’d be willing to write them up – so voila! If you’d like to read Haley’s book, check out the bottom of the post for your chance to win a copy.
Catholic social teaching & family life
Catholic social teaching set my faith on fire as a young adult. I loved learning how the Church calls us to act for justice as an integral part of our faith.
Over the years I have come to see Catholic social teaching as a call to conversion. When you start to learn the depths of how we are called us to be in the world as Christians – in radical, compassionate, just ways – the more your life changes as you listen to this call.
In our family we fall short and compromise these beliefs in daily ways; we still have so far to grow. But these small, stumbling starts are important. Changing the world starts at home.
For each of the 7 principles of Catholic social teaching, I’ve offered one concrete example of a small way we try to live these out in our family. I’d love to hear how you’re connecting these values with your daily life, too.
Life & dignity of the human person
The foundational principle of Catholic social teaching is that human life is sacred. We are called to respect and protect life from conception to natural death.
With our family: We try to use “person-first” language. For example, when the kids offer to pray for “homeless people, poor people, sick people,” during our evening prayer together, I gently rephrase their petition: “Let’s pray for people who are homeless, people who are sick, people who are poor, etc.”
We’re not being politically correct; we’re putting the dignity of the human person first. It’s a subtle nuance, but it makes a difference. We’re praying for our brothers and sisters.
What defines each of us is that we are a human person, created in the image and likeness of God.
Call to family, community, and participation
Catholic social teaching reminds us that humans are not just sacred, but social. All people have the right to participate in society for the common good.
With our family: We try to talk to our kids in ways that are participatory. For example, when a child protests that a decision is unfair, I’ll say, “Talk to me about it. If you think you should be able to do x, let’s see if we can work toward a compromise.”
I try to explain that hearing their perspective doesn’t mean we’ll change our mind as parents on a given decision, but it does mean that we respect our children. We want to hear what they have to say.
Yes, it takes more time and patience to explain rather than order. But when possible, we aim to talk to our kids in ways that invite them to be full members of our family.
Rights & responsibilities
Catholic social teaching insists that human dignity can be respected only when fundamental human rights are protected. Corresponding to these rights are responsibilities – to each other, our family, and the wider society.
With our family: We call household chores “responsibilities” for both adults and kids. This mindset reminds us how we all need to pitch in for our household to work – and how even the youngest children can grow into more rights and responsibilities each year.
Honoring each child’s rights and responsibilities shapes kids’ self-understanding, too. When one of our sons asked (without prompting!) if he could start pulling the garbage cans down to the curb – having seen his dad do it and wanting to do the same – I saw how this responsibility affirmed his worth and dignity and his place in our family.
Option for the poor & vulnerable
The best explanation I’ve heard for the option for the poor comes from family life.
When one of your children falls and gets hurt, you run to that child with laser focus. It doesn’t mean you love your other children any less in that instant of concern – simply that you know one of them needs you acutely right now. The option for the poor means that God has special concern for the poor that we are called to emulate, too.
With our family: I use our grocery shopping to think about how much we’re giving to local food shelves and hunger advocacy organizations. If I can spend extra to buy organic or get snacks for my kids, then I can spend at least that much to give extra to those in real need.
Of course I love the children in my family first and foremost, but I can’t forget about other children. As a parent I am called to help feed others and to work toward a world where children don’t go hungry. The option for the poor reminds me there is no such thing as other people’s children in the Body of Christ.
The dignity of work and the rights of workers
Catholic social teaching upholds that humans are called to work as a participation in God’s creation. Workers have basic rights that must be respected, including the right to safe working conditions and just wages.
With our family: We try to buy fair-trade and ethically sourced goods where we can. Buying second-hand clothes for our kids has been a huge step toward this goal. When we do buy new, I try to support companies with good working practices and ethically sourced materials and labor.
We also try to watch how consumerism creeps into our house, the temptation to want more, better, faster, easier, and shinier. How can we try to temper our desires and live more simply instead?
(We have a long way to go in this regard, so I loved Haley’s book for practical inspiration!)
Solidarity
Catholic social teaching reminds us that we are one human family. Despite our differences, we are called to work with our brothers and sisters toward peace and justice for those who are suffering and oppressed.
With our family: When the immigration crisis in our country heated to boiling earlier this year, I had to act – as many of you did. When the kids saw me writing letters and calling our representatives, they noticed. Now when they see me sitting down to my computer, they’ll ask, “Are you writing letters again, to help immigrants?” (I’m humbled say that no, I’m usually not.)
But the reminder that they’re watching spurs me on. I want my children to see that their parents are willing to speak up and act on behalf of others. Solidarity is a call we all share.
Care for God’s Creation
Catholic social teaching insists upon wise stewardship of creation in partnership with God the Creator. We must care for the planet and the people who live on it, as an act of faith.
With our family: Care for creation has impacted many big and small decisions we’ve made for our family: cloth diapering, composting, gardening, recycling, thrifting. None of it ever feels like enough. But every time we roll the garbage cans down to the curb, I’m reminded that the less we put in the landfill, the better stewards of creation we can become.
Every small step gives us the chance to live out our values and teach our kids, who are always watching (for better and for worse). For every time I fail or fall short, I figure God gives another chance to try again tomorrow. We’re growing together, and all of that is grace.
Win a copy for yourself!
What’s one way you try to work for justice in your everyday life? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of The Grace of Enough.
Entries will be accepted until October 14, 2018, at 11:59 pm CT. The winner will be notified by email on October 15.
This post contains affiliate links.
Thank you for this post, Laura. I’d love a copy of Haley’s book.
We have so much room to grow and I really would like to set a better example in this area of our faith.
Last year during Advent we held to a “freezer first” rule for our meals, always beginning with what we already had in our pantry and freezer while meal planning. It helped us simplify and challenged my tendency to meal plan and grocery shop out of wants rather than needs (not to mention the needs of others worldwide). It was a small step but a positive one for our family and I’d like to see it continue beyond Advent. We’ll start again this Advent and donate the money we shave from our grocery bill in December to CRS.
I love all these practical ideas to flesh out social justice with my young children! We try to take a meal to someone monthly, a lot of times to a new mama, with the season of life we are in:) I like to take my kids along to deliver the meal, so that they can be part of serving others. This book is on my list of books I want to read over the next year, here’s hoping I win a copy!
I love knowing that it is never too late to incorporate CST into our daily lives. I’m further down the path in parenting than many of your readers and still like to be challenged in living out our responsibilities in our world! Thanks for the positive spin on CST.
This concept is one of the reasons I identify strongly with being Catholic and why I want to raise my kid Catholic. So many people I know who identify themselves as people from Catholic families and culture were not raised with this mindset even though it is essential to Catholicism. While we do have many Catholic examples who embody these ideals, many people I know equate Catholic culture with the larger homogeneous culture of consumerism, fear mongering, and status quo patriarchy. Though this hurts and angers me because that is not the Catholic culture I was raised in, I do understand why many view us that way (obviously, we do need to work through the abuse of patriarchal power that is inherent in the church’s structure.) However, I refuse to let other people define my faith – how it is seen in the world and how a member should vote, etc. I will work to uphold and share the social justice aspect that is at the root of my faith and religion. That’s why I’m still in the pews.
This concept is one of the reasons I identify strongly with being Catholic and why I want to raise my kid Catholic. So many people I know who identify themselves as people from Catholic families and culture were not raised with this mindset even though it is essential to Catholicism. While we do have many Catholic examples who embody these ideals, many people I know equate Catholic culture with the larger homogeneous culture of consumerism, fear mongering, and status quo patriarchy. Though this hurts and angers me because that is not the Catholic culture I was raised in, I do understand why many view us that way (obviously, we do need to work through the abuse of patriarchal power that is inherent in the church’s structure.) However, I refuse to let other people define my faith – how it is seen in the world and how a member should vote, etc. I will work to uphold and share the the social justice aspect that is at the root of my faith and religion. That’s why I’m still in the pews.
I love hearing your ideas on this! It’s so easy to let little things slide but our children do notice. I try to be intentional about living out these teachings but I know I need to do more. I love the idea of starting at home. Thank you for sharing!
I have so far to go, but we do sponsor a child through Caritas. This practice has put a face to global poverty for my son. We try to eat a simple meal of rice and beans for dinner once a week and talk about Susan, our Caritas child.
I’m quite interested in reading Haley’s book! With two children under two years (and one on the way – proof of God’s great generosity to us!), I find myself thinking about the first two CST principles a lot as I grow into this parenthood vocation. It would be so easy to simply seek to “control” my children but I know I honor and cherish them as God’s children when I seek patience, empathy, and merciful justice in my parenting.
We’re also trying to work in some other practices such as donations to our parish’s St Vincent de Paul pantry, bringing meals to families, thrifting, and gardening.
Adoption and foster care
This was so great. My husband is the pro-life director for our diocese and took a course on Catholic Social Teaching a couple years ago…so good and the two areas definitely go together! We are very involved in pro-life work but always focus on both the mother and the baby…offering housing, financial assistance, adoption, etc. to help her out. We also had a homeless man live with us for a couple months this summer as he looked for a job. We have a toddler and an infant, so we continue to discern how to live out our vocations while caring for all of God’s family as well as our individual family.