Cardijn and The Patristic Fathers
There has been a renewed interest in the Church Fathers' teachings on social and economic questions, particularly in the proper distribution of material goods in academia and the church.
Think of Joseph Cardijn and his situation in time, his understanding of the distribution of goods, and the workers' lives.
The early church's teaching, especially during the Patristics (The period started from the death of the last apostle, John, around 100 CE and ended around the 8th century or the council of Chalcedon in 451 CE), gives us an overview of the social teaching of the time, such as Origen of Alexandria, with a particular focus on the question of distributive justice. Origen's understanding of the between justice, social order, and charity carried with it an understanding of the moral burdens of riches and the spiritual benefits we need to understand about the roles of the wealthy and the poor in the church and the obligations of you and I to ensure a distribution of material goods which is in accord with the demands of justice and charity. (Think MT 5-6-7 & 25.) See how our understanding of Cardijn's teachings mirrors Origen and the patristics?
Although Origen never systematizes his answers to questions, his writing frequently reflects on the main themes found in scripture, consistently providing us with a solid, profound, well-balanced teaching on distributive justice, which undeniably influenced later thinkers.
Although delivered in the fourth century, St. Basil's homilies on wealth and poverty are fresh and contemporary for our modern world. Whether you possess great wealth or have modest means, the maxim at the heart of St. Basil's message stands: "Simplify your life so you have something to share with others."
St. Basil's teachings on social issues mirror those of Joseph Cardijn and the spirit of Vatican II. If we look at the world today, we see a vast income disparity and the overuse of limited environmental resources. What would Basil say to us regarding our matters of wealth?
Now think of Joseph Cardijn as you reflect on these Key Features of the Patristic Fathers:
Breathes new life into the idea of wealth and poverty by going back to the basics of the teaching of Jesus and his followers
Delves into the cause/effect that wealth and poverty have on our spiritual lives
Examines ideas outlined in the early church and how they still apply to our situations today.
Quotes to reflect upon: use See-Judge-Act as you reflect
Basil
"It befits those who possess sound judgment to recognize that they have received wealth as a stewardship, and not for their own enjoyment; thus, when they are parted from it, they rejoice as those who relinquish what is not really theirs, instead of becoming downcast like those who are stripped of their own."
"The bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor."
Origen
"The human heart is no small thing, for it can embrace so much."
"Now the true soldiers of Christ must always be prepared to do battle for the truth, and must never, so far as lies with them, allow false convictions to creep in."
Irenaeus of Lyons
"The glory of God is a human being fully alive, and to be alive consists in beholding God."
"Error never shows itself in its naked reality, in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself."
Cyprian
"No one is strong in his own strength, but he is safe by the grace and mercy of God."
"Whatever a man prefers to God, he makes a god to himself.
SEE-JUDGE-ACT
Patristic Fathers of the Church are central to creating Christian doctrine and establishing the Christian Church as a social entity in the first five centuries C.E.
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