The Heart of the matter: Part three
Decide and Thrive with purpose
Aristotle was the Greek philosopher who introduced to the world what Eudaimonia is. We realize that Eudaimonia, the Sermon on the Mount, and the practices of Joseph Cardijn are all about our life lived: As people on a planet we call home, working towards the greater good and prosperity for all humans.
Decide and Thrive with purpose.
A generation of Catholics formed in the Young Christian Students and Young Christian Workers movement, especially during the 30s, 40s, & 50s, is receding into history as time passes. In their practice, the Guiding light was simple: See, Judge, and Act. The activities and practices of Joseph Cardijn continue to live, and have become central to many encyclicals and documents of Vatican II. We all need to find ways to implement the techniques into our lives as the world evolves, especially as we experience a new world of technology.
Catholic social thought goes back to the Sermon on the Mount and the Patristics of the early Church movements.
"There's no point at which you transition out of traditional Catholic dogma and moral teaching and then break into a new topic called ‘Catholic social teaching.’ In fact, it's all part of one, sort of, a seamless garment." ~ Colin Miller.
One of Jesus' pivotal teachings is the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most memorable sermons ever preached. The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7 and most likely was delivered very early in Jesus' public life.
Modern Catholic Social Teachings practices started with Pope Leo XIII and were implemented with Joseph Cardinal Cardijn. Keep in mind that their Sitz im Leben was the Industrial Revolution. Our Sitz im Leben today is the advent of the Autonomous Revolution. Our call to action is to bring the kingdom of God (The Sermon on the Mount) here and now, and we discover how to do this with the See-Judge-Act methods.
Yes, the Sermon on the Mount is a powerful and challenging call to live a life of righteousness, compassion, and justice. It reminds us that our actions have eternal consequences and that we should strive to live in a way that honors God and brings about his kingdom on earth.
The Sermon on the Mount speaks to issues of righteousness, compassion, and justice in a typical community. It suggests that we are challenged to live rightly, compassionately, and justly within our world and respond to others in ways of righteousness, compassion, and justice.
This is why the practices of Cardijn are so vital to us today. Most Catholics who read the Sermon on the Mount do not automatically discover an implementation plan associated with the Sermon. This is why we apply the See-Judge-Act method to lay out our implementation plan in our situations in life.
Now apply the See-Judge-Act method to some of the specific passages in the Sermon on the Mount that speak to these issues, including:
Matthew 5:6-10 - The Beatitudes describes the characteristics of those who will inherit the kingdom of heaven. These include the poor in spirit, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.
Matthew 5:21-48 - The antitheses are a series of passages that contrast the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of the Pharisees. These passages emphasize the importance of love, forgiveness, and mercy and call us to go beyond the letter of the law to live in accordance with the spirit of the law.
Matthew 6:1-18 - The Lord's Prayer models how we should pray. This prayer emphasizes the importance of seeking God's kingdom and righteousness and giving to others without expecting anything in return.
The Sermon on the Mount is a challenging but inspiring call to live a life of righteousness, compassion, and justice. It is a reminder that we are called to be more than just good people - we are called to be holy people who live in accordance with the will of God. And this is why the Cardijn methods and teachings help us to discover how to make the Kingdom of God tangible in our lives.
Here are some ways that we can apply the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the practices of See-Judge-Act to our own lives:
Live a life of compassion. We should be merciful to those who are less fortunate than us, and we should forgive those who have wronged us.
Seek justice. We should stand up for those who are being oppressed, and we should work to create a more just world.
Be peacemakers. We should resolve conflict peacefully and promote peace and reconciliation in our communities.
Live a simple life. We should not be attached to material possessions but focus on the significant things in life.
Second, think about the antitheses, a series of passages that contrast the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of the Pharisees; using the See-Judge-Act method, see if you can discover how to emphasize the importance of love, forgiveness, and mercy. These qualities are essential for living a life of eudaimonia, as they allow us to build strong relationships with others and live in harmony with the world around us. We see the foundations of the Sermon on the Mount in the work of Cardijn and the Young Christian Students and Young Christian Workers movement and the Christian Family Movement in the United States, especially during the 1950s.
Finally, the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount is a model for how we should pray, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's kingdom and righteousness. This suggests that a life of eudaimonia is not simply about achieving personal happiness but also about living following the will of God: Think of the work of Cardijn.
In conclusion, the Sermon on the Mount is a guide to the greater good because it emphasizes the importance of living a life of virtue, compassion, and justice. These are all qualities that are essential for achieving true happiness and flourishing. The implementation plan is found in the See-Judge-Act method. As the old saying goes: Plan your work and work your plan.
Here are some suggestions for better understanding the Sermon on the Mount using the See-Judge-Act method.
(See) Read the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety. This will give you a good overview of the main themes and teachings.
(Judge) Read the Sermon on the Mount in context. This means understanding the historical and cultural setting in which it was written.
(Judge) Study the Beatitudes. These are the opening verses of the Sermon, and they describe the characteristics of those blessed by God.
(Judge) Study the antitheses. These are a series of passages that contrast Jesus's teachings with the Pharisees' teachings.
(See) Study the Lord's Prayer. This is a model for how we should pray, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's kingdom and righteousness.
(Judge) Read other passages in the Bible that deal with the greater good. These include the Psalms, Proverbs, and Book of Ecclesiastes selections.
(Act) Talk to your chaplains, theologians, pastor, or religious leader who can help you understand the Sermon on the Mount and the Cardijn Methods.
(Judge) Reflect on your life and how you can apply the Sermon on the Mount's teachings to your journey to bring about the kingdom here and now.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
The Eudaimonia Project: Living Well in an Age of Uncertainty by Ryan M. T. Walsh
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please find the Sermon on the Mount and Eudaimonia to be a source of wisdom and inspiration on your journey to true happiness and flourishing using the methods of Joesph Cardinal Cardijn. Remember that if we consistently employ the See-Judge-Act method in our lives as a way to innovate, educate, and collaborate, we bring about the kingdom.
Finally, a Franciscan friend showed me his Catholic Social Teachings library. Just in case you are looking for some bedtime reading.
