Session 3 (week of March 8):

"The Common Good"

 

This week we discuss the Church's definition of The Common Good, how Catholic Social Teaching suggests we can achieve it, and how it folds into our conversation on hunger.

 

• What does The Common Good mean? Make a list and continue to edit it as we go through this week's session.

• Learn more about what Catholic Social Teaching says about The Common Good. How does this correlate or differ from your original list? How is the Common Good often described by society, who are we asked to take into account and how does the church's teaching suggest we prioritze our global policies?

• Learn what the Catechism says about how we are to protect the common good and love the poor. We often hear of solutions as a balance between charity and justice or between solidarity and subsidiarity. Learn more about what these concepts really mean.  (see our Challenge Sheet at the end for additional information)

• Reflect on the following questions: How are we called to walk with others - not to just respond to that which we do not understand, but to accompany those who suffer, and walk in solidarity with them? What are we personally called to respond to? the community? the government? What is our faith calling us to do with those who are excluded in our community? How are we called to uphold the human dignity of all for the common good? How does this concept relate to our discussion of hunger?

• Study the scripture of The Manifestation of the Spirit (1 Cor 12: 7-11). How does this passage relate to our discussion today? How does this passage define the common good? What does this passage say about your role in today’s society? About the role of every human? What would occur if someone was excluded from society according to this passage?

• Print or save this week's Challenge Sheet and continue to reflect and study this topic. Next week we'll continue the conversation!