Reflections
SEE THE FAST THAT PLEASES ME: BREAKING THE FETTERS OF INJUSTICE… SETTING THE OPPRESSED FREE
In 1970, a Synod of Bishops in Rome put out a programmatic document: JUSTICE IN THE WORLD. In the Introduction, the bishops categorically state: WORK FOR JUSTICE AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD APPEAR TO US AS CONSTITUTIVE DIMENSIONS OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL. This is just a modern formulation of what Christ said about what kind of fasting pleases him, namely — breaking the fetters of injustice and setting the oppressed free. This was what inspired the religious and priests of the 70s to opt to be in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed, linking arms with the workers in picket lines, joining the hunger strike of the urban poor against demolition, accompanying farmers on their quest to claim their lands. This is as true today as it was in the 70s. There is still so much injustice oppression and exploitation in our society — the struggle of the indigenous people for their ancestral lands, the insecurity of workers under contractualization, the helplessness of the victims of human trafficking, the chronic hunger of the poor. It is good to remember that our preaching of the good news is not complete unless we take up their cause and join in their struggle.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2018