In the book of Micah, it is stated simply :  You know what the Lord requires of you, but to love kindness, do justice, and walk humbly with God.

 Seems pretty cut and dry that as believers, we are to carry out our faith by acting with kindness and justice toward each other.

 The words “Social Justice” are at the forefront of Christian thought.  There is so much that is ‘unjust’ in our communities, that we are called and challenged to pay attention to it.  Even in the relatively affluent community of Denville, people are not just hungry for food, but for help, for kindness, for someone to spend some time with them. Poverty, sickness, loneliness, sadness; the needs are there, and they are more common than we think. 

 How we respond to these needs is how we answer the call, and the challenge to do what God requires of us. It is really that simple.

We have established a Social Justice Ministry here in our parish.  Our goal is to not only identify and answer these needs in our community, but to live the Gospel message “what ever you do to these the least of my brothers, you do unto me’, and to give others the opportunity to do the same.

 When you’re home with your family around you, do you ever think of those who have no one?  When you are going out to dinner, or buying something brand new, do you think of those who have nothing?  When you’re remodeling your homes, or going to the doctors, or getting in your car to go where you need to go, do you ever consider those who aren’t blessed with the same opportunities?

 What we are hoping to accomplish is to give everyone an opportunity to reach out to others who are in need.   Simple things, from raking some leaves or planting some flowers, to picking up a few things at the grocery store.  Maybe putting a coat of paint on a porch railing, or sitting and chatting with someone for a half hour.  We may have nurses that will visit and refer, or carpenters that will help plan for needed repairs.

 On the surface, it may seem like this Social Justice ministry is for the ones we help,  but its not.  Look deeper, and you’ll find that this ministry is for every one of us, to help us do what God requires.  Ask anyone who’s ever visited the sick, or listened to the stories of an elderly person, or gave time helping some one who really needed it.  Ask them who benefited the most from the experience, and they’ll say “I did”.

 In the pews are the cards that are your opportunity to share your gift.  What ever you can think of that you can offer, pray about it, and write it down.  Bring them to mass with you next week, and they’ll be collected.  These little cards are your pass to “do what the Lord requires of you”.  Remember, what ever you choose to do for these the least, in a very real way, you do for Christ.

“We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10.

 Poverty comes in many different forms.  It manifests itself as hunger and homelessness, loneliness and sickness, ignorance and prejudice.

We become painfully aware of it in times like these, when a disaster like Katrina throws our country into turmoil, and it is given a face through the media.

It is easy to focus our efforts, our hearts and our minds on the images of the poor and destitute as we rally to help those in need.  Through our awareness, generosity and service, we have a chance of winning this particular battle, and hopefully helping the people of these southern cities survive this terrible time.

But poverty wages a silent war that is more difficult to fight.  It is a series of quiet, unnoticed battles, among people who have no identity, no media coverage and no voice.   These are people in need that are living in fear, loneliness, and hunger.  They are living in our town, under our bridges and in our institutions.  They are physically shut in, or socially shut out. 

The very nature of our church, our catholicity, is a call to community outreach. 

We are given the much less public and tangible task of seeking out this particular aspect of poverty, identifying it, giving it a face, and addressing it.  This is what Social Justice is all about.

So whether it’s a call to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, visit the sick or lonely, or simply to use our talents and time to provide simple services to others, we are “created in Christ Jesus” to do just that.

This section of our website will be dedicated to our Outreach efforts.  Please check it often, and join in the fight against every kind of poverty in our community.

Trish Vitaletti