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Reflection
From the start this unit has presented me with many challenges, I have found myself pondering and reading many new and disturbing ideas that I have never encounter in such ways before. Due to this there has been confusion anger and fear, there are many psycological issues that I have had to face in this unit as well as issues of faith and belief. I was brought up being told you cannot have an opinion if you have not read, read what you may well ask (and it wasn't because I didn't ask this ) no, you must read what we tell you and you must accept this without question,
(sounds similar to the ideals of fundamental Islam,no) this unit has helped me to climb out of that post bubonic plauge church that my parents have brought me up in. There are some main topics that have emerged so far for me as an individual to try to get my head around, firstly the central principle of social justice, which is standing in solidarity with our neighbour, how do I as a catholic perform this in my daily life and in my community.
Secondly Liberation Theology, how do I understand this and how does it impact on my personal contribution to the planet I live on. Equity is a third issue that requires some serious negotiation of how I absorb and disperse my wealth and talents to grow into a giving and generous, loving and aware person in my immediate family and community and then extend this out to a world view. This then leads me on to question my own concepts of how I see my faith in Christ, much of the material brings me to a new and more challenging discourse with my God, and an awareness that my personal relationship with Christ and the Godhead are now at a point that I must now seek and embrace an active engagement with the actions and responsibilities of following Christs message in the world that I live in.
To begin with I will reflect upon this concept of “Liberation Theology”, this is a very new concept for me to digest, having never heard of it before this course. Which in the light of having been a practicing catholic most of my life is a considerably revealing issue in itself. It begs the question “why haven’t I heard of this before, why is it not discussed from the pulpits of our parishes, why haven’t the priests of our parishes brought it to our attention the responsibilities we carry to our brethren in other parts of the world? How do we understand this ideal of liberation and then channel it into a functional expression in our own country.
I have sought the help of a far more knowledgeable person, as I found myself getting too bogged down on this particular topic when its apparent that I know so little at this point about it and the time constraints that we have are terribly limiting for what I need to be able to discuss.
Apart from reading the course reading lists, I have sought some other information and I have read two articles by Rev. Lorenzo Albacete to help inform myself further on the issue of liberation theology, I would like to use some quotes from these articles as a clearer expression of what I am beginning to understand about this topic. In the article “The Liberation of the Oppressed” Rev. L. Albacete says this, “ Authentic liberation from all forms of oppression requires a recognition of the truth about the human person. Jesus said: “the truth will make you free”(John 8:32). This truth is Jesus Christ himself, the full disclosure of who God is and what it means to be a human being. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for us was an offering to the Father whose infinite mercy and love sent the son into the world.”……. “ This love is the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is thus the power of liberation. His presence is the presence of “burning charity” in the hearts of the believers reaching out to set others free from the consequences of sin at all levels of human existence, including the social, economic, and the political.” “Liberation from unjust social structures that destroy people” (A New Way of Encountering God, pg 61). Another article that Rev.Albacete wrote in regard to the visits of Pope John Paul’s to Latin America and the birth place of Liberation Theology, has helped me to better understand the Marxist tilt that some of the reading lead me to feel and become unnerved by. . I am not convinced that Christ can be a politicised figure or portrayed as a revolutionary like Che Guevara, the holy father says in regard to this, “Jesus’ message, had to do with man’s “integral liberation,” that is, body and spirit. This cannot be accomplished through any human power, even less through class struggle and violence. It is only God’s love that can liberate man and his world: the love of God in our hearts “ that brings transformation, peace, pardon and reconciliation”. (Waiting for Christ’s Return: The Christian in the World, pg48, Rev Albacete. The Word Among Us) After some reading and a little investigation reading about the cries of the poor and oppressed that the word of God is mediated through praxis “ the tension between action and reflection”, (Catholicism, pg128. Richard P McBrien.) At this point I can see Liberation Theology as a pragmatic course of action, and with this awareness we are given the opportunity to act in a way that supports missionaries around the world to help the poor. To engage in an intelligent questioning of what governments say and do in regard to our responsibilities to other nations, what conscious actions can we choose to affect countries where oppressive regimes are in power over a poor and voiceless population this ideal in itself does not only apply itself to developing nations or to the south American countries from whence it sprung. At this point I can see to develop an understanding of this will help us all have a basis to act from, so this Praxis can actively be engaged in.
From the start this unit has presented me with many challenges, I have found myself pondering and reading many new and disturbing ideas that I have never encounter in such ways before. Due to this there has been confusion anger and fear, there are many psycological issues that I have had to face in this unit as well as issues of faith and belief. I was brought up being told you cannot have an opinion if you have not read, read what you may well ask (and it wasn't because I didn't ask this ) no, you must read what we tell you and you must accept this without question,
(sounds similar to the ideals of fundamental Islam,no) this unit has helped me to climb out of that post bubonic plauge church that my parents have brought me up in. There are some main topics that have emerged so far for me as an individual to try to get my head around, firstly the central principle of social justice, which is standing in solidarity with our neighbour, how do I as a catholic perform this in my daily life and in my community.
Secondly Liberation Theology, how do I understand this and how does it impact on my personal contribution to the planet I live on. Equity is a third issue that requires some serious negotiation of how I absorb and disperse my wealth and talents to grow into a giving and generous, loving and aware person in my immediate family and community and then extend this out to a world view. This then leads me on to question my own concepts of how I see my faith in Christ, much of the material brings me to a new and more challenging discourse with my God, and an awareness that my personal relationship with Christ and the Godhead are now at a point that I must now seek and embrace an active engagement with the actions and responsibilities of following Christs message in the world that I live in.
To begin with I will reflect upon this concept of “Liberation Theology”, this is a very new concept for me to digest, having never heard of it before this course. Which in the light of having been a practicing catholic most of my life is a considerably revealing issue in itself. It begs the question “why haven’t I heard of this before, why is it not discussed from the pulpits of our parishes, why haven’t the priests of our parishes brought it to our attention the responsibilities we carry to our brethren in other parts of the world? How do we understand this ideal of liberation and then channel it into a functional expression in our own country.
I have sought the help of a far more knowledgeable person, as I found myself getting too bogged down on this particular topic when its apparent that I know so little at this point about it and the time constraints that we have are terribly limiting for what I need to be able to discuss.
Apart from reading the course reading lists, I have sought some other information and I have read two articles by Rev. Lorenzo Albacete to help inform myself further on the issue of liberation theology, I would like to use some quotes from these articles as a clearer expression of what I am beginning to understand about this topic. In the article “The Liberation of the Oppressed” Rev. L. Albacete says this, “ Authentic liberation from all forms of oppression requires a recognition of the truth about the human person. Jesus said: “the truth will make you free”(John 8:32). This truth is Jesus Christ himself, the full disclosure of who God is and what it means to be a human being. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for us was an offering to the Father whose infinite mercy and love sent the son into the world.”……. “ This love is the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is thus the power of liberation. His presence is the presence of “burning charity” in the hearts of the believers reaching out to set others free from the consequences of sin at all levels of human existence, including the social, economic, and the political.” “Liberation from unjust social structures that destroy people” (A New Way of Encountering God, pg 61). Another article that Rev.Albacete wrote in regard to the visits of Pope John Paul’s to Latin America and the birth place of Liberation Theology, has helped me to better understand the Marxist tilt that some of the reading lead me to feel and become unnerved by. . I am not convinced that Christ can be a politicised figure or portrayed as a revolutionary like Che Guevara, the holy father says in regard to this, “Jesus’ message, had to do with man’s “integral liberation,” that is, body and spirit. This cannot be accomplished through any human power, even less through class struggle and violence. It is only God’s love that can liberate man and his world: the love of God in our hearts “ that brings transformation, peace, pardon and reconciliation”. (Waiting for Christ’s Return: The Christian in the World, pg48, Rev Albacete. The Word Among Us) After some reading and a little investigation reading about the cries of the poor and oppressed that the word of God is mediated through praxis “ the tension between action and reflection”, (Catholicism, pg128. Richard P McBrien.) At this point I can see Liberation Theology as a pragmatic course of action, and with this awareness we are given the opportunity to act in a way that supports missionaries around the world to help the poor. To engage in an intelligent questioning of what governments say and do in regard to our responsibilities to other nations, what conscious actions can we choose to affect countries where oppressive regimes are in power over a poor and voiceless population this ideal in itself does not only apply itself to developing nations or to the south American countries from whence it sprung. At this point I can see to develop an understanding of this will help us all have a basis to act from, so this Praxis can actively be engaged in.
Michael, I'm sorry to break with essay convention and address this to you directly, I try to understand the world view and the historical view, and I hope that I am on the right sort of pathway, but from where I stand as a very ordinary person in the community, it is my individual action to those around me that will best serve the action of Christ in my daily life. In other words taking an active role in processes of helping people around me who are finding the going very difficult. Christ didn't come to save me persay, he suffered and died because of the sins I commit but through him and trying to understand his death and ressurection and putting it into Praxis I have a fantastic experience to commit to, share and develope in the life I've been given. Despite the short comings of family upbring, because I wanted to focus on my father I have looked into the St Vincent De Paul Society that he has been apart of all his life and this has been so revealing and inspiring.
About a hundred years before Gustavo Guiterrez a man called Frederic Ozanam was faced with the issues of social justice that were intergral to that time in history, through his profound understanding and belief in Christ he was motivated to fight injustices that he saw occuring in the society and political system around him. He was so motivated that he created the lay ministry of the St Vincent De Paul Society, and this has spread around the globe since its inception. From my experience it is an acessible way for people to live out the ideal of service that is implicit in the process of spiritual development and growth. Will service to those arond me help me achieve the intergral liberation that the Holy Father talked about or is there more that I will need to be able to grasp and understand, will I even have the ability to see and understand it when it is first encountered.
Even here in this affuluent contry of Australia the "Signs of the Times" are deeply troubling and overwhelming, we seem to live in times of political expediency and economic rationalists and bean counters. The result of this has been a widening of the gap between those who have and those who have not. The St Vincent De Paul Society tried to show the Howard Government the very negative impact that GST would have on the poor prior to its being introduced in 1999,http://www.vinnies.org.au/content.cfm?table=content_listitems&parentid=0&id=2539 years later we see the evidence mounting to prove the disturbing claims to be increasinly correct.
The more I venture into this discourse the more I am aware that the marxist lean to social justice is very easily reached in this day and age but Marx himself took a lot of his foundational thought from the instigators of the French Reveloution, this is why i am begining to find the work of Frederic Ozanam so interesting . He actualy lived within a short time of the aftermath of the Reveloution and was picking uop the pieces of human wreckage that were left from this tumultuous time. His awareness of Christs message of love never desersted him, It is through the passion that we can truly connect, it is so profound that it runs through my very blood corpusles and inbetween them. He knew, it was in the profound emotion of that recognition of the spiritual connectedness between us all, that Godliness in us all that we need to find expression for. Some people get lost in this material world, and others hear the message and take up the challenge to actively engage, with success and with lack of success but never with failure if they have acted from their hearts. It is in giving that we recieve, This is the hope I see in the older people working through charities like St Vinnies, my next dillema is how do we engage the youth of today in an active process that helps them to experience this sence of giving that can be so rewarding
Bibliography:
A New way of Encountering God. “Liberation Theology”, An Introductory Guide, Robert McAfee Brown. Chpt, 3. Unit Reader: JS423
Catholicism. Richard P McBrien. Study Edition Winston Press Minneapolis, 1981.
The New Dictionary of Theology. Joseph A. Komonchak, Mary Collins, Dermot A. Lane. Gill and Macmillan, Dublin. 1990.
Waiting For Christ’s Return: The Christian in the World. Rev Lorenzo Albacete.The Word Among Us, Vol: 2, Num 12. Nov, 1983.
The Liberation of the Oppressed. Rev Lorenzo Albacete. The Word Among Us,
Vol: 6, Num 10, Sept 1987.
Bibliography:
A New way of Encountering God. “Liberation Theology”, An Introductory Guide, Robert McAfee Brown. Chpt, 3. Unit Reader: JS423
Catholicism. Richard P McBrien. Study Edition Winston Press Minneapolis, 1981.
The New Dictionary of Theology. Joseph A. Komonchak, Mary Collins, Dermot A. Lane. Gill and Macmillan, Dublin. 1990.
Waiting For Christ’s Return: The Christian in the World. Rev Lorenzo Albacete.The Word Among Us, Vol: 2, Num 12. Nov, 1983.
The Liberation of the Oppressed. Rev Lorenzo Albacete. The Word Among Us,
Vol: 6, Num 10, Sept 1987.
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