Introduction •

• God makes each person and community unique so we can share what we have with others

Human Beings Are Social By Nature

• Humans are meant for community

• we are not meant to live in isolation

• We cannot properly grow and develop without each other

• commonwealth and common good exist because of our need for one another

• The relationship between the individual person and society is a delicate one

• need to avoid the extremes

• Atomistic individualism and collectivism/totalitarianism

• Atomistic Individualism promotes the needs of the individual over the good of the whole

• example - slavery

• Collectivism or totalitarianism promotes great power of the state by removing rights of the individual

• example - state sponsored population control in china

The Common Good and Human Development

• Humans are created in the Image of God

• to be what God wants us to be we need basic things like food water and shelter

• Also need basic freedoms- personal vocation (call to work), psychological stability, and the ability to participate in society

The Church and the Human Family

• God placed the Church at the center of society as a community called to model the communion of persons (unity of people)

• human members of the church are not perfect but the church led by the holy spririt

• God calls the Church to help form the conscience of every person

• Every nations is called to act with justice seek peace and protect the dignity of every person

• No person or nation is about God's law and excused from upholding it

• when nations violate moral law it does great harm to the whole world

  • Russia and Ulcraine

  • Christians can only help the cause of the people if they see other races and ethnicities as brothers and sisters in Christ

  • There is no room for prejudice or hatred towards others

  • love is the basis for Christian life

  The Body of Christ in the World

  • Christians in every nation must live as one body for the defense of human dignity and universal human rights

  • This is called natural law.

  * The Church is also an example of redemption

  • Chrisitans are not perfect or superior

  • The Church exists to be the way people experience God's merey

  • the church asto needs to engage

  • Ecumenical dialogue-interaction between Catholics and other Christian
    denomination

• God makes every person for happiness and personal fulfillment

  • happiness cannot be fully realized in this life - only in heaven

  • We experience tastes of beatitude (supreme happiness) when we draw near to God in faith, hope, and love

  • loving one another as jesus loves us

  • The only way we can love God as He loves us is to love our neighbor (Parable of the Good Samaritan)

  The Inner Life of the Trinity

  • The mystery of God (The Trinity) can never be fully understood, but we see traces of it when we enter into human friendships

  • to be human means that God calls us first to be loved

  • Then we are called to love within the society of the human family

  • our family is the basic and one of the most important society groups we will be apart of

  A Unity of Love Through Distinct Persons

  • God does not desire human society to be homogenous (same) as if everyone were the

• God also doesnt want us to be so individualistic that our diversity causes division and hostility

  • God calls human society to follow His law and exist as communities of love

  • we need to focus on what unites us - our common humanity - more than what might distinguish us

  • Don't focus on race, culture, social position but what we have in common