Building Faithful Citizenship

Building Faithful Citizenship is a brief, weekly bulletin reflection on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

For Sunday Bulletins on September 7

Beware of the readings this week if you don’t want the challenge to be a very active Christian. Each reading exhorts us to pay attention to God speaking in the world around us; acting on the invitation to love as God loves; and to nurture, care for and repair as necessary all the relationships and responsibilities we have towards others.

This is no weak message. The readings give a call to purposeful living, speaking the truth and living by an active love, not passivity.

In this election year, these readings call us to our responsibility to listen to social analysis and weigh proposed solutions according to how they will affect our neighbors, especially the poor. These readings call us to listen for the truth and “speak that truth to power” as we build a future that leaves no one on the fringes.

Reflection: Do you know what the candidates are proposing in
economics, health care, for the environment? Are you making decisions with your neighbors in mind and the call to “love your neighbor as yourself?”