Teaching Children Catholic Social Thought
Jack Miffleton
Stories of Zita and Pedro
Twelve-year-old Zita struggled to carry a heavy sack of flour from the cellar. As she reached the kitchen she stumbled scraping her knee, and the sack split open spilling the flour over the floor and down the cellar stairs. Her fellow servants laughed and scoffed at her clumsiness. No one moved to lend a hand. The year was 1224 and this is how her life began as a servant for a wealthy family in Tuscany. This remarkable girl suffered under the cruelty and beatings of her fellow servants, but she bore the injustice with patience, prayer, and inner peace. She returned their hostility with kindness. In time her mistress recognized her special gift, and she became the head housekeeper. It was said she often gave her own food to the poor. After her death she was celebrated for her holiness in the city of Lucca. The Church recognized her as a saint in 1696, known simply as Santa Zita (c.1212–1272).
A twenty-year-old Spanish man named Pedro entered the Jesuit community. He had no idea that his pursuit of the priesthood and love of Jesus would land him in the middle of the worst evil of the times — the African slave trade. “Father Pedro,” the traders warned, “stay away from the slaves if you know what’s good for you and stick to Church business.” Pedro ignored their warnings. He wanted to tell the slaves about Jesus but he knew he must do the work of Jesus first. He provided food, water, and kindness to the slaves coming in and out of the port of Cartagena. Pedro knew he could not eliminate this vile injustice, but for forty years he worked heroically to alleviate some of the suffering. Through his work, he instructed and baptized thousands of African slaves. We honor him today as Saint Peter Claver (1581–1654).
Childhood Lessons
Every Catholic parent, teacher, and catechist would like to instill in children a passion for doing right by others and provide a context for that passion to grow. When a dispute or fight breaks out on the schoolyard or when siblings cry out, “Play fair,” parents and teachers have an opportunity for peace making and for addressing small injustices. From their daily situations children can begin to discover the art of being Christians and learn what it takes to follow in the footsteps of saints such as Zita and Peter. Catholic educators and parents should be well acquainted with the Church’s social teachings as they offer challenging guidelines for living justly in the modern era.
Papal Social Encyclicals
Pope Benedict’s new social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Love in Truth), speaks directly to the burning social issues of our day — peace, justice, poverty, ecology, and respect for life. Modern Catholic social thought began when Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903) issued Rerum Novarum (Of New Things). In this 1891 encyclical he outlined Catholic social teaching on justice, responded to the ills of the industrial revolution, and called for human dignity for workers. Succeeding Popes have continued to expand and clarify the Church’s social doctrine. In 1963, during the height of the “Cold War,” Pope John XXIII (1958–1963) published Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). As war raged in Vietnam and internal tumult brought terror and death in numerous African nations, Pope Paul VI (1963–1978) wrote his 1967 encyclical on the development of people, Populorum Progressio (Progressive Development of Peoples). “Development,” he said, “is the new name for peace.” As the Soviet Union dissolved into a series of independent republics in 1991, Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) released Centesimus Annus (Hundredth Year), reaffirming the principles of Rerum Novarum and insisting that the social Gospel must have true impact on human life.
Christian Humanism
In Caritas in Veritate Pope Benedict XVI has applied Catholic social teachings to our current global issues with fresh vision that has made some critics accuse him of trying to destroy capitalism and to applaud socialism. This reactionary rhetoric is unfortunate as it attempts to reduce a complex Gospel-based theology down to economic theories and misses the larger call for “charity that goes beyond justice” (6) and for the “principle of gratuitousness” that should be an ingredient in all human development (34). And “The greatest service to development,” writes Pope Benedict, “is a Christian humanism” (78).
Balanced Catechesis
Regrettably, small groups of Catholics are polarized by the social Gospel. On the one hand there are Catholics who make pro-life and human sexual issues the heart of their understanding of the Gospel; on the other hand peace-and-justice Catholics can be equally myopic in excluding respect-for-life issues from their agendas. In his new encyclical Pope Benedict does not allow for such polarity and neither should Catholic educators who are responsible for balanced catechesis on matters of peace, justice, and respect for life.
“Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)
From Pope Benedict’s inspiring conclusion of Caritas in Veritate: “Openness to God makes us open towards our brothers and sisters and towards an understanding of life as a joyful task to be accomplished in a spirit of solidarity. ... Only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life — structures, institutions, culture and ethos — without exposing us to the risk of becoming ensnared by the fashions of the moment. ... God gives us the strength to fight and to suffer for love of the common good, because he is our All, our greatest hope” (78).
Teach Your Children Well
Introducing children to the Church’s social teaching is a matter of knowing the pertinent texts and providing children with the appropriate context for their age and intellect. Author, Anne E. Neuberger, has written such a guide, Introducing Catholic Social Teaching to Children with Stories and Activities (Mystic CT: Twenty-third Publications, 2003). The author presents the Church’s social teachings through activities, dramatic readings by the students, and stories of saints similar to those above. Beyond the value of the content of the book is the author’s methodology, which is a clear winner and model when it comes to communicating with children (middle grades and older). The school and Church remain important players with the family in providing children with a safe and supportive environment and a context where they can share thoughts and feelings about human life, hunger, poverty, and war. In a worshipping community children will hear adult concerns about the world expressed in an atmosphere of prayer and praise. Within a paschal assembly children can witness the community’s active support of the poor and hear, through the Scriptures, that “what the Lord requires is to do right, love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Jack Miffleton is a teacher and musician, and his songs are sung in classrooms and churches around the world. He is theological consultant and music director for the I Am Special program published by OSV Publications (catalog.osv.com). He teaches music at Saint Jarlath School (stjarlath.org) in Oakland, California, is married and has a grown son.
Twelve-year-old Zita struggled to carry a heavy sack of flour from the cellar. As she reached the kitchen she stumbled scraping her knee, and the sack split open spilling the flour over the floor and down the cellar stairs. Her fellow servants laughed and scoffed at her clumsiness. No one moved to lend a hand. The year was 1224 and this is how her life began as a servant for a wealthy family in Tuscany. This remarkable girl suffered under the cruelty and beatings of her fellow servants, but she bore the injustice with patience, prayer, and inner peace. She returned their hostility with kindness. In time her mistress recognized her special gift, and she became the head housekeeper. It was said she often gave her own food to the poor. After her death she was celebrated for her holiness in the city of Lucca. The Church recognized her as a saint in 1696, known simply as Santa Zita (c.1212–1272).
A twenty-year-old Spanish man named Pedro entered the Jesuit community. He had no idea that his pursuit of the priesthood and love of Jesus would land him in the middle of the worst evil of the times — the African slave trade. “Father Pedro,” the traders warned, “stay away from the slaves if you know what’s good for you and stick to Church business.” Pedro ignored their warnings. He wanted to tell the slaves about Jesus but he knew he must do the work of Jesus first. He provided food, water, and kindness to the slaves coming in and out of the port of Cartagena. Pedro knew he could not eliminate this vile injustice, but for forty years he worked heroically to alleviate some of the suffering. Through his work, he instructed and baptized thousands of African slaves. We honor him today as Saint Peter Claver (1581–1654).
Childhood Lessons
Every Catholic parent, teacher, and catechist would like to instill in children a passion for doing right by others and provide a context for that passion to grow. When a dispute or fight breaks out on the schoolyard or when siblings cry out, “Play fair,” parents and teachers have an opportunity for peace making and for addressing small injustices. From their daily situations children can begin to discover the art of being Christians and learn what it takes to follow in the footsteps of saints such as Zita and Peter. Catholic educators and parents should be well acquainted with the Church’s social teachings as they offer challenging guidelines for living justly in the modern era.
Papal Social Encyclicals
Pope Benedict’s new social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Love in Truth), speaks directly to the burning social issues of our day — peace, justice, poverty, ecology, and respect for life. Modern Catholic social thought began when Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903) issued Rerum Novarum (Of New Things). In this 1891 encyclical he outlined Catholic social teaching on justice, responded to the ills of the industrial revolution, and called for human dignity for workers. Succeeding Popes have continued to expand and clarify the Church’s social doctrine. In 1963, during the height of the “Cold War,” Pope John XXIII (1958–1963) published Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). As war raged in Vietnam and internal tumult brought terror and death in numerous African nations, Pope Paul VI (1963–1978) wrote his 1967 encyclical on the development of people, Populorum Progressio (Progressive Development of Peoples). “Development,” he said, “is the new name for peace.” As the Soviet Union dissolved into a series of independent republics in 1991, Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) released Centesimus Annus (Hundredth Year), reaffirming the principles of Rerum Novarum and insisting that the social Gospel must have true impact on human life.
Christian Humanism
In Caritas in Veritate Pope Benedict XVI has applied Catholic social teachings to our current global issues with fresh vision that has made some critics accuse him of trying to destroy capitalism and to applaud socialism. This reactionary rhetoric is unfortunate as it attempts to reduce a complex Gospel-based theology down to economic theories and misses the larger call for “charity that goes beyond justice” (6) and for the “principle of gratuitousness” that should be an ingredient in all human development (34). And “The greatest service to development,” writes Pope Benedict, “is a Christian humanism” (78).
Balanced Catechesis
Regrettably, small groups of Catholics are polarized by the social Gospel. On the one hand there are Catholics who make pro-life and human sexual issues the heart of their understanding of the Gospel; on the other hand peace-and-justice Catholics can be equally myopic in excluding respect-for-life issues from their agendas. In his new encyclical Pope Benedict does not allow for such polarity and neither should Catholic educators who are responsible for balanced catechesis on matters of peace, justice, and respect for life.
“Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)
From Pope Benedict’s inspiring conclusion of Caritas in Veritate: “Openness to God makes us open towards our brothers and sisters and towards an understanding of life as a joyful task to be accomplished in a spirit of solidarity. ... Only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life — structures, institutions, culture and ethos — without exposing us to the risk of becoming ensnared by the fashions of the moment. ... God gives us the strength to fight and to suffer for love of the common good, because he is our All, our greatest hope” (78).
Teach Your Children Well
Introducing children to the Church’s social teaching is a matter of knowing the pertinent texts and providing children with the appropriate context for their age and intellect. Author, Anne E. Neuberger, has written such a guide, Introducing Catholic Social Teaching to Children with Stories and Activities (Mystic CT: Twenty-third Publications, 2003). The author presents the Church’s social teachings through activities, dramatic readings by the students, and stories of saints similar to those above. Beyond the value of the content of the book is the author’s methodology, which is a clear winner and model when it comes to communicating with children (middle grades and older). The school and Church remain important players with the family in providing children with a safe and supportive environment and a context where they can share thoughts and feelings about human life, hunger, poverty, and war. In a worshipping community children will hear adult concerns about the world expressed in an atmosphere of prayer and praise. Within a paschal assembly children can witness the community’s active support of the poor and hear, through the Scriptures, that “what the Lord requires is to do right, love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Jack Miffleton is a teacher and musician, and his songs are sung in classrooms and churches around the world. He is theological consultant and music director for the I Am Special program published by OSV Publications (catalog.osv.com). He teaches music at Saint Jarlath School (stjarlath.org) in Oakland, California, is married and has a grown son.
Related Year C: Advent / Christmas / Epiphany Articles:
- Gospel Talk With Children: That We Might Become Divine
- Receiving the Prophetic, Priestly and Royal Gift of Children
- Winter Wisdom and Christian Character
- Preparing Children for the Sundays of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Preparations in the Advent Gospels
- Developing Spirituality Among Children, Part 2
- Coming Closer to Eucharist: Mystagogy on Eucharistic Presence
- The Liturgy of the World — God Among Us
With more than 330 songs specifically chosen for the young voices of children, Rise Up & Sing, Third Edition presents a Scripture-based, liturgically appropriate repertoire of great music that encourages children to actively engage in worship.