from: Ouko joachim omolo
News Dispatch
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

Today is first Sunday of Advent, a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It means watchfulness, living in God’s presence and according to his criteria, that is living in justice.

As Pope Benedict XVI states, waiting for justice in the Christian sense means above all that we ourselves begin to live under the eyes of the Judge, in accordance with the criteria of the Judge; that we begin to live in his presence, doing justice in our own lives (L’Osservatore Romano-Jan 2008, English Edition).

This is because as Desmond Tutu, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 1984 argues, “a true peace can ultimately be built only on justice”. Thus, by doing justice, putting ourselves in the Judge’s presence, we wait for justice in reality. And this is the meaning of Advent, of vigilance.

This is again, because the watchfulness of Advent means living under the eyes of the Judge and thus preparing ourselves and the world for justice. In this way, therefore, living under the eyes of the God-Judge, we can open the world to the coming of his Son and predispose hearts to welcome “the Lord who comes”.

In his expectation, therefore, the believer becomes an interpreter of the hopes of all humanity; humanity yearns for justice and thus, although often unconsciously, is waiting for God, waiting for salvation which God alone can give to us.

Justice is here taken in its ordinary and proper sense to signify the most important of the cardinal virtues. It is a moral quality or habit which perfects the will and inclines it to render to each and to all what belongs to them.

For those who recite the Divine Office the word cardinal as applied to the virtues means a hinge, that on which a thing turns. We need fortitude (courage) to work for justice. Fortitude allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles.

We also need prudence and justice. Theses are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done; fortitude gives us the strength to do it. Fortitude is the only one of the cardinal virtues that is also a gift of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to rise above our natural fears in defense of the Christian faith.

While fortitude is concerned with the restraint of fear so that we can act, temperance is the restraint of our desires or passions. In other words, temperance is the virtue that attempts to keep us from excess, and, as such, requires the balancing of legitimate goods against our inordinate desire for them.

This is the time we need to examine our consciences in accordance to the Catholic social teaching. Do I respect the life and dignity of every human person from conception through natural death? Do I recognize the face of Christ reflected in all others around me whatever their race, class, age, or abilities?
Do I work to protect the dignity of others when it is being threatened? Am I committed to both protecting human life and to ensuring that every human being is able to live in dignity? Do I try to make positive contributions in my family and in my community?
Are my beliefs, attitudes, and choices such that they strengthen or undermine the institution of the family?

Am I aware of problems facing my local community and involved in efforts to find solutions? Do I stay informed and make my voice heard when needed? Do I support the efforts of poor persons to work for change in their neighborhoods and communities? Do my attitudes and interactions empower or disempower others?

Do I recognize and respect the economic, social, political, and cultural rights of others?
Do I live in material comfort and excess while remaining insensitive to the needs of others whose rights are unfulfilled? Do I take seriously my responsibility to ensure that the rights of persons in need are realized?

Do I urge those in power to implement programs and policies that give priority to the human dignity and rights of all, especially the vulnerable? Do I give special attention to the needs of the poor and vulnerable in my community and in the world?

Am I disproportionately concerned for my own good at the expense of others?
Do I engage in service and advocacy work that protects the dignity of poor and vulnerable persons?

As a worker, do I give my employer a fair day’s work for my wages? As an owner, do I treat workers fairly? Do I treat all workers with whom I interact with respect, no matter their position or class?

Do I support the rights of all workers to adequate wages, health insurance, vacation and sick leave? Do I affirm their right to form or join unions or worker associations?
Do my purchasing choices take into account the hands involved in the production of what I buy? When possible, do I buy products produced by workers whose rights and dignity were respected?

Does the way I spend my time reflect a genuine concern for others? Is solidarity incorporated into my prayer and spirituality? Do I lift up vulnerable people throughout the world in my prayer, or is it reserved for only my personal concerns?

Am I attentive only to my local neighbors or also those across the globe?
Do I see all members of the human family as my brothers and sisters? Do I live out my responsibility to care for God’s creation?

Do I see my care for creation as connected to my concern for poor persons, who are most at risk from environmental problems? Do I litter? Live wastefully? Use energy too freely? Are there ways I could reduce consumption in my life? Are there ways I could change my daily practices and those of my family, school, workplace, or community to better conserve the earth’s resources for future generations?

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.
-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

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