The Gospel and Social Action – Episode 2

Bio - Who is Glenn?

We often hear about various forms of injustice in this world, especially about the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Lately we have also heard about a natural disaster that has plummeted people into poverty. What is the adequate Christian response when faced with these issues? What should inspire Christian social action?

We discuss these issues with Glenn McDonald C.S.B, a scholastic of the Order of St Basil and currently a member of the Basilian Social Justice Committee. Glenn himself spent months serving the poor in Latin America, and now that he is a theology student at the University of St. Michael's College Faculty of Theology, he is seeking to bring together his experience of serving Christ by serving the poor, with his studies and preparation for the priesthood.

• What makes a social action ‘Catholic’?
  Read Gaudium et Spes, 32.
• What gospel vision of Jesus Christ invites me to social action? Why is the Church’s social teaching constitutive to the gospel?
  Read Populorum Progressio, 45-47.
• How can I participate in Catholic social action?
  Read Centesimus Annus, 51.

• Papal and Episcopal Documents relating to Catholic Social Justice Teaching – a Complete List:
  www.justpeace.org/docu.htm Most of the documents are available from the Vatican website: www.vatican.va and the individual websites of the Bishops’ Conferences, e.g. www.cccb.ca, www.usccb.org, www.celam.org
• The work of the Pontifical Council for Justice and
  Peace at the Vatican
• The Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs of the Canadian Council of catholic Bishops
• Blessed Mother Theresa is a saintly example of social action inspired by the Gospel, for all Catholics.
  Browse through this tribute to Mother Theresa’s Beatification
  And learn about the congregation she founded, the Missionaries of Charity