Our society is distancing itself from God, we have doubts about absolute truth, and not conscious of what is happening. We measure all by our personal standards, no absolutes, and have little concern on what is going on in the world as long as it doesn't affect us. This apathy, he says, is one of the main afflictions of our age.
We are a bigger Church, more priests and laity but the bonds between the diocese and parishes and between parishes is not as strong as in the past. Our sense of community and feeling of belonging is weak. We are not meant to be concerned only with our own spiritual life but concerned with the salvation of all.
The Social Gospel directly searches for ways to make our societies more human. Seeking to form disciples with the principles and values from Jesus, and his teaching on love.
"The immediate purpose of the Church's social doctrine is to propose the principles and values that can sustain a society worthy of the human person. Among these principles, solidarity includes all the others in a certain way. It represents one of the fundamental principles of the Christian view of social and political organization."
"Personal behavior is fully human when it is born of love, manifests love and is ordered to love. This truth also applies in the social sphere; Christians must be deeply convinced witnesses of this, and they are to show by their lives how love is the only force (1 Cor. 12:31-14:1) that can lead to personal and social perfection, allowing society to make progress towards the good" (#580 Compendium of the Social Gospel).
In conclusion of the series of articles written, the priest admits what he has written is not something that we can easily carry out in our daily lives. It is difficult but a necessary work that we are called to do, basic to our mission to change the world -- our compass.
What will you do? We can choose to follow the social teaching or follow the way of the world-- it is our choice.
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