Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the JUDGE, CHRIST the SUN of JUSTICE, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE

Thought for the Day – 24 November – The Blessedness of Those who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

Thought for the Day – 24 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of Those
who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

“We must be just, finally, in our dealings with others.
This rules out theft, detraction, calumny, murder and hatred of our neighbour.
We can be unjust to our neighbour, not only in material things but also, in the moral order.

Christian justice, moreover, makes many demands on us which we do not sufficiently consider.
If our neighbour is hungry, we are obliged to assuage his hunger.
If he is ill-clad, homeless or out of work, the Gospel tells us that we are obliged to help him and to console him, by every means in our power, even if this necessitates sacrifice on our part.
This, is the Christian justice, without which neither faith, nor charity can survive.

The man who lacks this virtue, will one day be condem;ned by the Supreme Judge, with the terrifying words: Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/01/thought-for-the-day-1-december-2/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/24/thought-for-the-day-24-november-the-blessedness-of-those-who-hunger-and-thirst-for-justice/

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, QUOTES on REASON/INTELLECT, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The BEATITUDES

Thought for the Day – 24 November – The Blessedness of Those who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

Thought for the Day – 24 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of Those
who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

We must also be just towards ourselves.
God has established a hierarchy of faculties in human nature.
There are the lower faculties, which are often moved to action by our passions and above these, there is right reason, which ought to govern all else through the will.
According to St Thomas Aquinas, the rule of right reason within us, should be comparable to that of God in the universe. (De Regimine I, 12).
It is fitting,” he says elsewhere, “that everything in man, should be subject to reason” (Summa Theologiae I-II, q 100, a 2 ad 1).
St Augustine observes that, as the lower faculties should obey the intellect, so the intellect should be subject to God and should fulfil His Holy Law (Cf De Serm. Domini in Monte, Bk 1, c 2).

In this way, there exists in us, absolute justice, which is the harmony of perfection.
If the passions, however, rebel and dethrone reason or, if reason revolts against God, there follows the degradation of human nature, the triumph of sin, remorse and spiritual ruin!

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/01/thought-for-the-day-1-december-2/

Posted in GOD ALONE!, LOVE of NEIGHBOUR, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on VIRTUE, The BEATITUDES, The FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: JUSTICE, PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 1 December – The Blessedness of Those who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

Thought for the Day – 1 December – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of Those
who Hunger and Thirst for Justice

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice” says Jesus Christ, “for they shall be satified” (Mt 5:6).
These words oblige us to seek justice in our actions, if we desire the happiness which Our Lord promised to the just.

We must understand, of course, what is intended here by the word “justice.
It may be interpreted in two ways.
According to its most common meaning, justice is the cardinal virtue which obliges us to give every man his due.
Often in Sacred Scripture, however, the word is synonymous with perfection or holiness; that is, it is the synthesis of all the virtues.
It is in this sense, that Jesus employs the term when He says: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice and all these things shall be given you besides” (Mt 6:33).

In its fullest sense then, justice embraces our relations with God, with ourselves and with our neighbour.
In the first place, we must be just towards God and, therefore, in accordance with the Gospel precepts, we must “render to God the things that are God’s” (Mt 22:21).
Since everything belongs to God, our Creator and Redeemer, we must offer everything to Him, including ourselves, all that we are and all that we possess.
We have only obligations in regard to God and no rights because, we have received everything from Him.
We oughts to obey Him, therefore, as our supreme lawgiver.
We ought to adore Him and to love Him, with a greater love than we have for any creature or for ourselves because, He is the highest good, which merits all our love and which alone, can satisfy us.
We should express our love, moreover, by our actions and by the complete dedication of ourselves to His honour and glory.

Justice, then, is in fact, Christian perfection and is the synthesis of all the virtues.
That great pagan writer, Cicero, had already perceived this, when he wrote that “piety is the foundation of all the virtues” (Pro Plancio, 12:29) and that “piety is justice in regard to God” (De natura deorum, I, 4).
Justice in our relations with God, demands, that we adore, love and obey Him.
In this way, we lay the basis of all the virtues. “”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci