Catholic Commission for Social Justice
The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) calls on each person to be generous this Christmas. Leela Ramdeen, Chair of CCSJ says: “The wonderful music of parang and carols lifts our spirits at Christmas time and fills us with joy. Let us share with others some of this joy; let us help to lift the spirits of those who bear the brunt of poverty & social exclusion, sickness, and loneliness.
Gospel reading: Matthew 11:2-11
John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?”
Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you hear and see;the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor;and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.”
As we prepare for the coming of the birth of Jesus, let us see Him in the faces of our “neighbours”. Amidst the splendour of the decorations in the malls and the “goodies” in our stores and supermarkets, spare a thought for Jesus who lives among us and who is hungry. See Jesus in the homeless, the destitute, and those in need. He came so that we may have life, and have it to the full. Yet thousands in T&T and millions around the world live like Lazarus, waiting for the crumbs to fall from the table of the rich.
“…in an ideal world, Commonwealth countries – including those in the Caribbean – would stop using the Privy Council and set up their own final courts of appeal instead” (Lord Phillips, 2009).
In December 2012, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) launched its Strategic Plan for 2013 to 2017 under the theme Responsive, Innovative, Inspirational. Its Mission is clear: “To protect and promote the rule of law as a court of final appeal and as guardian of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by guaranteeing accessibility, fairness, efficiency and transparency, delivering clear and just decisions in a timely manner.”
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said: ‘A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’