Waking Up To Justice

What is real or perfect justice? I can still recall the answer from the title of the 2007 CBCP planner and Biblical guide that goes: “The Norm of Justice and Right Living is the Word of God.” Hence the truest justice should be in accord with the unerring mind of God. Indeed doing what is right or what one has to be and do entails overcoming deep-seated values that may conflict with the divine teachings. The child must grow up and learn the mature, christian ways of living and connecting with fellow-beings in the pilgrim-journey to eternity. Christ promises a blessing of full consolation or satisfaction to those who ‘hunger and thirst for justice’ (cf. Mt. 5:6).

St. John Paul II once said that “Justice is the minimum of love and love is the maximum of justice” (Assisi dialogue of all religions). St. Paul describes love as “humble, patient and forgiving” (1 Cor. 13) and Jesus tells us that the tax collector ‘went down to his house, set right with God, but not the Pharisee, for whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised’ (Lk. 18:14). Being your true self and doing the best of what you are supposed to do and to be equals perfect justice, perfect love, like facets of one reality, one as conforming to the law, the other as the total gift of the heart.

One must be persistent and pray continually in seeking justice, like the widow in the gospel who demanded the right to be defended against her opponent. At first the evil judge refused but later he gave in because the widow kept bothering him. Jesus concluded the gospel text by saying, “Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice” (Lk. 18:7-8). Let us not lose heart but stay “awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine on you!” (Eph. 5:14).