St.

Francis College
Pascual B. Gutay St., Sabang II
Allen, Northern Samar 6405

MODULE 4
JUSTICE, PEACE AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION -
JPIC
SESSION : WEEK 5
GRADE LEVEL : 12
LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

 The leaner will be able to demonstrate Franciscan spirituality

I. CONCEPT

JPIC IN FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

ENTRY POINT

Enumerate at least 3 organizations in your school or in your community that promotes justice and
peace. Describe each organization.

1. Organization: ________________________________________________________________

Description:
________________________________________________________________________________

2. Organization: ________________________________________________________________

Description:
________________________________________________________________________________
THE SPIRITUALITY OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

Paul VI said that the mission of Justice and Peace is that of “keeping the eyes of the Church open,
its heart sensitive and its hand prepared for the work of charity which it is called upon to realize in
the world.” This phrase helps us understand the spirituality of JPIC.

EYES OPEN

Yes, and our ears as well, so we might be truly present to the world. We are called to be attentive to
what is happening around us, to hear the cries of the world in which we live and to see life with the
eyes of God. We are called to take note of the action of the Spirit in our world, and listen to the calls
we receive from the world around us so as to collaborate with this action of the Spirit. We are called
to be like our God, who is attentive and present to all of life and creation.

And we are all aware of those with whom Jesus generally walked: the poor, the marginalized, those
whom the system did not want to survive, to possess things or to be empowered. This is the kénosis
of Jesus, his self-emptying, which we hear about in the letter to the Philippians. Franciscan minority
is based on this kind of God. Minority is the Franciscan perspective from which to view reality, to
judge it critically, and to participate in it. It is the reality of those who are preferred by Jesus and
Francis: the poor, the destitute, the defenseless (cf. GGCC 97,2; RFF 143; 162; 180).

A SENSITIVE HEART

The work of seeing, becoming acquainted with and getting to know the reality and the suffering of
the poor is not something indifferent, done from a distance or a desk. For the knowledge of
suffering to move us to work for its elimination, it must have an effect upon us, it must reach down
to the depths of our being, to the heart, and move us to compassion. We truly know only that which
we endure or, better still, that which is shared suffering.

For the Christian the only genuine knowledge is that which moves us to compassion. In order to
maintain sensitivity of heart and to keep compassion alive it is necessary to be in contact with the
people who suffer and their problems. Our social status, our dwelling and our life style can
condition to a great extent our view of reality, even to the point of preventing our seeing it and
causing us to deserve the reproach of Jesus to his disciples:

A HAND READY FOR THE WORKS OF CHARITY

Charity is the love of God which we are called to make present in the world. Welcoming and
experiencing God who is love prompts us to place the love of God and of people at the center of our
Christian lives. As noted in the First Letter of John, love of neighbor is a sign of the love of God.
This charity or love, understood as a relationship of fraternity and solidarity among people, strives
to make the “other” or “others” greater, to help them possess life more fully and ever more
abundantly.

JPIC IN FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation – JPIC

The values of JPIC have been present in the Franciscan Order since its beginning because they are
values of the spirituality of St. Francis. But it is only since Vatican II that the Order has come to
understand them in the more contemporary sense, as a dimension of social reality.

JPIC is a dimension of our charism, a way of life and mission to understand the structures of JPIC
in the Order it is essential once again to recall that Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation are,
above all, values; they are a spirituality. JPIC arises from a spirituality centered in God’s plan of
LIFE for all creation, and we are invited to collaborate in this project.

It is nourished by discovery of the compassionate and merciful face of the God of Jesus. This God
is revealed in history and encountered in the reality of the people and things around us. It blossoms
from a desire to follow Jesus with compassion, in a world that is unjust, broken and violent. It arises
from the need to discern the signs of life that the Spirit is birthing today.

While this is true for Christians in general, for us as Franciscans JPIC is an element
and dimension of our charism: “The friars as followers of St. Francis, are bound to lead a radically
evangelical life, namely; to live in a spirit of prayer and devotion and in fraternal fellowship. They
are to offer a witness of penance and minority; and in charity towards all mankind. They are to
announce the Gospel throughout the whole world and to preach reconciliation, peace and justice by
their deeds and to show respect for creation. It is an essential dimension of our vocation, like prayer,
fraternity, minority and evangelization.

JPIC is a way of life and mission; through it we are challenged by the great issues of humanity and
committed to the cause of all people, that all might live with dignity. Thus, JPIC embraces all our
life. It is a central axis which passes through all the dimensions of our religious and Franciscan life.

EXERCISE # 1

Imagine yourself as a youth leader. What are the different activities that you are going to implement
to help the poor in your community? Enumerate and explain at least five.

1.) ___________________________________.
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________

2.) ___________________________________.
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________

3.) ____________________________________.
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________

4.) ____________________________________.
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5.) ____________________________________.
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EXERCISE # 2

1.) What do you think is the biggest Social injustice today and why?
________________________________________________________________________________
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2.) What do you think is the best solution to address this problem?
________________________________________________________________________________
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3.) As a Christian, do you agree that the church in general must be involved in addressing this social
injustice?
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4.) Do you think the government can solve this issue anytime soon? Why/ why not?
________________________________________________________________________________
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5.) As a student, what can you do to help in solving the social injustices of our time?
________________________________________________________________________________
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