Justice is a virtue that all societies need to embrace to have a peaceful coexistence. Importantly, it is the responsibility of people to promote righteousness. In his article, Jim Forest reflects on the lessons that he learned from Dorothy Day about fairness within the communities for the good of all people. Although she was once a prisoner and had her shares of lack, she provides inspirational teachings on representing a just society as eminent in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
In summary, the reading mentions seven ways in which Catholics can influence a just society by emulating the teachings and lifestyle of Dorothy Day. First, Dorothy dedicated much of her time praying for other people and then giving (Forest). The nun was merciful at heart, perhaps, because Day was once in prison and learned to empathize with others. In turn, it motivated her to give whatever she had to the poor in society to uplift their status. The other attribute that people can learn is that beauty is for all people, hence protecting everyone’s dignity.
Moreover, being meek is also evident in Dorothy’s life and can be instrumental in enhancing justice for all. However, that should not be used as an excuse for being reluctant in confronting the filthy system of corruption that infringes on the rights of others (Forest). To enhance justice, people will have to learn how to relate more with people who are low on the social ladder instead of the emperors and other notable people in the society. Last but not least, the importance of following Christ and not the pope or fellow Christians is the ultimate way of obtaining justice.
Conclusively, the article uses the lifestyle of Dorothy, who was an orthodox Catholic, to show how they can achieve a just society for the common good of everyone. Dorothy believed that equity started with prayers and that all people needed to start offering little help instead of expecting the government and organizations to provide the disadvantaged with services. Moreover, she believed in showing others mercy while upholding dignity and doing the small tasks in obedience to Jesus Christ. When people follow these virtues, they can care for each other and create a society where everyone is dignified.
Work Cited
Forest, Jim. “What I Learned About Justice from Dorothy Day.” U.S. Catholic Magazine – Faith in Real Life, 1995. Web.