Wow, I would say of all the virtues this year, Justice has to have been the hardest to come up with a lesson or craft. Thankfully, I didn't have to do it, hence the smiling ruler. I couldn't even come up with a picture let alone a whole lesson. Jessica had signed up for this month's virtue and luckily she is so well organized that her whole lesson was written out. Rather than trying to describe it, I am going to just copy and paste the whole thing right here. Thank You Jessica for the great job!
Justice
ASK- What is Justice? The strong and firm will to give each his due. - Thomas Aquinas.
- It’s a moral virtue that helps us work diligently to give God and others their due. This does not imply that exactly the same is due to each person. Giving everyone the same opportunity.
- Give examples – example a candy scramble….everyone starts out with the same opportunities and they all end up with different amounts of candy. It would be right that to point out that is one child ended up not getting any or just 1 piece, to put yourself in their shoes and treat them the way you would want..maybe share some with them.
- Justice is a virtue that deals with individuals and a society as a whole. It is within Justice that we can fulfill Christ's command to "love your neighbor as yourself". We can't truly love someone we do not know but we can give them justice...and in that justice there is love. Love is putting someone else first in your life; taking care of what they need before taking care of your needs. The golden rule is love in action; treating others well, because others are as important as you are. Jesus said that Christians' love and caring for each other would be how the world identified us.
- One of the first moral lessons taught to you as children is to treat each other as you want to be treated. Example- sharing a swing at the playground, sharing toy with a sibling. Remembering the moral law of “Do Good, Avoid Evil” we see that justice is necessary for natural human perfection.
- God has always given His people guidance on how they should treat one another. We tend to be selfish, unless trained otherwise. But God wants us to be considerate of others. He said that we should treat others they way we would like to be treated.
3 types of Justice.
1. Commutative – form of justice that we owe our family and neighbors. ( fair standard of giving and receiving. This is the one we will concentrate on most) - it would include using the golden rule.
2. Distributive - city protecting a citizen. (If you call the fire dept. they are going to come and help you. It doesn’t matter who you are, or if they even like you or not, how much $ you have,they are going to come and help you..because it is the right thing to do.)
3. Legal - need to follow rules. (What is a car comes to a stop sign and doesn’t feel like stopping? What if nobody felt like stopping at a stop sign? If even if there isn’t a policeman around you still gotta stop because you don’t want to crash your car or hurt someone.)
You don’t follow rules because you don’t want to get punished, you do it because it is the right
thing to do.
Another dimension of the virtue of Justice is the virtue of Religion. While is might seem
unusual to view religion as a virtue, it needs to be seen as the worship that is due to God
as the first principle in all things. This is the most important virtue that is derived from
justice.
ASK- girls- How many gave things up or did extra special things during Lent?
- Devotions, sacrifices, presence at mass- It is not out of mere habit that we should do these things, but rather because it is JUST to do them. It’s God’s right to expect them from us.
Blessed Mary of the Incarnation
Jessica got information about Blessed Mary of the Incarnation from here.
The girls were then paired up and did some skits to practice being just.
SKITS –
I hear “It’s not Fair” around my house all the time….Something might not seem fair to you or I. BUT, sometimes when we look beyond ourselves at the bigger picture, what seems unfair can actually be the right decision because it is just. Remember… This does not mean that exactly the same is given to each person.
SKIT 1
Incorrect Way:
Parent: Why did you eat that? I just said we were having dinner.
Child: I was hungry and you already said it would be a minute and it has been a lot longer.
Parent: (yelling) Why do you never listen??!? I don’t know what to do with you. That’s it! You can’t go anywhere for the 4 months!
Is the parent being just? What should the parent maybe do to be just? People need to be corrected, there needs to be consequences to help people learn and make the world a better place, but some punishments are too harsh and not justly given.
Correct Way:
Parent: Why did you eat that? I just said we were having dinner.
Child: I was hungry and you already said it would be a minute and it has been a lot longer.
Parent: (in a calm voice) I know it is hard to be patient sometimes, but dinner is taking me a little longer than I thought. Maybe you can try to be a little more patient next time. Please help me be faster by setting the table….and after dinner help me clean up the dishes since you didn’t listen.
SKIT 2
Incorrect Way:
Child 1: Hey, Angie was really mean to me today….she took my jump rope.
Child 2: Really? Why?
Child 1: I don’t know, but I don’t like her…she’s mean. I think I am going to go take her candy when she is not looking.
(Child 1 takes candy from behind Angie’s back while she is talking to someone else.)
Did child 1 treat Angie justly? What do you think she should have done?
It is important to let someone know that you were unhappy with them if they weren’t being nice to you. But….even though Angie was mean to her, she still should have treated her justly….
Treat others the way that you want to be treated, even if they are meant to you.
Correct Way:
Child 1: Hey, Angie was really mean to me today….she took my jump rope.
Child 2: Really? Why?
Child 1: I don’t know, but I guess I should go talk to her about it….it’s really bothering me.
(Child 1 does not take the candy. She goes to talk to Angie.)
SKIT 3
Incorrect Way:
Big Sister: I can’t wait to eat this cake…I’ve been looking forward to this all day!
Little Sister: Me too…It’s my favorite kind!
Big Sister: There is only 1 piece left…let me cut it.
(Big Sister cuts the cake into 1 really large piece and 1 really small piece and gives Little Sister the really small piece)
Big Sister: Here you go, little sister….enjoy your cake.
Did the Big Sister treat her Little Sister with justice? What do you think she should have done?
Be just…even to your siblings! Yes….the same siblings that may get on your nerves. God calls us to be just….. all the time….. to everyone!
Correct Way:
Big Sister: I can’t wait to eat this cake…I’ve been looking forward to this all day!
Little Sister: Me too…It’s my favorite kind!
Big Sister: There is only 1 piece left… Why don’t I cut it and you can choose which piece you would like first?
Little Sister: ok.(she chooses which to eat) thanks!
Big Sister: yummmmmm!
Little Sister: yummmmmm!
SKIT 4
Incorrect Way:
Girl: I don’t want to give things up for Lent. I don’t want to say extra prayers tonight. I’m not going to do that.
Mom: Why?
Girl: Because I don’t feel like it.
Mom: Well, think of all the things you are thankful for….God gave you them. God wants us to follow his rules, because he wants to be close to us, and his first rule is to keep Him first. By saying more prayers and giving things up we are showing him respect and treating him with justice, which he is due. Jesus showed us the golden rule- treat others as you would want them to treat you.
Is the girl treating God with justice? What do you think she should have done?
-Point out – in church Father says Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord our God. What do we answer? It is Right and Just.
We should want to do it because it is the right thing to do, not because we don’t want to get in trouble.
Correct Way:
Girl: Why do we say extra prayers and give things up for Lent?
Mom: Well, think of all the things you are thankful for….God gave you them. God wants us to follow his rules, because he wants to be close to us, and his first rule is to keep Him first. By saying more prayers and giving things up we are showing him respect and treating him with justice, which he is due. Jesus showed us the golden rule- treat others as you would want them to treat you.
Girl: Oh, I remember we were talking about that in Little Flowers lately. Thanks mom! I really do want to do what is right and show God just how much I love him! He made me and I want to thank him and show Him how much I love Him.
I am so glad that I started this blog because I know in 4 years from now when I am stuck doing Justice, I'll be able to just pull this up and print it out. I will certainly be thanking Jessica again then!!
