An abridged version of the U.S. bishops' Pastoral Reflection "Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst for Justice" appears in today's newsletter.  The original version appeared in 1998 and looked forward to the "New Millennium" in 2000.  By removing the now outdated wording at the beginning and end a very comprehensive vision for today's Catholics was preserved.
 

We want to draw attention particularly to these words from the Reflection:

Catholic social teaching calls us to practice civic virtues and offers us principles to   shape participation in public life. We cannot be indifferent to or cynical about the obligations of citizenship. Our political choices should not reflect simply our own interests, partisan preferences or ideological agendas, but should be shaped by the principles of our faith and our commitment to justice, especially to the weak and vulnerable. The voices and votes of lay Catholics are needed to shape a society with greater respect for human life, economic and environmental justice, cultural diversity and global solidarity. Catholic involvement in public life and legislative advocacy are important ways to exercise responsible citizenship.
 

This newsletter is guided by an ideal of promoting a higher quality of "public discourse" and of elevating "civil society".  We want to encourage efforts by our readers and the general public to seek out reliable information, weigh evidence, use their powers of reasoning and hold open and civil discussions of issues.
 

The newsletter will continue to avoid publishing material designed to influence people for or against any candidate for public office or any political party.  We will continue to make an earnest effort not to advance our own personal "interests, partisan preferences or ideological agendas".  We will also assume that our readers are fair-minded individuals and will respect their judgment.  We will try not to be timid about addressing controversial issues and not be deterred from the positive good we can do.
 

A case in point is the article, "Military Spending" in this newsletter.  For reasons of national security and also through various other motivations the Defense budget traditionally receives strong support from both political parties.  Because budgets are documents that reflect the moral sentiments of the population as a whole and particularly because the defense budget involves such huge amounts of money, it deserves more careful attention from the general public than it usually receives.  Today's article presents a highly controversial point of view and also relevant statements by Church leaders.
 

We also want to call attention to the link to a recording of the CRS webcast on "Reauthorization of the Farm Bill - What YOU Can Do to Prevent Hunger" in "Brief Links"
 

Comments about the newsletter or issues addressed are always welcome.  Write to socialjustice@catholicsofpleasanton.org.. 
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How do we connect worship on Sunday to work on Monday? How is the Gospel proclaimed not only in the pulpits of our parishes, but also in the everyday lives of Catholic people? How does the Church gathered on the Sabbath act as the People of God scattered and active every day of the week? How can we best carry the values of our faith into family life, the market place and the public square? How do we love our neighbor, pursue peace and seek justice in everyday choices and commitments?  Read on

 For Action Alerts for the California Legislature you are urged to keep watching CLN Alerts because bills are moved to different committees on a daily basis.

TransForm, advocates of world-class transportation and walkable communities
 

In the next week, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will approve a draft "Transportation Investment Strategy" for the region - which represents $277 billion in transportation spending over the next 28 years.
 

Right now, the draft Transportation Investment Strategy needs changes such as supporting dramatic improvements to BART and Muni; increasing low-income communities' access to jobs and services via public transportation; and investing in innovative ways to get more people walking, biking, and taking transit.
 

Email MTC now and urge them to make these changes before they approve the Strategy.
 

See Upcoming Events for public meetings in Oakland of the MTC May 11 & 17.