“By common good is to be understood ‘the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.’ The common good concerns the life of all. It calls for prudence from each, and even more from those who exercise the office of authority. It consists of three essential elements: ...[it] presupposes respect for the person...the social well-being and development of the group itself ... [and] ... it requires peace, that is the stability and security of a just order.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1906-1909

We spoke in the previous lesson about how we are all a part of God’s family. Members of the Church, the Body of Christ, are called to communion. This communion is a mirror of God’s union with man. Therefore, it is important that we help one another to build up the “common good.” As we read in the Catechism quote, the common good is the sum total of social conditions which allow people to reach their fulfillment. This, of course, rests on the shoulders of people within our government who exercise the office of authority.

However, it is not just the government that has a say in how people are treated and who can reach their full potential. It is up to us as the Body of Christ to stand together and show the world how to treat one another. When we build the common good on earth, we are ultimately helping people reach the higher goal of Heaven. Think of the different saints you’ve learned about in church and school. People such as Pope St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) truly helped build God’s Kingdom on earth and in Heaven.