10 December.  Ethics.  “Grandad do you really have a hundred sheep here on the farm?” George asked “and would you go searching for one that is missing?” “My child, I have much more than a hundred sheep and we do count them.  But things are different these days.  We know that stock theft is a very big problem. Some farmers have even given up because thieves steal all the time. I don’t know why people have become so dishonest and greedy and don’t respect other peoples’ property. It makes it hard to value anything.  Will it ever change again? ” Over dinner they had a serious discussion about Laudato Si, the common good, theft and ethical decay in general. Will there ever be genuine concern for the common good or only for self-interest, in every country and family too?   What role does poverty and “the cry of the poor” have in this? “

Scripture:  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray?  Mat 18:12-13.   Pope Francis: Ethically speaking, in conscience, and with an eye to the children who will pay for the harm done by the actions of those who don’t care, the question of meaning inevitably arises, “What is the meaning of my life and my time on earth? What is the meaning of all my work and effort? In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and a growing number of people are deprived of basic human rights the principle of the common good becomes a summons to solidarity and a preferential optionfor the poorest of our brothers and sisters. LS 158.  Reflect, share, and pray:  Crime and corruption of all kinds are rife everywhere today.  How strong are our ethical standards for ourselves and our children?