The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines justice as giving each his due, both to God and to men. That’s a pretty general definition, isn’t it?

It’s an interesting definition. Who knows what belongs to God? And who knows what belongs to man? However, the catechism goes further. He says that to God belongs piety, that is, our attention, and to man belongs an appropriate attitude. If we take a closer look at this definition, it is not even entirely Christian. It dates back to the Roman period.

Pope Benedict XVI in one speech he said that this definition does not determine exactly what is “own”, which must be ensured for everyone. He says that although material goods are useful and necessary, as far as justice is concerned, they do not fully give a person what he needs and what he deserves.

Man requires bread, but above all, he requires God and his presence in his life. Material goods are necessary, because even Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick. However, the justice of distributing to every one what belongs to him does not give the human being everything that belongs to him.

How should we live justice today, in 2024, so that one day Jesus can say about us that this is a righteous person?

Justice from the side of Jesus is a calling and one should grow in it. When we ask where we can learn it, it is enough to take the word of God. In the fifth to seventh chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us what is righteous. A person stands on God’s justice when he does not only what he must do but also what he could do.

Jesus said: “… you have heard that it was said, but I say to you…” God meant it differently: we are to cross the threshold of the law and go on.

For example, the well-known subject of divorce: You have heard that it was said that whoever divorces his wife gives her a certificate of divorce, that is fine, but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for fornication and marries another. Or to the Old Testament eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Jesus says that anyone who is angry with his brother will go to court.

When we look around, we see a lot of injustice everywhere. Many then ask: how can God look at this? Where is the justice?

The question of God’s justice is another topic that could be a separate conversation. But in short, we must realize that there is a sovereign will of God, what God determines to be just.

Nevertheless, many things happen that God does not approve of, but allows. He allows things to happen, even against his will.

I will give an example. Before the Passion, Jesus prayed that, if possible, this cup would pass from him. It was not fair that Jesus died, but God allowed it. After that comes the salvation of man. The matter of God’s justice is a serious but very broad question.

I would say that we will not be disappointed, but surprised. When we are with Love, it will also convict us of our injustice and we will admire God’s justice and how God meant it, how he drew this and that person to himself.

When we talk about God’s mills and that God’s justice will come, we often think of revenge. But God is not a God of vengeance. He invites man to repent and learn to live righteously.