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Family,
That glorious quote in the title, and the bible passage it’s from communicate clearly God’s will, and let us know how important these are: justice and goodness.
“…let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream…”
(Amos chapter 5)
We’ve fallen prey to a lack of discernment in our actions and it’s seriously in our interest to consider the age-old adage: the ends don’t justify the means. We fall prey to this in our relationships, including in our parishes, at work, in our business/financial dealings, in our governments, and even our relationships with other nations. We must seek to be just—giving to others their due—and good, no matter the consequences. Unfortunately a lot of us think differently, thinking to ourselves: “we must pursue our agendas, no matter the consequences.”
“The ends don’t justify the means” is a saying that helps us to reason through our actions: no matter how good our goal is, we can’t get there through unjust or bad means. We not only have to look at what we seek, but how we do things.
For example, it’s obvious that wanting an abortion is evil since the object of our actions—the goal we seek—is a grave sin. But have we also considered that committing a sin for a good object is also evil, like robbing so that I can take care of my family? This is the type of shortcoming we, our societies, and our governments have fallen prey to. Not only can these include grave sins, but time shows us that these types of actions lead to disastrous consequences for us, so what are we actually achieving? And the Lord Jesus Himself gives us the most supreme warning: “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life” (Gospel of Matthew chapter 16)? In other words, He says, you’ve lost your life by what you have done; what have you really gained?
Cain and Abel, the first offspring of Adam and Eve, teach us the timeless lesson of having to control our passions and feelings. God didn’t accept Cain’s offering, but did accept his brother Abel’s (Genesis chapter 4). In a desire to feel better, we can argue—out of envy—Cain kills his brother. How many of us harm our brothers and sisters out of envy? In a desire to feel good—arguably a good end in itself, to be happy—and sometimes to not have to deal with healthy competition or stress, we get rid of the thing that causes us distress, even if it’s another human being, and even if God teaches us in the 5th commandment not to hurt our brother—through manipulation, emotional damage, word, deed, or the worst kind of deed, murder. He also teaches us in the 8th commandment not to gossip—making up lies about our brother (calumny), lying before a court for his condemnation (perjury), or needlessly sharing another’s faults or sins (detraction)—and it’s used for the same goal, to bring down our brother. And sometimes it can be out of revenge for something they did, but the same discernment applies: I don’t have a right to hurt my brother for any reason, even if they hurt me.
For clarification, this doesn’t include damage done by self-defense, but this is a delicate matter that requires discernment. If someone is attacking me, I am allowed to put a stop to it, but in measured fashion. The moment I go home and have time to think about it, I am no longer defending myself because the situation is over. If I then take action against someone when not in immediate danger, I am now attacking unjustly and hurting my brother in the way the Lord prohibits.
It’s also important that we clarify that lawful punishment isn’t in this same category as hurting our brother; some perpetrators of crimes will ask: “why are you trying to hurt me by reporting me to the police?” Penalties imposed by the justice system are lawful and are only as a consequence of crimes committed. And this is why it’s so important that our legal systems be fair, that the rights of all, especially to being fairly treated (due process), both of perpetrators and victims, be respected. And this is why there is an outcry whenever a corrupt court passes a verdict; we all know that it’s not just, but it’s used as a means to try to legitimize an immoral act of hurting another unjustly.
At work we sometimes have good goals—to get awards, to get ahead, to impress our bosses—but rely on evil means. We cheat, blame others, isolate others, take credit for others’ work, or act in other unjust ways.
In our business/financial dealings, we also sometimes act only in our best interests and those of people in our circle; we reward those close to us or with whom we have a history, and may not reward those who act humbly and meekly or aren’t as imposing to demand compensation, or those we know we can exploit because of their personal situations. But we must always remember God’s warning through Jeremiah against exploiting the vulnerable in the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow: “reform your ways and your deeds; …deal justly with your neighbor; if you no longer oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow…then will I let you continue to dwell in this place [the promised land]” (chapter 7). It’s important that we reward a day’s work, so that man may provide for himself and his family.
As societies and nations, we too act unjustly to seemingly get ahead. How often have we suspended due process to achieve our goals, or acted in gravely unjust ways? Think of the Japanese in the US in World War 2 who were sent to camps because of suspicion that they were trying to attack the US from within (National Archives), or the Jewish people—6 million—who were killed by the Nazis in Germany during World War 2 (National World War II Museum), or the African Americans who were excluded from white society in the 19th and 20th centuries in the US because of the color of their skin (History Channel). Think also of Christians persecuted everywhere because of their beliefs, like in Nicaragua, where the government severely restricts—and sometimes jails—Catholic clergy and people (National Catholic Reporter), or the illegal detention and torture the US perpetrated in Guantanamo Bay during the early 2000s during the US War on Terrorism (Human Rights Watch).
*Please be advised: Some readers may find some content disturbing in the following paragraph due to its graphic nature; please skip if preferred
We must recall God’s desire: let justice and goodness flow like a stream. The US, referred to above in many examples—even if the government say it’s for our safety—can’t act unjustly. And abroad, we have to act with measure. The Church reminds us about just wars: war is only and always a last resort, and for our defense—when aggression is lasting, grave, and certain (Catechism #2309). Think of how many people we radicalize through our actions. Even in an accidental bombing, mothers, fathers, children, can become severely injured, lose limbs, homes, private property. This will drive any person insane. Guantanamo Bay is also a disturbing example, where the US suspended the rights of suspected terrorists—and used torture to try to extract information (Human Rights Watch). Have we actually just created our own enemies, compromising our future peace and safety? (And my intention by no means is to criticize veterans or their families, who have sacrificed dearly for our country, even giving their health or lives, in recent combat situations initiated by the President or Congress. May God Bless our troops.)
The defense strategy we should strive for: vehement protection of the homeland and our assets, including digital assets; no prolonged conflicts, but one of necessary, strategic, and precise strikes where we take a foreign casualty due to collateral damage with as much weight as if it were a US citizen, and requiring these regulations of our allies. Besides this, we should promote good policies that lead to prosperity around the world so that people elsewhere can also have “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence). But of course, the measure to which we hold the US also applies to other countries: they too must be just and good in the treatment of their populations and other countries.
Family, God desires for us to be abundantly just and good—in our relationships, at work, in our business/financial dealings, and as societies and countries. Justice comes from giving others their due—not only in not having evil/sinful goals, but in discerning whether the steps we take towards our goals are sinful. Are we committing serious sin to get our way, achieve our goals, keep ourselves safe?
May God bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life,
Juan B
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Citations
Declaration of Independence, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
History Channel, “Segregation in the United States,” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/segregation-united-states. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
Human Rights Watch, “United Nations Finds that U.S. Has Failed to Comply with International Obligations at Guantanamo Detention Center,” https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/02/15/united-nations-finds-us-has-failed-comply-international-obligations-guantanamo. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
National Archives, “Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II,” https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
National Catholic Reporter, “Nicaragua intensifies crackdown on Catholic Church, exiles and human rights advocates say,” https://www.ncronline.org/news/nicaragua-intensifies-crackdown-catholic-church-exiles-and-human-rights-advocates-say. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
National World War II Museum, “The Holocaust,” https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/holocaust. Accessed 10 Jul 2026
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