Proclaiming justice. In biblical terms, the jubilee was understood as a year of the Lord's favor, a year for proclaiming, by words and deeds, the good news of justice, freedom and forgiveness. At the start of his ministry, when he first stood up in the synagogue, Jesus took the scroll and read: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to set the down trodden free; and to proclaim the year of the Lord 's favor."

Our office would like to assist Catholics in deepening their understanding of the meaning of justice. We will use both scripture and Catholic social teaching to emphasize the idea that justice means the restoration of right relationships.

Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. During Jubilee years, in the Catholic tradition the church emphasizes forgiveness. In the biblical custom, every fifty years was a "Sabbath of Sabbaths." It was a time when the earth was to be left fallow, when slaves were to be liberated, and debts were to be forgiven.

The Jubilee year, then, is a time of reminding ourselves that the earth and its fullness belong, in the final analysis, to God. It is a time of putting things in right order including our relationships to others, to the gifts of the earth and to material possessions. It is a time a focusing on the basic dignity and equality of all human beings before God, a time of relief of poverty, liberation of captives, and forgiveness of debt.

Restoring right relationships. The Jubilee year is a time of restoring social relationships so that they reflect the justice and shalom of God's covenant. This means not only restoring a more equitable distribution of material goods such as money and land, but also of social goods such as social capital, power, and influence. By working for this kind of reordering of relationships we can achieve the solidarity and the right relationships that constitute jubilee justice

The Office for Social Justice will be giving special attention to helping Catholics deepen their understanding of Catholic social teaching. Here are some of the ways we intend to do that:

• "Share the Secret" Campaign. This will be a year-long effort to help Catholics uncover "the Church's best kept secret" - Catholic social teaching. Working closely with the archdiocesan office of Catholic Education and Formation Ministries (CEFM), we will assist Catholic teachers and religious educators to learn more about Catholic social teaching and to integrate this teaching into educational programs and curricula. Our staff will also be available to help parishes with plans and activities related to Catholic social teaching.

• Catholic Justice Educators Network (CJEN). We have launched this ongoing network of teachers and educators who are committed to helping their schools and parishes improve the integration of Catholic social teaching into the curricula. Network members receive a news letter 3 times a year and are convened several times a year to share ideas and learn practical ways to infuse justice into the curricula of schools and religious education programs.

• Parish Resource Kit on Catholic Social Teaching. This tool assists parish staff and leaders in assessing how well Catholic social teaching is integrated into their educational programs and to offer them tips and resources on enhancing the social dimension of their curricula.

• OSJ Web site. Web users may read the Church's social teaching documents find selected quotations on key themes of the social teaching, suggested reading lists, tips and tools for educators, and a quiz on the church's social teaching. The web address is http://www.osjspm.org