text: A preface to any year of the laity might well be "a year of the person".  One thought that needs honest reflection and definitive admission is that morality, ethics and justice - individual and social -  parallel religion yes, but are distinct.  Religions have co-opted the principles and imperatives, added their spin, elevated them to sectarian doctrine, thus reconstituting them as divisive rather than what unites all persons, adherence rather than responsibility.
  Civilization owes a debt of gratitude to the Catholic tradition as custodian, the "laboratory" and teacher, but it is time to re-establish the legitimate distinction between Jesus the teacher and Jesus the redeemer. 
  As Redeemer Jesus, we believe, has no precedent. As philosopher/teacher though, Jesus is in a direct line in the evolution of civilization.
  Unfortunately, the "cooptation" by church is at the point of the ridiculous. Ethics and morality have become tools of clericalism and, sadly, are suffering similar rejection