CHRISTIAN

MORALITY

(RS 5)
 CONTENTS OF THE
COURSE
FIRST TRINAL
Lesson 1: Nature of Christian Morality and Beatitudes
Lesson 2: Natural Moral Law and Moral Conscience
(Assignments 1- 6)

SECOND TRINAL
Lesson 3: Moral Discernment, Virtue and Sin
Lesson 4: The Ten Commandments (Part-1)
(Assignments 7- 10)

THIRD TRINAL
Lesson 4: The Ten Commandments (Part-2)
Lesson 5: Social Justice and Social Teachings of the Church
(Assignments 11- 15)

Note: Your assignments should be done in written and be submitted to

your subject teacher or through your adviser. Your answer should be
minimum of one page and it can be done in a yellow pad (one whole), or
A4. (Each question is considered for one activity and so you need
answer each question in a separate paper. It is applicable to all
assignments except assignment number 7).
 INTRODUCTION

Brief Historical Background

In the beginning, there was no special area of theology, or Religious Studies, dealing
exclusively with morality that would address fundamental mutual relationships of the
human person. The early Church's moral teaching was shaped by the same essential
concern for the coming Kingdom of God.
Christians find themselves praying, reading the Scriptures, seeking to become
better persons, and wrestling with problems of daily life. Christian morality has been part
of Christianity since the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles. Until the sixteenth century,
bishops and theologians addressed moral matters as part of the whole cloth of Christian
teaching.
In more recent times, however, theology has developed a specialization in the
area of morals. The field of moral theology names that portion of theology that has
Christian morality as its subject matter. This specialization developed within the Catholic
tradition as part of the Roman Catholic Church's attempt to counteract the Protestant
Reformation. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) stressed the importance of the seven
sacraments, especially the sacrament of penance. Trent required each Catholic to confess
serious sins by kind and number. Moral theology was course of study in the seminary
designed to train the priest to administer the sacrament of penance.
Much of the distinctive form and content of the field of moral theology had been
determined by a practical concern for the administration of this sacrament. Each priest
needed to know not just the formalities of the practice, but had to be fully able to respond
to any question about whether or not a particular matter was sinful. Looking at the
practice of confession of sins from the penitent's perspective is helpful here. The penitent
comes to the priest having examined his/her own conscience. He/she is aware of having
committed certain acts which he/she knows to be sinful. Frequently, he/she may be in
doubt about something that is going to happen and seeks moral guidance from his/her
confessor. He/she expects the priest to be ready, willing and able to accurately and
immediately provide this guidance.

The course of study in moral theology was intended to prepare the priest for this
situation. For the four hundred years between the Council of Trent and the Second
Vatican Council, this course of study was usually contained in one work of several
volumes known as a "manual" of moral theology. Each manual was usually divided into
two parts: general moral theology and special moral theology. General moral theology
included topics, such as, nature of morality, an analysis of the human act, conscience,
law, and so forth, all in accord with the synthesis achieved by St. Thomas Aquinas in his
Summa Theologica. The greater part of a manual, however, was concerned with special
moral theology, an extensive discussion of the different kinds of sins in order to identify
which were grave (mortal) sins and which were not (venial sins).
To organize many issues of moral life, the manuals systematized sins in accord
with violations of the Ten Commandments or with the theological and cardinal virtues.
Within each topic a long list of typical cases was presented showing how to apply the
moral norms to each case. Each priest was expected to master the analysis and to be
able to respond in a consistent manner to a variety of penitents with all their possible
sins.
Moral theology has changed greatly since World War II and particularly after
Second Vatican Council. The course of study in seminaries has generally discontinued the
use of manuals. In addition, another major change in moral theology was due to
sociological change in setting. No longer is moral theology almost exclusively limited to
priests educating seminarians. Many moral theologians are now in universities. Today
they are challenged to educate undergraduates as well as seminarians. Moreover, the
ranks of professors of moral theology now include Catholic laity, both men and women,
with university degrees rather than seminary education and a church-licensed degree.
The goals of education in universities are quite different from those of seminaries.

General objectives of the course

Christian Morality addresses four basic reciprocal relationships of the human self
(material, Interpersonal, collective and transcendental) that form the norms for human
ethics and the process by which these norms are transformed into Catholic Moral
Theology through faith in the Crucified/Glorified Jesus as Transcendental Peace-Bringer
present in the Church and in the world.

These objectives would somehow guide, for Christians, to answer the following
fundamental questions in moral life.

1. What sort of person should one become as a believer of Christ?

2. What does a Christian do?
Two parts of Moral Theology or Christian Morality
There are two major parts in this course in which the students shall be immersed.

1. First is the General Moral Theology, which treats of the general

presuppositions of the moral act and the qualities with which every action
must be endowed in order that it may contribute to man's final goal. This includes,
first and foremost, the meaning and nature of Christian ethics, dignity of human
person, discernment, natural moral law, conscience, sin, the Beatitudes and
virtues.

2. Second, Ten Commandments: It is a Special or Specific Moral Theology,

which treats with human behaviours in the different spheres and situations of
human life as a moral problem that needs Christian moral guidelines and spiritual
discernment.

Assignment 1
What are the differences between Ethics and Morality?
(Answer within a table, Refer the differences between Moral Theology and Moral
Philosophy in Lesson 1 for model).

(As mentioned in the content page, each question of your

assignment is equal to one activity and so kindly answer each
question in a separate paper).
 LESSON 1

NATURE OF CHRISTIAN MORALITY AND BEATITUDES

Objectives:

At the end of the class, students are expected to:

• Define Moral Theology/Christian morality based on the teaching of the Church.

• Know the nature of Christian morality as a revealed morality.
• Link logic or critical thinking and Christian morality.
• Understand the four-sectors of moral theology (Christian morality)
• Reflect the responsive character of moral theology.
• Integrate the different models of Christian moral life.

Some writers distinguish ethics from morality by referring the former to theories while
the latter to praxis or practice. In a word, morality is the actualization of ethics. But
etymologically, there is no difference between ethics and morality. The word “ethics” is
derived the Greek word ethos which means custom. On the other hand, the word
“morality” comes from the Latin word mos or moris which also means customs. As cited
earlier, moral theology and Christian ethics are the same subjects dealing with Christian
morality.

Meaning of Christian morality

For Thomas Rausch Christian morality is “the beliefs and practices of Christians regarding
what is good and evil and what is right and wrong in their daily lives”. Bernard Haring
pursued his moral theology as the science of Christian life as “life in, with, and through
Christ”. For him, it is a science of the imitation of Christ, as the life in, with, and through.
Karl H Peschke, on the other hand, defines Christian Ethics as that pan of theology whose
object is the foundations, attitudes and guidelines which enable a person to attain his/her
final goal. He came up with this definition based on its common understanding in the
light of Christian faith and reason.

But since Christian Ethics is the same with Moral Theology that deals with Christian
morality, we will now borrow the language of Pope John Paul II in his encyclical letter
Veritatis splendor in defining such term as follows:

Moral Theology is a science which accepts Divine Revelation while at the

same time responding to the demands of human reason. It is a reflection
concerned with "morality", with the good and the evil of human acts and of the
person who performs them. It acknowledges that the origin and end of moral
action are found in the One who "alone is good" and who, by giving himself to
man in "Christ,” offers him the happiness of divine life (no. 29).

The above definitive presentation of Moral Theology (Christian Morality) gives us the
following important elements.

1. Moral Theology (Christian morality) is a science. This means, we study by

collecting new information and at the same time seeking new answers. As Michael
Pennock says “The more we learn about ourselves, the more we learn about what
is right and wrong.”

2. It is guided by Divine Revelation. This is God's personal loving communication

to us of who He is and His plan to save us all in His love. It is God reaching out to
us in friendship, so we get to know and love Him

3. It is concerned with morality. In other words, it is concerned with what ought

to be, that is judging right and wrong in the light of who we are.

4. It is rooted in Jesus Christ. This means, the standard criteria in determining the
morality of human act and of the person who performs them is Jesus Christ for He
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6).

5. It is a response. This means, it is a "YES" to the personal invitation of Jesus Christ

to love God and neighbour.

6. There is a process of reflection as well as an acknowledgment of Christ. This

makes also Christian ethics different from other sciences. Christian ethics,
therefore, is a thematic, systematic and reflective study of Christian morality.

7. Happiness of divine life is the ultimate goal. Christ claims that instead of
sensible satisfaction and many possessions, detachment (poverty of spirit),
meekness and compassion bring us true happiness. Instead of completely self-
centered activity, thirsting for justice for all and merciful forgiveness offer
authentic human interpersonal relationships.

Christian Morality: A Revealed Morality

Christian morality is a revealed morality because it is cantered on God's appeal to
mankind in Jesus Christ and proposed as such by the Church teachings, examples, and
the Person of Christ constitute a morality in all-inclusive sense. Christian morality
facilitates man on the level of responding to God's self-communication. It deals with the
human conduct in the light of revealed values in Christ. It connects man's ability to
respond, the ability to say yes to God's personal invitation in Jesus Christ.
Christian morality therefore is not limited just to man's preoccupation, his exercise
of rationality tending toward a natural end of self-flourishing. Christian morality proposes
God's own preoccupation for man and man's conscious choice of responding. Hence, it is
a dialogical life between God and man. It is said that man is called to human flourishing
or human perfection. And this is perfectly realized in Christ. Jesus Christ, with his whole
earthly life, is the Perfect Human Response to the Call of the Father. Jesus Christ
constitutes and clarifies both the Call and of the exemplary response for every man. Jesus
Christ is the Perfect Man, the Perfect Image of the Father, the Fullness of God's
Revelation.

The Logic for Christian Morality

In Christian morality, moral life is not considered just as a matter of conformity to the
human/rational structure, but a matter of conforming to the supernatural structure of
dialogical relationship with God. It is primarily a matter of interiorizing and concretization
of God's revealed values in Christ. Christian morality proposes and maintains the
inseparable linkage between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of human life. A
Christian moral life is therefore lived in sharing the fullness of God's own logic of Self-
Giving. God revealed himself perfectly in Jesus Christ in the Trinitarian Mystery, the
Revelation of Love. The Mystery therefore of the Incarnation is the Revelation of man's
assumption of humanity and his history, ending in God's act of giving himself: "Such as
the Father has loved me so I have loved you" (Jn 15:9). Christ's love for his Father is
identical with his love for men. With the centrality of Divine Revelation, Christian morality,
which falls on the level of Theological Enterprise, surpasses the short sightedness of just
human and natural moral philosophy.

Assignment 2
If a man lives totally isolated from other men, what could be the
consequences.

Moral Theology Distinguished from Moral Philosophy

While both Moral Theology (Christian morality) and moral philosophy, work for the
formation and education of a person's character and for the establishment of guiding
principles for the moral life, one can be distinguished from the other as follows.
 Moral Theology Moral Philosophy

It focuses on the foundational event of It focuses only on the insights of human

Divine Revelation in Jesus Christ who is reason which is grounded on the very
the perfect revelation of God as well as in nature of man
the Sacred Scripture, the Church, Sacred
Tradition, and in Sacraments

It deals with the supernatural goal of It deals with a merely natural goal of man.
man, which is the glory of God and eternal
life

It reflects and thematises personal It criticizes only the human acts in relation
experiences in relation to the reality of to the subjective goodness and values.
Christian faith and Gospel values

It belongs to the fourth theological zone Moral philosophy belongs to the third
of vitality and truth philosophical zone of vitality and truth

Four-Sectors of Moral Theology

How should one examine and judge what is good or bad standard in respect of Christian
morality? To answer this question moral theology lays down the principal sources of
Christian morality.

1. Sacred Scriptures — the sacred texts in the biblical writings are consulted
because it has a special sacred claim on the Christian community. They have
always been granted a prominent place in theological argumentation.

2. Sacred Tradition — The historical development of a doctrine or moral norm is

examined, with particular emphasis of course on its history within Christianity,
though its non-Christian history is by no means ignored. This represents the lived
wisdom of the Christian community.

3. Magisterium — the official teaching of the ecclesiastical magisterium and the

concrete praxis adhered to by the Church is studied (which can be considered a
particular instance of the historical development of a doctrine). Special authority
in this regard is given to the teachings of the councils and popes. Also, the recently
created national bishops' conferences possess a doctrinal authority of particular
weight, though not equal to that of the popes or councils.
 4. Signs of the times — this is the argument of reason or rational reflection on the
human experiences of the human community in light of a true human flourishing.
This form of argument should always be associated with the natural law doctrine.

Responsive Character of Christian Morality

The word responsibility here means "liability or accountability to give an answer for what
one has done." Man is, whether we like it or not, responsible to himself. It is a common
understanding that man is responsible to (SONG) self, others, nature, and God. Man is
responsible to his neighbours and to the various social groups, to which he belongs. He
is responsible to the future generations, e.g., when exploiting the natural resources. Man
has also cosmic responsibility for the world at large. Finally, man is answerable to God.

In the work of Fr. William J. Malley, S.J., The Dynamics of the Filipino and Human
Faith Experience (pp. 3-5), he identifies four belongings in which man has reciprocal
relationships outside of himself. Hence, man is responsible to these four belongings
which are the following.

1. Material belonging — This unites man in a reciprocal relationship with the material
universe of time and space and with all others

2. Interpersonal belonging — this refers to one's reciprocal relationship with other

human persons. The persons with whom one has the closest and most influential
interpersonal relationships, such as those within a closely knit family, are called
significant others

3. Collective belonging — This is the reciprocal relationship of man with the many
social groupings like family, community, nation and even the universal
brotherhood of the human race.

4. Transcendental belonging -- This one is the self's reciprocal relationship with the
ultimate source of all reality and intelligibility in the universe and human
experience. This means that man belongs to God.

The Ultimate Purpose of the Moral Demand

Karl Peschke gives the different views with regard to the ultimate goal of man and of his
activity.

1. Temporal happiness and welfare — this means that pleasure and happiness is the
only thing good in itself, while evil is what causes pain and sorrow. Thus,
consequence determines the goodness or badness of an action

2. Ethics of self-perfection and temporal progress — psychologically, this refers to

self-actualization and self-realization and promotes as the all-encompassing goal
of human life. But the morality of self-perfection is man-centred and, if promoted
 within the context of religion, leads to an anthropocentric orientation of religion.
Thus, it seems to be individualistic type, which is contrary to the views of the
Church, which is communitarian and fellowship with God.

3. Morality for its own sake — Actions are valued as good or evil according to their
contribution to the realization of the values of happiness, self-perfection or
temporal progress. This approach is relativism.

4. God's glory and kingdom — the ultimate purpose of man and all creation is the
glory of God. Biblical texts in the Old Testament say, "Let them give glory to the
Lord, and declare his praise" (Is 42:12; Jer 13:16; Mal 22); "Everyone who is called
by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made" (Is 43:7).
In the New Testament, it was also the concern of Jesus Christ about glorification
of the Father in heaven. (Jn 8:49; 15.8; 17:4; Lk 2:14). St. Paul earnestly urge
the Christians, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory
of God" (1 Cor 10:31; Eph 1:12; Col 3:17); "To our God and Father be glory for
ever and ever" (Phil 4:20; Eph 3:20 1 Tim 1:17; Jud 25).

5. Salvation — the motive of obeying God's commandment is man's salvation. In the

Old Testament, salvation is often understood as a liberation from temporal
afflictions, but it also constitutes an eschatological promise. In the New
Testament, Christ has come into the world for the salvation of all. He has come to
save the lost (Lk 19:9f; Jn 5:34; 6:39f), to save the world and not to condemn it
(Jn 3:17; 12:47). Christ "will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21).

Models of Christian Moral Life

Richard McBrien (Catholicism, pp. 921-923) proposed three different models of the
Christian moral life in the theological literature: the teleological, the deontological, and
the relational.
The teleological model views the Christian moral life in terms of the goal or
end (Greek — "telos" which means goal) to be achieved, namely, eternal union with
God. Something is good if it leads to the achievement of the goal, and evil if it prevents
one from achieving it. In the complexity of human historical existence, however, one
must distinguish the ultimate goal from immediate and subordinate goals. Thomas
Aquinas is a classic exponent of the teleological model of the Christian life .
Modern utilitarian also fit under this heading.
The deontological model views the Christian moral life primarily in terms of
duty (Greek — “deon" which means duty), law, or obligation. The categorical imperative
of Immanuel Kant is an example of that approach ("Acts as if the maxim from which you
act were to become through your will a universal law"). Popular Christian piety, in effect,
adopts this approach also when it makes the Ten Commandments the basis of the moral
life. Although the traditional manuals of moral theology assumed they were in the
tradition of Thomas Aquinas (whose approach was teleological), they were really
operating within the deontological model, with their heavy emphasis on law as the
objective norm of morality and on conscience as the subjective norm.
The relational model, developed especially in the writings of Bernard Haring,
views the Christian moral life primarily in terms of the Christian's multiple relations with
God, neighbour, world, and self. Although preferable to the teleological and deontological
models, the relational model does not exclude some place for them in moral theology.

Contemporary biblical studies indicate that it is the relational model that is the
primary in the Christian moral life. The ethical concept in the Old Testament is not
actually law but covenant. In the New Testament, love occupies the central place. In
fact, the nature of the Holy Trinity is relational. Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of
Reconciliation includes relationships with God, neighbour, world, and self.

Assignment 3

When did you start to know about what is right and wrong? and
what are the basis of your judgment?

BEATITUDES

A. The Image and Likeness of God

• The divine image is present in every man. It shines forth in the communion of
persons, in the unity of the divine persons among themselves.

• The likeness denotes - our nature, means we think, feel, love and desire like God.
The image denotes our physical appearance.

• Man is divided in himself. As individual self and social self.

B. Desire and Longing for Happiness

• Man is obliged to follow the moral law, which urges him "to do what is good and
avoid what is evil" (cf. GS 16). This law makes itself heard in his conscience.

• Man, having been wounded in his nature by original sin, is subject to error and
inclined to evil in exercising his freedom.

• He who believes in Christ has new life in the Holy Spirit.

C. The Desire for Happiness
The Beatitudes are the solution for our happiness. The Beatitudes are at the heart of
Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham.
The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession
of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses....).
Beatitudes

• Mt 5: 3- 12.

• The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. Because God has
placed in the human heart. We all want to live happily.

• The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence. God calls us to his own
beatitude. This vocation is addressed to each individual personally, but also to the
Church as a whole.

What are the Beatitudes?

Beatitudes are the moral teachings of Jesus (Mt 5: 3-12).
Why are the Beatitudes important?
Beatitudes are important because they fulfill the promises of God. They show us how
was Jesus. They tell us which are the actions, attitudes and characteristics of the
Christian life. They point out our goal: eternal happiness.
What is the relationship between the Beatitudes and our desire for happiness?
We become happy when we live the Beatitudes.
What is eternal happiness?
To enjoy contemplating God in eternal life. To love God above all things.

The Effects of the Beatitudes

• The Beatitudes teach us the final end to which God calls us: The Kingdom, the
vision of God, participation in the divine nature, eternal life, divine filiation, rest in
God.

• The Beatitudes confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods; they
purify our hearts in order to teach us to love God above all things.

• The beatitude of heaven sets the standards for discernment in the use of earthly
goods in keeping with the law of God.
Man’s Freedom
What is freedom?

It's the power given by God to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.
It's the possibility of choosing between good and evil.

What is the relationship between freedom and responsibility?

Freedom makes people responsible for their actions. Responsibility for an action can be
diminished or cancelled by: ignorance (of doing something wrong), inadvertence (not
being aware of doing something wrong), violence (being forced to do something), fear
(to act being afraid of what others may do or say), inordinate attachments (being guided
by desires) or habit, psychological and social factors.

Why does everyone have a right to exercise freedom?

Everyone have a right to exercise freedom because it is attached to our human dignity.
This right must always be respected, recognized and protected.

Definition of Freedom
• Freedom is the power to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform
deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own
life.

• The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. The true freedom exists
in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an
abuse of freedom and leads to the slavery of sin.

Definition of Responsibility
• An action can be indirectly voluntary when it results from carelessness regarding
something one should have known or done: for example, an accident arising from
ignorance of traffic laws.

• Thus, the Lord asked Eve after the sin in the garden: "What is this that you have
done?" [Gen 3:13] He asked Cain the same question. [Cf. Gen 4:10] The prophet
Nathan questioned David in the same way after he committed adultery with the
wife of Uriah and had him murdered [Cf. 2 Sam 12:7-15].
Freedom and Sin
Man's freedom is limited and fallible. In fact, man failed. He freely sinned. By refusing
God's plan of love, he deceived himself and became a slave to sin. This first alienation
caused a multitude of others. From its beginning, human history proves the misery and
oppression born of the human heart in consequence of the abuse of freedom.

Threats to Freedom
The exercise of freedom does not mean a right to say or do everything. Moreover, the
economic, social, political, and cultural conditions that are needed for a just exercise of
freedom but they are too often violated. Such situations of blindness and injustice injure
the moral life and involve the strong and weak temptation to sin against charity. By
deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within
himself, cut off neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine truth.

Liberation and Salvation

By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the
sin that held them in bondage. The Holy Spirit has been given to us in order to teach us,
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" [2 Cor 17].

Freedom and Grace

The grace of Christ is a gift when freedom accords with the sense of the true and the
good. We experience in our prayer we are ready for grace. The more we grow in inner
freedom and confidence during trials, the more we become human. The Holy Spirit also
educates us in spiritual freedom in order to make us free collaborators in his work in the
Church and in the world.

Assignment 4

1. List out some of your responsibility as a student?

2. List out some of your responsibility as a Citizen?

3. List out some of your responsibility as a member of your family?

 LESSON 2

NATURAL MORAL LAW AND MORAL CONSCIENCE

Objectives:

At the end of the class, the students are expected to:

• Locate the biblical proof texts of natural law.
• Classify laws.
• Define natural law.
• Learn the functions of moral law.
• Know the basic properties/nature of natural law.
• Identify the basic principles of natural law.
• Learn the meaning of conscience.
• Compare the secular understanding and ecclesial teaching of conscience .
• Know the process of forming the conscience.
• Identify the causes of source of errors of judgment
• Discuss the relationship between moral and psychological conscience.
• Discuss the relationship between moral discernment and moral conscience.
• Distinguish formation of conscience from education of conscience.

Definition of Norm or Law

A norm or law is an ordinance of reason promulgated by a competent authority for the

sake of the common good. This, therefore, gives us the elements of a law.

1. Law is reasonable decision i.e., prudent and with purpose, not an unpredictable whim;
2. promulgated: communicated with sufficient notice to its subjects while respecting
their rights and dignity;

3. by competent authority: i.e., by those who have legitimate power to do so; and

4. for the common good: for the social betterment of its subjects.
Classification of law
Laws can be classified according to the manner of its promulgation. Thus, they are,

A. Natural law — this law is promulgated impliedly in our conscience and body. They
can be.
a. Natural moral law — which applies to our higher faculty, like "Do good and avoid
evil."

b. Law of nature — which applies to both our higher and lower faculties, like the
"Law of gravity."

B. Positive law — this law is promulgated expressly or directly. Thus, positive law
can be,

a. Divine Positive Law — they are the Ten Commandments, and the Law of Christ
which is the Law of Love.

b. Divine Human Positive Law — these are the ecclesiastical laws of the Church,
like the 1983 Code of Canon Law and other liturgical laws.

c. Human Positive Law — these are the laws of the State, like Presidential
Decrees, Republic Acts, Executive Orders, Ordinances, etc.

The Moral Law

The Moral Law is a work of divine Wisdom. It prescribes the ways and the rules of
conduct that lead to the promised beatitude and it forbids the ways that turn away from
God. Moral norms, based on a moral vision comprising basic moral values, express the
objective standard for judging moral good and evil.

Functions of Moral Law

Moral norms are indispensable for moral life. They,

1. Provide the objective criteria for our conscience to judge what is morally good or
evil;

2. Help our moral development, especially in the formation of our conscience;

3. Offer the needed moral stability in our lives;

 4. Challenge us to stretch for an ideal beyond our limited experience, and correct
our personal moral misconceptions in the process.

Catholic Catechism on Natural Law

In Catholic morality, natural law means the sum of the rights and duties which follow
directly from the nature of the human person, endowed with reason and freedom, not
to be confused with social norms and conventions, nor with public opinion, nor with
civil law (CCC 1954-60). It is a participation in God's wisdom and goodness by man
formed in the image of his Creator. It expresses the dignity of the human person and
forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.

Christian moral tradition has developed another type of law called the "natural law"
that is (three basic convictions):

1. Grounded in our very nature as human persons created by God

2. Supporting universal objective moral values and precepts, and

3. Knowable by all persons using their critical reason, independent of their religious
affiliation.

Fundamental Aspects of Natural Law

1. As real: morality is based on reality, not just on commands as the legal

positivists hold. Moral life means doing the good, not just blindly following
law.

2. It is experiential because it directly concerns our relationships with

ourselves, with others, and with society,

3. It is historical since our human nature is involved in the historical process of

our self-becoming growth.

4. It deals with the specific nature and consequences of our free acts, and
therefore,

5. It is basically personal since it is grounded in the human person's nature.

Nature and Properties of Natural Law

1. It is Unwritten
What is meant is rather constant tendency; the built is directedness, rather than a
written code. Metaphorically, God has inscribed this law into our hearts. This imprinting
in the heart only means that human beings have been given the radical capacity for
self-reflection and thereby can discuss how they should act in particular situations. It
results from conceptualization bound to the essential inclination of being, of living
nature and of reason which are at work in man.

2. It is Universal
The primary principles of natural law are those, which even/ person with reason can
discover in his life. They are called self-evident principles derived from his personal
existence.

The secondary principles of natural law are those, which are further developed
set of forms based on the primary principles, and hence not as self-evident as the first.

The first principle represents the human nature, the human essence. The
secondary principle refers to man's relations.

The universality of natural law refers to the principle of our humanity itself. All
people have the fundamental orientation to seek what is good and avoid what is
destructive.

3. It is Immutable
The immutability of natural moral law means that certain fundamental norms concerning
the life of man such as good and evil emerge from his nature and will exist as long as
he exists. The following are self-evident inclinations/orientation of man:

1. The inclination to the good

2. The inclination to self-preservation;

3. The inclination to sexual union and the rearing of offspring;

4. The inclination to knowledge of searching for complete story regarding

human life; and

5. The inclination to live in society.

4. It is Indispensable
No man can be dispensed from observing or following the natural law. Bonum est
faciendum, malum est vitandum — the good must be done and evil avoided.

Basic principles of Natural Law

1. Maintain and promote your bodily life.

2. Maintain and promote social existence.

3. Duties of state of life (parental duties)

4. Lawful authority, parents and elders must be obeyed

5. Follow the Golden rule

6. Leave to everyone and give to everyone what is his.

7. Contract must be honoured.

While written formulations of law may contain exemptions and exceptions, yet the
natural law itself excuses no one.

Assignment 5

1. Give some evidences from the Bible, how is that the man and
woman have same dignity?

2. How do you see the dignity of human person in the story of Abel
and Cain?

3. List out some ways for the right use of the freedom?
Moral Conscience
Catholic faithful have an obligation to develop a well-formed conscience in accord with
human reason and the teaching of the Church. However, conscience should not allow us
to do whatever we want, and justify them by simply invoking our freedom to conscience.
But what is really conscience? What if our conscience is in conflict with the teaching of
the Church? Which one must prevail?

Conscience in the Sacred Scripture

The word conscience does not occur in the Old Testament, except in the Book of Wisdom
(17:11), and in the Book of Psalms (16:7) Good News Bible version. But its reality
occurred in different ways like mind and heart, and justice, Exegetes said that the main
reason is the conviction that God and man directly confront one another. Likewise, in the
New Testament the four evangelists do not mention the word conscience in the many
teachings of Christ. But Paul used the word conscience many times in his letters. Some
of which are the following 2 Cor 1M2; 4:2; 5:11; Rom 2:15; 9:1; 135; 1 Cor 8:7-13; 2
Tim 1:3; Tit 1:15

Secular understanding of conscience

There are different understandings of conscience outside Christian theology. Ancient

people spoke of "heart" and "loins" as the innermost nature of man with reference to
responsibility and morality. For Immanuel Kant, conscience is the "interior court of justice
in man." For Sigmund Freud, conscience is the "superego," which is a set of demands
and habits learned from parents and from society, which require the individual to live and
act according to prescribed rules and standards. The 20 th century philosophers such as
M. Schdeler, N. Hartmann, M. Heidegger, K. Jaspers see conscience as the "call of care,"
or the "voice of being", which voice speaking to man is the man himself. Psychologist
Carl Gustav Jung understands conscience as the "self." He also described it as the "court
of appeal.”

Conscience in Christian Theology

However, Christian theology viewed conscience in different ways. St. Thomas Aquinas,
in the 13th century, used the term "synderesis" for the core of conscience as a "habitus
of reason," as the innate remnant awareness of absolute good. He regarded conscience
as God-given reason attempting to make right decisions. He used "conscience in relation
to the virtue of prudence to explain why some people appear to be less morally
enlightened than others, their weak will being incapable of adequately balancing their
own needs with those of others.
 For St. Augustine, conscience is the place of the innermost encounter between God and
man, and therefore the voice of God. Bonaventure and the great mystics of the Middle
Ages place the innermost ground of conscience in the " scintilla animae" the spark of the
soul. Recent theologians generally place conscience in the ground of the soul, which is a
tradition also of the Franciscan school.

Second Vatican Council

Paragraph 16 of Gaudium et spes has definitive presentation of conscience as follows:
"In the depths of our conscience, we detect a law which does not impose,
but which holds us to obedience. Always summoning us to love good and
avoid evil, the voice of conscience, when necessary, speaks to our heart:
do this, shun that. For we have in our heart a law written by God; to obey
it is the very dignity of being human; according to it we will be judged.
Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a person. There we
are alone with God, whose voice echoes in our depths. In a wonderful
manner, conscience reveals that law which is fulfilled by love of God and
neighbour. In fidelity to conscience, Christians are joined with the rest of
humanity in the search for truth, and for the genuine solution to the
numerous problems, which arise in the life of individuals from social
relationships. Hence, the righter conscience holds sway, the more persons
and groups turn aside from blind choice and strive to be guided by the
objective norms of morality. Conscience frequently errs from invincible
Ignorance without losing its dignity. The same cannot be said for those
who care but little for truth and goodness, or for a conscience which by
degrees as a result of habitual sin."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "conscience is a judgment of reason
whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is
going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he
says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right"
(no. 1778).

Types of Conscience
Many different categories are used to describe the exercise of conscience, but the most
functional is.

1. "Correct' conscience corresponds to objective moral values and precepts,

2. "Erroneous" conscience, one which mistakenly judges something as morally good

which is objectively evil ( Catechism for Filipino Catholics 727).
Erroneous conscience, due to ignorance, can be vincibly or invincibly. The vincibly
erroneous conscience is culpable, because with some good will its error could be
corrected. In other words, the ignorance could still be overcome by a person's
reasonable effort. In this case, the person is morally accountable for his actions.
Invincibly erroneous conscience, on the other hand, is in culpable, since the person has
no awareness of the possibility of error. In other words, the ignorance could not be
overcome even by a person's sincere effort which, therefore, the person is not morally
accountable for his or her actions.

Different views on the erroneous conscience

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) believed that the root of sin was ignorance. For him,
actions contrary to the law and its teaching, even though done out of ignorance are bad.
Thus, if we told a lie, regardless of our motivation, we sinned. For Peter Abelard (1079-
1142), the will, or consent, determines actions as good or bad. If we are in error, but we
do not consent to it, there is no sin, example is, telling a lie in order to protect the life of
a person. For Thomas Aquinas, the determining factor is knowledge. Thus, if the person
never heard that all lies were wrong then lied to protect some, the person is excused.
For William of Ockham (+1350), adopting Thomas argument, said that one who exercises
the conscience responsibly, even if it is erroneous, receives merit. Ockham recognized
that ignorance is sometimes blameworthy and also the goodness of an erroneous
conscience acting in good faith For Alfonso Liguori (+1787), patron saint of moral
theologians, if a person acted out of love or charity when committing error, then not only
is the person excused, but the person is good. In 1953, Francis Connell, the Dean of
Catholic University in Washington, D.C., wrote that if a person acts out of an erroneous
conscience, though the action is certainly not per se willed by God, "God will reward him
for sincerely following his conscience.”

The Church today teaches that to judge the good or evil act, our consciences must
decide on its three essential aspects:

1. The nature or object of the act,

2. Our intention as agents or doers of the act, and

3. The circumstances, which affects the morality of the act (CFC 728).
Formation of Conscience
Our conscience is not something "automatic." It is something shaped through all the
many and complex factors that enter into our growth to Christian maturity (CFC 704).
Our consciences are formed gradually through the natural educational agents of our
family upbringing, our school training, parish catechesis, the influence of friends and
social contracts (CFC 725). A "Christian conscience" is formed gradually in faith and
through personal and ecclesial prayer-life:

1. By attending to the Word of God and the teachings of the Church,

2. By responsiveness to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and

3. By critical reflection on our concrete moral choices and experiences of daily life
(CFC 726).

In this process, we need to apply our heart factors and mind factors. The "heart factors"
is one which includes reading and prayerful reflection on Jesus' teaching and actions, and
our own prayer and sacramental life, always asking ourselves "What is Jesus/God saying
to me?" The "mind factors" is the deepening in understanding of Sacred Scripture and
Church teaching on moral principles (CFC 707). Thus, a question can be asked, "How can
I apply this teaching or guidance in my life today?"
Christians must be aware of the following sources of errors of judgment in moral conduct:

1. Ignorance of Christ and His Gospel

2. Bad example given by others

3. Enslavement to one's passions

4. Assertion to a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience

5. Rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching

6. Lack of conversion and of charity

But what if the dictate of our conscience is different from the teaching of the Church?
The presumption is always in favour of the magisterium. Though, pastors are not always
experts to every problem which arises, the layman, in making his own decision, must
be sure that his conscience is properly formed and informed. The Church teaches that

"In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ,
and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a
 religious assent of soul. This religious submission of will and of mind
must be shown in a special way to the authentic teaching authority of
the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra. "

Moral conscience and psychological conscience

1. Moral conscience and psychological conscience are actually related in the moral-
decision-making process.

2. Moral conscience presupposes psychological conscience although psychological

conscience does not need moral conscience. Moral conscience is conceived to have
given the understanding proper to the moral discernment of believers.
Psychological conscience is thought not to be conveyor of the unconditional and
decisive appeal of God.

3. Objective moral standard would make sense when the human person has a well-
developed sense of subjectivity.

4. Psychological consciousness and moral conscience must go together upon which

personal moral responsibility rests.

Moral conscience and moral discernment

Moral conscience and moral discernment are also related in the moral decision-making
process.

1. Discernment is necessary in making moral choices which bring about self-

realization consistent to the call of God. Discernment plays a vital role in the moral
decision-making process. It connotes a graced ability to detect what is the
appropriate response to the invitation of God.

2. Moral conscience is above all a form of discernment, a concrete moral discernment.

3. Discernment depends on the proper integrity and openness of moral conscience

to the prompting of the Spirit.
Formation of conscience and education of conscience

Formation of conscience is not the same with education of conscience. One should be
distinguished from the other, as follows.

1. Knowing the moral law is called the education of conscience, but the training of
mind and will to become submissive to the moral law is called formation of
conscience.

2. Moral conscience is sufficient and safe guide only when it is well educated and well
formed.

3. Moral conscience must be constantly educated and formed in order to serve the
truth and in order to commit always to what is good.

Integral interconnection

There is integral interconnection between the moral life and liturgy, sacraments, prayer,
and scripture in the moral living. Since Christian ethics is rooted in Christ, we can
encounter Him through symbols or signs which manifests his presence. Jesus Christ is
the Primary Sacrament; the Church is the Fundamental Sacrament, and the seven
sacraments are encounters with Jesus Christ in the Church at key moments of our life.

The Morality of Human Act

Freedom makes man a moral subject. When a man acts deliberately, he is the father of
his acts. The human acts can be morally evaluated. They are either good or evil.

Sources of Morality
What does the morality of human acts depend on?

❖ The chosen object (what is done)

❖ The intention of the subject (the purpose of the action)
❖ The circumstances of the act (elements which accompany the action).

When is an act morally good?

When the object, the end and the circumstances are simultaneously good. The end does
not justify the means. Circumstances never make good a bad act.
Human Acts
The object chosen morally specifies the will of the act, the reason recognizes and judges
it. But it can be or cannot be in agreement with the true good.

Good and Evil Acts

A morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the
circumstances together. An evil corrupts the action, even if the object is good (such as
praying and fasting in order to be seen by men).

The Summary of Moral Conscience

What is conscience?

It is a judgment of reason which leads to do good and to avoid evil.

What is the relationship between the moral conscience and the human dignity?

The dignity of a human person needs a right moral conscience. No one may be forced to
act against his conscience.

How is a moral conscience formed to be upright and truthful?

The moral conscience is upright and truthful when follows what is just and good. The
moral conscience is formed by: education, the Word of God, the teaching of the Church,
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the advice of wise people, the prayer, and the examination of
conscience.

What norms must conscience always follow?

You cannot do bad things in order to get good things.

Respect the others and their conscience.

Must we always obey conscience?

We must never go against the judgments of our conscience. But conscience can be
ignorant and can make false judgments. This is why we must work to correct our errors.
Passions
What are the passions?

Passions are feelings, emotions and movements of the senses. They are a natural part
of the human person. The most important are love, hatred, desire, fear, joy, sadness,
anger.

Are the passions morally good or bad?

They are neither good nor bad in themselves. They are good when they contribute to a
good action and they are evil when they tribute to an evil end.

Assignment 6

List out few examples of passions that lead you to do good?

 LESSON 3
MORAL DISCERNMENT, VIRTUES AND SINS

Objectives:
At the end of the class, the students are expected to:
• Identify the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
• Learn the meaning and purpose of discernment.
• Consider the negative criteria in the discernment of spirits.
• Know the rules of the discernment of spirits.
• Familiarize the process in the discernment of spirits.
• Know the virtues and the ways to lead a virtuous life
• Aware of immoral acts or sins

Though discernment of spirit is closely related to the virtue prudence, let us have just a
separate chapter on this because Christian morality actually involves so much work of
discernment. Through this spiritual process, we may be able to be in communion with
the Church in terms of moral teachings. Men and women should be open to the guidance
of the Holy Spirit for it is God alone who absolutely knows the concrete nature and
purpose of mankind and creation. When confronted with moral problems and the insights
of reason come to end the Holy Spirit, through his inspiration, moves that person to
choose which way or thing God wants him or her to go or to do. Hence, there is a need
to consider all things as subordinate to our relationship with God and to integrate them
all into our love of God. How can we do that? It is through the spiritual process of
discernment. But how do we know that the decision we make comes from God or from
just other natural source?

St. Paul names the manifestation of spirit to each individual, which is discernment
of spirits (1 Cor 12:10). He writes to the Thessalonians, "Test everything; retain what is
good. Refrain from every kind of evil" (1 Thess 12:21f). He further said, "Do not conform
yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a
complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God — what is
pleasing to him and is perfect." (Rom 122).

St. John also warns, "Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see
whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
(1 Jn 4:1).
 Richard McBrien, in his work Catholicism (p. 975), gives the reasons why it is never
easy to discern the spirits.
1. The Spirit itself is invisible and transcendent.

2. We are prone to rationalize in our own favour.

3. Many issues are complicated and do not admit ready solutions.

Response to the spirit can never be absolutely certain. Thus, it is helpful to consider the
following negative criteria in the discernment of spirits, according to McBrien.

1. If the discernment process does not issue forth in the classic "fruits" of the Spirit—
love, joy, peace, patient, endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity
(Gal 522-23), it is probably not "of the Spirit."

2. If the discernment process leads to the doctrinal or moral positions, which are clearly
inconsistent with the doctrinal tradition of the Church and/or with recognized norms of
biblical and theological scholarship, it is probably not "of the Spirit."

3. If the discernment process intensifies the isolation and even spiritual eccentricities of
those involved in it rather than enhancing the life of the whole Body of Christ (Eph 4:15-
16), it is probably not "of the Spirit."

4. If the discernment process ignores pertinent information, rejects the counsel of others
who have knowledge and experience in the matter at hand, and formulates its judgments
by imposition rather than by corporate reflection, it is probably not "of the Spirit."

Rules for the discernment of spirits

Karl H. Peschke lays down the following rules for the discernment of spirits.

1. God always works in peace and usually slowly.

2. Enlightened discernment usually needs the help of objective evaluation by others.

3. The workings of the good spirit are discerned by the good results which ensue
and the workings of the false spirits by the evil results.

4. For Christians in particular a basic criterion for the discernment is a person's love
for Christ.

5. A last criterion finally is the bond with the community of faith.

What is Discernment?

Discernment is a process of spirituality that comes from authentic Christian prayer and
worship concerning moral and spiritual decision making through (STOP) Searching,
Thinking, consultation with Others and Prayer that would contribute to the formation of
a basic relevant vision with the use of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church.

In a word, in the process of discernment the prayer would be:

"Our Father, let what you want be done, and be
done in me and in everyone.”

A. SEARCH

The S in the STOP sign stands for Search. We should always begin our process of
deciding what is right and wrong by searching out the facts. There are questions that
help disclosing reality — they are reality revealing questions, such as what, why, when,
where, who, and how.

An excellent starting point in moral decision-making is to know WHAT you are

talking about. What is it you propose to do? For example, suppose a person is involved
in an unwanted pregnancy and is contemplating an abortion. Certainly, before that
person should rush into an abortion, she would be wise to know what an abortion is,
she would be prudent to realize some basic facts about a fetus. Hence, the beginning
point for any discussion of a moral decision must always be what. It is an important
"reality" question because without an answer to it, a person cannot proceed, a person
does not know what he or she is deciding. Discovering the what sometimes takes work,
but it is necessary groundwork for determining right and wrong.

WHY is an extremely important question to ask because it gets at the motives of

the person performing the action. Motives can make all the difference in morality, for
example, killing. What was the motive of killing? Was it done because the person wanted
revenge? Or was it done in self-defence as a last resort to protect one's own life?
WHO is another thing that we should consider in judging moral cases because
people involved in the situation often play a significant role in determining right and
wrong. For example, taking shabu or drugs is what to consider. But the bus driver (the
who) "taking up the shabu or drugs" will greatly affect the quality of one's judgment of
that what. It stands to reason that you would not want a bus driver to get high while
driving and entrusted with the lives of other people.
WHERE is not always a significant factor. But place can often affect the morality
of an action. For example, Target practice with a caliber 22 gun is all right as long as I
confine it to a practice range. A reasonable person would not say that a crowded bus
constitutes a practice range.
WHEN Timing need not always be a key fact. For example, if I would rob
at 1 A.M. or 1 P.M., it's still an offense.
The HOW refers to the means used to bring about the desired action.
Traditionally, in Catholic morality, the principle that should be considered in solving
moral problems is "The end does not justify the means." Thus, you cannot directly do
something that is evil in order to bring about the good effect you are hoping for.

B. THINK
The T in the STOP sign means Think. After searching out the basic facts of particular
moral cases, it is necessary to reflect more deeply on them before making a decision.
This deeper reflection includes two very important steps: 1) considering alternatives to
the proposed action; 2) reflection on the consequences of the action.
For example, live-in relationship out of marriage, which is immoral. Some couples do not
go to Church for their marriage because it's too expensive. But the Church has actually
marriage schedules for community wedding where the couple do not have to pay so
much.

C. Consultation with OTHERS

The O sign in the STOP stands for consultation with Others. One undeniable fact about
human life is that humans are social beings. We are dependent on others for our very
life, for our education, for our employment, for most aspects of everyday living. We are
beings who live for others; moreover, the Christian believes that we live for others as
well. Part of the reflection on the consequences of our actions is a serious consideration
of how they will affect other people. Secondly, because we are social beings, it is often
prudent to ask for and reflect on the advice of others.

D. PRAY
The P sign in the STOP signifies Prayer, which is a powerful way to get God's help in
searching out his will for us. Jesus Christ assures his disciples that when two of you join
your voices on earth to pray for anything, it shall be granted to you by the Father in
heaven (Mt 18:19). Prayer may also be in the form of reflection and meditation.
 THE VIRTUES
What are the virtues?

Virtues are permanent and solid tendency to do good. They regulate our actions, control
our passions and guide our conduct. We got them repeating good acts.

What is the principal human or cardinal virtues?

4: Prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

What is prudence?

Prudence helps us to discern the good and guides to choose the right means for achieving
it.

What is justice?

To give to God and neighbours their due.

What is fortitude?

The strength in difficulties (temptations, fear) and constancy in the pursuit of good.

What is temperance?

It is the self-control over the attraction of pleasures and it teaches us a balance in the
use of created goods.

What are the Evangelical counsels?

3: Poverty, Chastity and obedience.

What is Poverty?

It is to love poor Jesus and to live very poor and simple austere life.

What is Chastity?

It is to love the chaste Jesus by living the celibacy life and accept Jesus as our spouse
and live single.

What is Obedience?

It is to love the Jesus who was obedient to his parents in Nazareth and was doing the
will of God until his death and resurrection.
What are the theological virtues?

Theological virtues give us the capacity to live in a relationship with God and to improve
the human virtues. There are three theological virtues. Namely, Faith, hope and charity.

What is faith?

It is a free gift of God by which we believe in God and all that he has revealed, and we
do His will.

What is hope?

By hope we desire and wait for God’s eternal life. We trust in His promises and help.

What is charity?

It is the new commandment given by Jesus by which we love God above all things and
our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God.

What are the means to obtain the grace?

The Sacraments are the means to obtain the grace.

What are the Sacraments?

The sacraments are instituted by Christ. Sacraments are the Visible sign of invisible grace.
They are the spiritual heritage of the Church.

How many sacraments are there in the Church?

There are Seven Sacraments in the Church.

List out the seven sacraments?

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing

of the Sick.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude and Fear of the Lord.

At Baptism, we receive seven special gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts are freely
given to us to help us live as followers of Jesus and to build up the Body of Christ, the
Church. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are sealed and strengthened within us at
Confirmation. These seven gifts help us to respond to the presence of the Holy Spirit in
our lives, to make good choices, and to serve God and others.

1) Wisdom is the gift of knowing the right choices to make to live a holy life. The
gift of wisdom helps you to avoid the things that could lead you away from God.

2) Understanding is the gift of comprehension, or the ability to grasp the meaning

of the teachings of the Church. The gift of understanding helps you be tolerant
and sympathetic of others. It helps you sense when someone is hurting or in need
of compassion.

3) Right Judgment, or Counsel, is the gift of prudence. The gift of right judgment
helps you make choices to live as a faithful follower of Jesus.
4) Courage, or Fortitude, is the gift that helps you stand up for your faith in Christ.
The gift of courage helps you overcome any obstacles that would keep you from
practicing your faith.

5) Knowledge is the gift of knowing and enlightenment. The gift of knowledge

enables you to choose the right path that will lead you to God. It encourages you
to avoid obstacles that will keep you from him.

6) Reverence, or Piety, is the gift of confidence in God. This gift of reverence

inspires you to joyfully want to serve God and others.

7) Wonder and Awe, or Fear of the Lord is the gift of wonder and respect that
encourages you to be in awe of God. The gift of wonder and awe moves you to
so love God that you do not want to offend him by your words or actions.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

12: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness,
modesty, self-control, chastity.

When we cooperate with the graces and gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit, we grow
as followers of Jesus. We see the effect of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives in special
qualities and attitudes that we develop as we grow in faith. The Church identifies these
qualities and attitudes as the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit are
signs that the Holy Spirit is alive within us and helping us live the Catholic faith in our
daily lives.

1) Love: We exhibit the virtue of charity, or love, by our unselfish devotion and care
for God and our neighbour.
 2) Joy: We live with joy when we recognize that true happiness comes, not from
money or possessions, but from knowing and following Christ.

3) Peace: We are freed from worrying about trivial things because of the inner peace
we experience with God in our hearts. We work and pray for peace throughout
the world.

4) Patience: We demonstrate patience by treating others with thoughtfulness and

tolerance. We know that we can overcome the temptations and sufferings of life
because God is always with us.
5) Kindness: We live the virtue of kindness by treating others as we want to be
treated.

6) Goodness: We exhibit goodness when we honour God by avoiding sin and always
trying to do what we know is right.
7) Generosity: We demonstrate the fruit of generosity when we are share our gifts
and possessions with others.

8) Gentleness: Gentle people act calmly and avoid actions that might lead others
to anger or resentment.

9) Faithfulness: We are faithful when we live out our commitment to the teachings
of Jesus, the Scriptures, and the Catholic Church.
10) Modesty: We exhibit modesty by being pure in our thoughts, words, and dress.
11) Self-control: We exercise self-control by working to overcome the temptations
we face and by trying always to do God's will.
12) Chastity: We live the virtue of chastity when we use the gift of sexuality wisely,
according to God's plan.

Assignment -7

1a. What are the virtues you need to develop in your life as a Christian?
1b. What are the virtues you need to develop in your life as a son/daughter?

1c. What are the virtues you need to develop in your life as a student?
1d. What are the virtues you need to develop in your life as a Citizen of this Philippines?

(In this particular assignment, all the 4 different questions are considered
just for one activity and you can answer them in a paper and submit, at least
5 bullet points for each question).
 SIN
What is sin?
Sin is a word, an act or a desire contrary to God, to oneself or to the others.
What are the kinds of sins?
Sin against the virtues or the commandments.
Sin against God, neighbour or ourselves.
Sin against our thoughts, words, deeds.

Sins of omission.
What are the types of Sin?
There are two types. Namely mortal sin and venial sin.
When does one commit a mortal sin?
When there are at the same time: serious matter, full knowledge and deliberate
consent. This sin destroys charity, takes away the sanctifying grace and leads us to
eternal death. To overcome a mortal sin God has to forgive us and we have to convert
our heart.
When does one commit a venial sin?
When the matter is less serious, and there is not full knowledge or consent. This sin
weakens charity and makes difficult the progress in the moral life. We can overcome it
by charity.
Differences between virtue and sin
Virtue:
The good acts which we do repeatedly becomes our habit and repetition of our good
habits becomes virtue.
Sin:
The bad acts which we do repeatedly becomes sins and the repetition of sins becomes
vices.
Do we have any responsibility for the sins committed by others?
Yes, when we cooperate with them with full knowledge and consent.
What are the capital sins?
7: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth.
Sins of Omission and Commission
There are times in our lives though we had opportunities to love, to help and to serve
God, our neighbors and nature we didn’t do it. These becomes sins of omission. It is
very grave.
The sins which we made by our bad acts are known as sins of commission.
The Effects of sin

Mortal sin results in the loss of charity and the deprivation of sanctifying grace. If we
will not redeem by repentance and God's forgiveness, it will cause exclusion from
Christ's kingdom and lead us to the eternal hell.
Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it
hinders the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral
good; it deserves temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes
us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant
with God. Venial sin does not deprive the sinners from sanctifying grace, friendship
with God, charity, and eternal happiness.
Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not
be forgiven." There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately
refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the
salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to eternal loss.
Sin creates a disposition to sin; it breeds vice by repetition of the same acts. This
results in negative inclinations which cloud our conscience and corrupt the concrete
judgment of good and evil.
 LESSON 4
TEN COMMANDMENTS

Objectives
At the end of the Class the students will be able to
- Know the commandments
- Learn the importance of God’s commandment in our moral life
- Know how to apply the commandment of God to one’s daily life
- Understand importance of God in man’s life
- Learn practical guidelines of loving God and neighbor

The Ten Commandments of God and practical guidelines

1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.

2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’S Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

10 Commandments
The first three guide our relationship with God and the remaining seven directs our
relationship with one another. The ten commandments must never be regarded as rules
and regulations imposed by God to neglect our freedom. But they are guidelines to help
us to life with fuller freedom. They are like traffic signs and signals on the road which
are meant to protect our safety and the safety of others. We can only break them by
breaking ourselves and causing harm to others as well.
 Commandments
What is a Commandment?
It is a rule or law given by someone to somebody.

Who gave the Ten Commandments?

God gave the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.

Through whom God gave the Ten Commandments?

God gave the Ten Commandments through Moses.

To whom God gave the ten commandments?

God gave to the people of Israel through them to us.

Is there any Commandment similar to the commandments of God?

Yes, the Commandments of love given by Jesus.
What is the Golden rule?
Do to no one, what you don’t like the others do to you.
What are the New Commandments?
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and with all
your strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Why do we need commandments?
- Drivers- obey the signs to reach the end of their journey

- Pilate-- need to follow the signals for safe landing

- Player-- need to respect the rules of the game to win the game

- Man-- need to have guidelines that strengthen our dignity and lead our lives
towards successes.
How did Jesus interpret the law?
Jesus interpreted the Law in the light of the twofold yet single commandment of love,
the fullness of the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And
the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:37-40).

Assignment 8

What are your opinions about following God's commandments and how can
you enrich yourself in becoming a good Christian by following the
commandments?

THE FIRST THREE COMMANDMENTS

It refers to the relationship between man and God; God makes himself known by
recalling his all-powerful, loving and liberating action and he demands that man accepts
him and worship him.

PART 1: LOVE YOUR GOD

The First Commandment:
I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, YOU SHALL NOT HAVE OTHER GODS BEFORE ME

1. What does the first commandment require?

• Adoration is the First act of man toward God, the Creator
• To know him or acknowledge him
• To love the master of everything that exists
• To serve him alone
What does God forbid by his first command?
• Polytheism and idolatry, which divinizes creatures, power, money, or even
demons.
• Superstition is to give magical importance to certain practices and which also
expresses itself in various forms of divination, magic, black magic and spiritism.
• Irreligion which is evidenced: in tempting God by word or deed; in blasphemy,
which profanes sacred persons or sacred things, above all the Eucharist; and in
simony, which involves the buying or selling of spiritual things.
• Atheism which rejects the existence of God, founded often on a false
conception of human autonomy.
• Agnosticism which affirms that nothing can be known about God, and involves
indifferentism and practical atheism.
• Divination: there are many forms; such as recourse to demons, conjuring up
the dead, consulting of astrology, horoscope, palm reading… only God knows the
future.
• Magic-- by magic a person attempts to tame occult power and have
supernatural power over the other people.

Does the commandment of God, “You shall not make for yourself a graven image”
(Exodus 20:3), forbid the cult of images?
In the Old Testament this commandment forbade any representation of God who is
absolutely transcendent. The Christian veneration of sacred images, however, is
justified by the incarnation of the Son of God (as taught by the Second Council of Nicea
in 787AD) because such veneration is founded on the mystery of the Son of God made
man, in whom the transcendent God is made visible. This does not mean the adoration
of an image, but rather the veneration of the one who is represented in it: for example,
Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and the Saints.

Note: In the following assignment each question is considered for one activity. Answer
question in a separate paper.
Assignment 9

1. List out some of the superstitions that you know, heard, seen and
experienced in your life?

2. Describe from your life experiences of running behind created gods or

things forbidden by the first commandment?

3. Describe your beliefs and interests in magics and magicians?

4. Describe your experience of tempting God by your words and deeds?

5. Describe your background on belief of astrology?

6. Who is your first and most important in this world?

The Second Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN

How does one respect the holiness of the Name of God?

One shows respect for the holy Name of God by blessing it, praising it and glorifying it.
It is forbidden, therefore, to call on the Name of God to justify a crime. It is also wrong
to use the holy Name of God in any improper way as in blasphemy (which by its nature
is a grave sin), curses, and unfaithfulness to promises made in the Name of God.
Why is a false oath forbidden?
It is forbidden because one calls upon God who is truth itself to be the witness to a
lie.
“Do not swear, whether by the Creator or by any creature, except truthfully, of
necessity and with reverence.” (Saint Ignatius of Loyola)
What is perjury?
Perjury is to make a promise under oath with the intention of not keeping it or to
violate a promise made under oath. It is a grave sin against God who is always faithful
to his promises.

Assignment 10

1. What is your experience of using God's name in improper ways?

2. Describe your experience of making oath on some one's name?

The Third Commandment:

REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE LORD’S DAY

Why did God “bless the Sabbath day and declare it sacred” ( Exodus 20:11)?
God blessed the Sabbath day, so that one remembers God’s rest on the seventh day of
creation, and also the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and the Covenant which
God sealed with his people.

How did Jesus’ act in regard to the Sabbath?

Jesus recognized the holiness of the Sabbath day and with divine authority he gave an
authentic interpretation as follows: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for
the sabbath” (Mk 2:27).
For what reason has the Sabbath been changed to Sunday for Christians?
First of all, Sunday is the day of the Resurrection of Christ. As “the first day of the
week” (Mk 16:2) it recalls the first creation; and as the “eighth day”, which follows the
sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation in the Resurrection of Christ. Thus, it has
become for Christians the first of all days and of all feasts. It is the day of the Lord in
which he with his Passover fulfilled the spiritual truth of the Jewish Sabbath and
proclaimed man’s eternal rest in God.

How does one keep Sunday holy?

Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the
Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship
of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of
mind and body. Activities are allowed on the Sabbath which are bound up with family
needs or with important social service, provided that they do not lead to habits
prejudicial to the holiness of Sunday, to family life and to health.

Why is the civil recognition of Sunday having a feast day important?

It is important so that all might be given the real possibility of enjoying sufficient rest
and leisure to take care of their religious, familial, cultural and social lives. It is
important also to have an opportune time for meditation, for reflection, for silence, for
study, and a time to dedicate to do good works, particularly for the sick and for the
elderly.
The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practices. The
participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of
belonging and being faithful to Christ and to his Church.
 Part 2: Love Your Neighbor:
“You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”
The Fourth Commandment:
HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER

What does the fourth commandment require?

It commands us to honor and respect our parents and those whom God for our good,
has vested with his authority.
What is the nature of the family in the plan of God?
A man and a woman united in marriage form a family together with their children. God
instituted the family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Members of the
same family establish among themselves personal relationships and primary
responsibilities. In Christ the family becomes the domestic church because it is a
community of faith, of hope, and of charity.
What are the duties that society has toward the family?
Society, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity, has the duty to support and
strengthen marriage and the family. Public authority must respect, protect and foster
the true nature of marriage and family.

What are the duties of children toward their parents?

Children be respect (filial piety), gratitude, docility and obedience to their parents. In
paying them respect and in fostering good relationships with their brothers and sisters,
children contribute to the growth in harmony and holiness in family life in general. Adult
children should give their parents material and moral support whenever they find
themselves in situations of distress, sickness, loneliness, or old age.
What are the duties of parents toward their children?
Parents, in virtue of their participation in the fatherhood of God, have the first
responsibility for the education of their children and they are the first heralds of the
faith for them. They have the duty to love and respect their children as persons and
as children of God and to provide, as far as is possible, for their physical and spiritual
needs. They should select for them a suitable school and help them with prudent
counsel in the choice of their profession and their state of life. In particular they have
the mission of educating their children in the Christian faith.
How are parents to educate their children in the Christian faith?
Parents do this mainly by example, prayer, family catechesis and participation in the life
of the Church.
When is a citizen forbidden to obey civil authorities?
A citizen is obliged in conscience not to obey the laws of civil authorities when they are
contrary to the demands of the moral order: “We must obey God rather than men”
(Acts of the Apostles 5:29).

Assignment 11

1. How do you assimilate your duty as children?

2. Describe the ways you get the faith education from your parents?

The Fifth Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT KILL

Why must human life be respected?

Human life must be respected because it is sacred. From the beginning human life
involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with
the Creator, who is its sole end. It is not lawful for anyone directly to destroy an
innocent human being. This is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the
holiness of the Creator. “Do not slay the innocent and the righteous” ( Exo 23:7).
What is the purpose of punishment?
A punishment imposed by legitimate public authority has the aim of redressing the
disorder introduced by the offense, of defending public order and people’s safety, and
contributing to the correction of the guilty party.

What kind of punishment may be imposed?

The punishment imposed must be proportionate to the gravity of the offense. Given the
possibilities which the State now has for effectively preventing crime by rendering one
who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm, the cases in which the
execution of the offender is an absolute necessity “are very rare, if not practically non-
existent.” (Evangelium Vitae). When non-deadly means are sufficient, authority should
limit itself to such means because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of
the common good, are more in conformity with the dignity of the human person, and
do not remove definitively from the guilty party the possibility of reforming himself.
What is forbidden by the fifth commandment?
• Direct and intentional murder and cooperation in it;
• Direct abortion, willed as an end or as means, as well as cooperation in it.
Attached to this sin is the penalty of excommunication because, from the
moment of his or her conception, the human being must be absolutely respected
and protected in his integrity;
• Direct euthanasia which consists in putting an end to the life of the
handicapped, the sick, or those near death by an act or by the omission of a
required action;
• Suicide and voluntary cooperation in it, insofar as it is a grave offense
against the just love of God, of self, and of neighbor. One’s responsibility may be
aggravated by the scandal given; one who is psychologically disturbed or is
experiencing grave fear may have diminished responsibility.
What medical procedures are permitted when death is considered close at hand?
When death is considered imminent the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be
legitimately interrupted. However, it is legitimate to use pain-killers which do not aim at
in death and to refuse “over-zealous treatment”, that is the exercise of disproportionate
medical procedures without reasonable hope of a positive outcome.
Why must society protect every embryo?
The inalienable right to life of every human individual from the first moment of
conception is a constitutive element of civil society and its legislation. When the State
does not place its power at the service of the rights of all and in particular of the more
vulnerable, including unborn children, the very foundations of a State based on law are
undermined.
How does one avoid scandal?

Scandal, which consists in inducing others to do evil, is avoided when we respect the
soul and body of the person. Anyone who deliberately leads others to commit serious
sins himself commits a grave offense.
What duty do we have toward our body?
We must take reasonable care of our own physical health and that of others but avoid
the cult of the body and every kind of excess. Also, to be avoided are the use of drugs
which cause very serious damage to human health and life, as well as the abuse of
food, alcohol, tobacco and medicine.
Are the transplant and donation of organs allowed before and after death?
The transplant of organs is morally acceptable with the consent of the donor and
without excessive risks to him or her. Before allowing the noble act of organ donation
after death, one must verify that the donor is truly dead.
What care must be given to the dying?
The dying has a right to live the last moments of their earthly lives with dignity and,
above all, to be sustained with prayer and the sacraments that prepare them to meet
the living God.
How are the bodies of the deceased to be treated?
The bodies of the departed must be treated with love and respect. Their cremation is
permitted provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of
the body.
What is required for earthly peace?
Earthly peace requires the equal distribution and safeguarding of the goods of persons,
free communication among human beings, respect for the dignity of persons and
peoples, and the assiduous practice of justice and fraternity.
When is it morally permitted to use military force?
• The use of military force is morally justified when the following conditions are
simultaneously present:
• The suffering impose by the attacker must be lasting, grave and certain;
• All other peaceful means must have been shown to be useless;
• There are well founded chance of success;
• The use of arms, especially given the power of modern weapons of mass
destruction, must not produce evils graver than the evil to be eliminated.

In case of war, what does the moral law require?

Even during a war, the moral law always remains valid. It requires the discipline
treatment of non-military, wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. Deliberate actions
contrary to the law of nations, and the orders that command such actions are crimes,
which blind obedience does not excuse. Acts of mass destruction must be condemned
and likewise the annihilation of peoples which are most grievous sins. One is morally
bound to resist the orders that command such acts.

What must be done to avoid war?

The accumulation and sale of arms which are not regulated by the legitimate
authorities; all forms of economic and social injustice; social and religious
discrimination; envy, mistrust, pride and the spirit of revenge. Everything done to
overcome these and other disorders contributes to building up peace and avoiding war.

Assignment 12

1. Explain about the dignity human life in the murder of St. John the Baptist?
(Mk 6:17-19).

2. How can we avoid conflict in our daily lives?

3. According to your understanding of the lesson, what are the rights the Sick
or the dying deserves?
 The Sixth Commandment:
YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY

What responsibility do human persons have in regard to their own sexual identity?
God has created human beings as male and female, equal in personal dignity, and has
called them to a vocation of love and of communion. Everyone should accept his or her
identity as male or female, recognizing its importance for the whole of the person.

What is chastity?
Chastity means the positive integration of sexuality within the person. Sexuality
becomes truly human when it is integrated in a correct way into the relationship of one
person to another. Chastity is a moral virtue, a gift of God, a grace, and a fruit of the
Holy Spirit.
What is involved in the virtue of chastity?
The virtue of chastity involves a position in self-control as an expression of human
freedom directed towards self-giving. An integral and continuing formation is necessary
to achieve this goal.
What is the means aid living the chastity?
The grace of God, the help of the sacraments, prayer, self-knowledge, the practice of
an asceticism adapted to various situations, the exercise of the moral virtues, especially
the virtue of temperance which seeks to have the passions guided by reason.

How does everyone call to live chastity?

As followers of Christ, the model of all chastity, all the baptized are called to live
chastely in keeping with their particular states of life. Some profess virginity or
consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an
undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others, if they are married live in conjugal
chastity, or if unmarried practice chastity in continence.
What are the principal sins against chastity?
Grave sins against chastity differ according to their object: adultery, masturbation,
fornication, pornography, prostitution, rape, and homosexual acts. These sins are
expressions of the vice of lust. These kinds of acts committed against the physical and
moral integrity of minors become even more grave.
Why are artificial insemination and artificial fertilization immoral?
They are immoral because they dissociate procreation act in which the spouses give
themselves to each other and so introduce the origin and destiny of the human person.
Furthermore, insemination and fertilization with the use of techniques that involve a
person other than the married couple violate the right of a child to be born of a father
and mother known to him, bound to each other by marriage and having the exclusive
right to become parents only through each another.

How should children be considered?

A child is a gift of God, the supreme gift of marriage. But a child does have the right to
be the fruit of the conjugal act of its parents as well as the right to be respected as a
person from the moment of conception.
What can spouses do when they do not have children?
After exhausting all legitimate medical options, spouses can show their generosity by
way of foster care or adoption or by performing meaningful services for others. In this
way they realize a precious spiritual fruitfulness.
What are the offenses against the dignity of marriage?
Adultery, divorce, polygamy, incest, free unions (cohabitation, concubinage), and sexual
acts before or outside of marriage.

The Seventh Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT STEAL

What is set forth by the seventh commandment?

The seventh commandment requires respect for the universal destination and
distribution of goods and the private ownership of them, as well as respect for persons,
their property, and the integrity of creation. The Church also finds in this
commandment the basis for her social doctrine which involves the correct way of acting
in economic, social and political life, the right and the duty of human labor, justice and
solidarity among nations, and love for the poor.
Under what conditions does the right to private property exist?
The right to private property exists by the property is acquired or received in a just way
and the universal destination of goods for the satisfaction of the basic needs of all.
What does the seventh commandment require?
The seventh commandment requires respect for the goods of others through the
practice of justice, charity and solidarity. In particular it requires respect for promises
made and contracts agreed , reparation for injustice committed and damages of stolen
goods, and respect for the integrity of creation by the prudent and moderate use of the
mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe with special attention to those
species which are in danger of extinction.

What attitude should people have toward animals?

People must treat animals with kindness as creatures of God and avoid both excessive
love for them and an indiscriminate use of them especially by scientific experiments that
go beyond reasonable limits and entail needless suffering for the animals.
What is forbidden by the seventh commandment?
The seventh commandment forbids theft, which is the taking or using of another’s
property against the reasonable will of the owner. This can be done also by paying
unjust wages; by guess on the value of goods in order to gain an advantage to the hurt
of others; or by the forgery of checks or invoices. Also forbidden is tax evasion or
business fraud; willfully damaging private or public property; usury; corruption; the
private abuse of common goods; work deliberately done poorly; and waste.
What is the meaning of work?
Work is both a duty and a right through which human beings collaborate with God the
Creator. Indeed, by working with commitment and competence we fulfil the potential
inscribed in our nature, honor the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him,
provide for ourselves and for our families, and serve the human community.
Furthermore, by the grace of God, work can be a means of sanctification and
collaboration with Christ for the salvation of others.
What are the duties of workers?
They must carry out their work in a moral way with competence and dedication,
seeking to resolve any controversies with dialogue. Aid to a non-violent work stoppage
is morally legitimate when it appears to be the necessary way to obtain a proportionate
benefit.
In what way do Christians participate in political and social life?
The lay faithful take part directly in political and social life by animating temporal
realities with a Christian spirit and collaborating with all as authentic witnesses of the
Gospel and agents of peace and justice.
Assignment 13

How do you overcome the temptation on the excessive use of goods?

The Eighth Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOUR

What is one’s duty toward the truth?

Every person is called to sincerity and truthfulness in acting and speaking. Everyone has
the duty to seek the truth, to adhere to it and to order one’s whole life in accordance
with its demands. In Jesus Christ the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest. He
is “the truth”. Those who follow him live in the Spirit of truth and guard against
duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
How does one bear witness to the truth?
A Christian must bear witness to the truth of the Gospel in every field of his activity,
both public and private, and also, if necessary, with the sacrifice of his very life.
Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith.
What does the eighth commandment forbid?
• False witness, perjury, and lying, the gravity of which is measured by the truth it
deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm
suffered by its victims;
• Rash judgment, slander, defamation and calumny which diminish or destroy the
good honor to which every person has a right;
• Flattery especially if directed to serious sins or toward the achievement of illicit
advantages.
• A sin committed against truth demands reparation if it has caused harm to
others.
What is required by the eighth commandment?
It requires respect for the truth accompanied by the discretion of charity in the field
of communication and the imparting of information , where the personal and common
good, the protection of privacy and the danger of scandal must all be taken into
account; in respecting professional secrets which must be kept, save in exceptional
cases for grave and proportionate reasons; and also, in respecting confidences given
under the seal of secrecy.

What relationship exists between truth, beauty and sacred art?

The truth is beautiful, carrying in itself the splendor of spiritual beauty. In addition to
the expression of the truth in words there are other complementary expressions of the
truth, most specifically in the beauty of artistic works. These are the fruit both of talents
given by God and of human effort. Sacred art by being true and beautiful should evoke
and glorify the mystery of God made visible in Christ, and lead to the adoration and
love of God, the Creator and Savior, who is the surpassing, invisible Beauty of Truth
and Love.

Assignment 14
Have you come across any dangerous incident because of your lie or false
witness?

The Ninth Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S WIFE

What is required by the ninth commandment?

The ninth commandment requires that one overcome carnal concupiscence in thought
and in desire. The struggle against such concupiscence entails purifying the heart and
practicing the virtue of temperance.
What is forbidden by the ninth commandment?
The ninth commandment forbids cultivating thoughts and desires connected to actions
forbidden by the sixth commandment.
How does one reach purity of heart?
In the battle against disordered desires the baptized person is able, by the grace of
God, to achieve the purity of heart through the virtue and gift of chastity, through
purity of intention, purity of vision (both exterior and interior), discipline of the
imagination and of feelings by prayer.
What are the other requirements for purity?
Purity requires modesty which, while protecting the intimate center of the person,
expresses the sensitivity of chastity. It guides how one looks at others and behaves
toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their communion. Purity
frees one from wide-spread eroticism and avoids those things which foster unhealthy
curiosity. Purity also requires a purification of the social climate by means of a constant
struggle against moral permissiveness which is founded on an erroneous conception of
human freedom.

The Tenth Commandment:

YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S POSSESSIONS
What is required and what is forbidden by the tenth commandment?
It requires an interior attitude of respect for the property of others and
forbids greed, unbridled covetousness for the goods of others, and envy which is the
sadness one experiences at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to
acquire them for oneself.
What does Jesus call for in poverty of spirit?
Jesus calls his disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone. Detachment from
riches – in the spirit of evangelical poverty – and self-abandonment to divine providence
free us from anxiety about the future and prepare us for the blessedness of the “poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” ( Mt 5:3).
What is the greatest human desire?
The greatest desire of the human person is to see God. “I want to see God” is the cry
of our whole being. We realize our true and full happiness in the vision and beatitude of
the One who created us out of love and draws us to himself with infinite love.
“Whoever sees God has obtained all the goods of which he can conceive” (Saint
Gregory of Nyssa).
 LESSON 5
THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF THE
CHURCH
Objectives
At the end of the lesson the students are expected to
- Integrate oneself in the society actively
- Work for the common good of all
- Share one’s abilities for the welfare of the others
- Overall serve the society in a dynamic way
- Learn how does help everyone in serving other through her teaching.
- Treat everyone with equity and justice

The Human Community: The Person and Society

What is a society?
It is a group of persons united by an aim.
What is the social dimension of man?
The social dimension is essential of the nature of human person. For development the
individuals need to live in society. We are called to build fraternity by loving our
neighbours.
What is the principle of subsidiarity?
A group of a higher order should support the lower order. The higher order should not
take the tasks, initiatives or responsibilities belonging to a group of lower order.
What is necessary for an authentic human society?
Charity, justice, a true hierarchy of values and the encouragement for a virtuous life.

Sharing in the Social Life

What is the role and the duty of the authority in the society?
The authority in the human community comes from the human nature and the order
established by God. Its role is to preserve the social order and and its duty is to work
for the common good.
When is authority exercised in a legitimate way?
When is chosen freely by the citizens, when acts for the common good, when respects
the law and when guarantees the conditions for the exercise of freedom.
What is the common good?
All the conditions of social life which help to people’s fulfilment: respect and promotion
of fundamental rights, spiritual and material development, peace and security.
How can we participate in bringing about the common good?

Respecting just laws, being responsible of our family and work, participating in the
public life.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

When does society guarantee social justice?

when it respects the dignity and fundamental rights of a person and when it provides
the conditions that allow the associations and individuals to exercise their
responsibilities.
What are social discriminations?
The differences in sex, race, colour, caste, social conditions, language or religion is
known as social discriminations. These are wrong and these must be eradicated.
What are social inequalities?

They are contrary to the Gospel, to justice, to the human dignity and to peace. God’s
will be that each one receives what he needs and shares with the others his talents and
goods causing a mutual enrichment.
How is human solidarity manifested?
By committing oneself to the common good, by accepting others as our neighbours, by
a just distribution of goods, by a fair payment for work, by a zeal for a more just social
order, by sharing the spiritual goods.
God’s Salvation: Law and Grace (Moral Law)
What is the moral law?
It is the divine wisdom that shows us the rules of conduct that lead to eternal life. It
has different expressions: eternal law (establish by God), natural law (present in the
human heart), revealed law (Old and New Testaments), civil law (laid down by society
for the common good), ecclesiastical law (norms given by the Church).
What is the natural moral law?

It is the original moral sense written by God on the heart of every person. It enables us
to discern by reason the good and the bad also determines the basic duties and
fundamental rights. It is unchanging and permanent.
What is the Old Law?
It is the first stage of the revealed Law. It expresses many truths naturally accessible to
reason. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments.
What is the New Law?
It is the fulfillment of the divine law. We find it in the life and preaching of Christ
(Sermon of the Mount) and in the moral catechesis of the apostles. It is summed up in
the commandment to love God and neighbour and to love one another as Christ loved
us. It is a law of love, grace and freedom.

Grace and Justification

What is justification?
It is the love of God given to us in Baptism which takes away our sins and makes us
just and holy in our whole being. It implies conversion (turn towards God) and
sanctification (renewal of the inner self).
What is the grace that justifies?
It is a supernatural gift given by God to respond to His call that is always with us
(habitual) and enable us to live with and like God (sanctifying).
What other kinds of graces are there?
Actual (specific circumstances), sacramental (given in each Sacrament), charismas (for
the common good of the Church), graces of states (ecclesial ministers or
responsibilities).
What is the relationship between grace and human freedom?
Grace yields, prepares and leads freedom to its perfection.
What are the goods that we can merit?
The graces needed for our sanctification and for eternal life.
Are all the faithful called to Christian holiness?
Yes, being perfect in love and united with Christ crucified.

The Church: Mother and Teacher

How does the Church nourish the moral life of a Christian?
The Church nourishes us with the Word of God, her teachings, the grace of the
Sacraments and the example of the lives of the Saints.
What is the purpose of the precepts of the Church?
To guarantee the minimum need for prayer, sacramental life, moral commitment and
love of God and neighbour.
Can the Church’s Magisterium give directives in moral matters?
The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church exercised by the Pope and the
Bishops. They have the right and the duty to teach in moral questions.

What are the precepts of the Church?

1.To attend Mass on Sundays and other holy days.

2. To confess one’s sins at least once a year.

3.To receive the Holy Communion at least during Easter season.
4. To keep holy the Holy Days.
5. To abstain from eating meat and to observe the days of fasting.
6. To observe the marriage laws of the Church.
7. To help the Church in her material needs.
Assignment 15

1. What are your contributions in the growth of the Society?

2. What is your role as Christian to bring change in the Society?

3. How do you work and promote the common good for the Society?

SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH

• The Dignity of Human Life

• Call to Family, Community and Participation
• Rights and Duties
• Preferential Option for the Poor
• Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
• Human Solidarity
• Human Vocation
• Stewardship of God's Creation

• Care for the Common Home

• Safe- Guarding Peace

1. The Dignity of the Human Person

The dignity of the human person is rooted on how he was created in the image and
likeness of God and it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude.
Human beings make their own contribution by their interior growth and they make their
whole self, conscious and spiritual lives to grow.
With the help of grace, they grow in virtue, avoid sin, and even if they sin, they entrust
themselves as the prodigal son to the mercy of our Father in heaven. In this way they
attain to the perfection of charity.

2. Call to family, Community and Participation

2a. A Human Family: A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their
children, form a family. This institution is prior to any recognition by public authority,
which has an obligation to recognize it. It should be considered the normal reference
point by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated.
In creating man and woman, God instituted the human family and endowed it with its
fundamental constitution. Its members are persons equal in dignity. For the common
good of its members and of society, the family necessarily has manifold responsibilities,
rights, and duties.

2b. A Human Community

The vocation of humanity is to show forth the image of God and to be transformed into
the image of the Father's only Son. This vocation takes a personal form since each of us
is called to enter into the divine beatitude; it also concerns the human community as a
whole.

2c. Education
As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to
choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is
fundamental. As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best
help them in their task as Christian educators. Public authorities have the duty of
guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.
When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their profession
and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities within a trusting
relationship with their parents, willingly asking and receiving their advice and counsel.
3. The Human Vocation
God calls to the gift of life.
Among them he calls some for the vocation to Christianity.
Among them he calls few to follow him closely.
Vocational discernment is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church
discern, or recognize, their vocation in the Church. The four vocations are the married
life, single life, religious life, and ordained life.

4. The Human Solidarity

Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration
for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are
better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation.
The virtue of solidarity goes beyond material goods. In spreading the spiritual goods of
the faith, the Church has promoted, and often opened new paths for, the development
of temporal goods as well.

5. Care for the Common Goods

Human society can be neither well-ordered nor prosperous unless it has some people
invested with legitimate authority to preserve its institutions and to devote themselves
as far as is necessary to work and care for the good of all.

The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those
who are charged to exercise it with respect, and, insofar as it is deserved, with
gratitude and good-will.

6. Safe- Guarding Peace

Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the
absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between
adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of
persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and
peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity.
7. Rights and Duties
The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and
communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to avoid the compromising and
degrading influences which threaten human societies.
Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human
persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate
their children to fulfill God's law.

8. Preferential Option for the Poor

The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor
in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are
spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal
works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless,
clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all
these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also
a work of justice pleasing to God.

9. Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way
to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity
of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right
to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions,
to private property, and to economic initiative.

10. Stewardship of God's Creation

The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one's
neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice
and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. For the sake of
the common good, it requires respect for the universal destination of goods and respect
for the right to private property. Christian life strives to order this world's goods to God
and to fraternal charity.