Christian Morality: Our Response to God’s Love
REVIEW for SEC 1 – Parts 1 & 2
Vocabulary
beatitude: Our vocation as Christians, the goal of our existence. It is true blessedness or happiness which we experience partially here on earth and perfectly in Heaven.
canon law: The name given to the official body of laws which provide good order in the visible body of the Church.
catechism: A popular summary, usually in book form, of Catholic doctrine about faith and morals and commonly intended for use within formal programs of catechesis.
concupiscence: the tendency of all human beings toward sin; as a result of Original Sin
conscience: The “interior voice” of a person, a God-given sense of the law of God. Moral conscience leads people to understand themselves as responsible for their actions, and prompts them to do good and avoid evil. To make good judgments, one needs to have a well-formed conscience.
covenant: A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being in which mutual commitments are made.
Decalogue: The Ten Commandments
Eternal Law: The order in creation that reflects God’s will and purpose; it is eternal because it is always true and never changes. All other types of law have their basis in Eternal Law and are only true if they reflect the truth of Eternal Law.
Great Commandments: Jesus’ summary of the entire Divine Law as the love of God and love of neighbor.
free will: The gift from God that allows human beings to choose from among various actions, for which we are held accountable. It is the basis for moral responsibility.
infallibility: The Gift of the Holy Spirit to the whole Church by which the leaders of the Church—the Pope and the bishops in union with him—are protected from fundamental error when formulating a specific teaching on a matter of faith and morals.
intellect: The divine gift that gives us the ability to see and understand the order of things that God places within creation and to know and understand God through the created order.
justification: The process by which God frees us from sin and sanctifies us.
Magisterium: The Church’s living teaching office, which consists of all bishops, in communion with the Pope.
merit: God’s reward to those who love him and follow Christ’s Law of Love. To have merit is to be justified in the sight of God, free from sin and sanctified by his grace. We do not earn merit on our own; it is a free gift from God due to the grace of Christ in us.
moral law: The moral law is established by God and is a rational expression of eternal law. Moral law reflects God’s wisdom; it is the teaching that leads us to the blessed life he wants for us.
natural law: The moral law that can be understood through the use of reason. It is our God-given ability to understand what it means to be in right relationship with God, other people, the world, and ourselves. The basis for natural law is our participation in God’s wisdom and goodness because we are created in the divine likeness.
New Law: Divine Law revealed in the New Testament through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and through the witness and teaching of the Apostles. The New Law perfects the Old Law and brings it to fulfillment. Also called the Law of Love.
Old Law: Divine Law revealed in the Old Testament, summarized in the Ten Commandments. Also called the Law of Moses. It contrasts with the New Law of the Gospels.
original holiness: The original state of human beings in their relationship with God, sharing in the divine life in full communion with him.
original justice: The state of complete harmony of our first parents with themselves, with each other, and with all of creation.
Original Sin: From the Latin origo, meaning “beginning” or “birth.” The term has two meanings: (1) the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will and so lost their original holiness and became subject to death, (2) the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world.
Paschal Mystery: The work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ mainly through his life, Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension.
Pentateuch: the Greek word meaning “five books”; referring to the first five books of the Old Testament.
Precepts of the Church: Sometimes called the commandments of the Church, these are basic obligations for all Catholics that are dictated by the laws of the Church.
salvation history: The pattern of specific salvific events in human history that reveal God’s presence and saving actions.
sanctify, sanctification: To make holy; sanctification is the process of becoming closer to God and growing in holiness, taking on the righteousness of Jesus Christ with the gift of sanctifying grace.
soul: Our spiritual principle, it is immortal, and it is what makes us most like God. Our soul is created by God, and he unites it with our physical body at the moment of conception. The soul is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.
Short Answer
Q. If we believed that we were created for the amusement of pagan gods, what would be the effects in our lives?
ANS: Answers might include that there might be four effects: (1) we would be at the mercy of the gods’ changing whims and desires; (2) we human beings would imitate the self-centeredness of the gods in our lives; (3) we would be in competition with other people for the gods’ attention and rewards; (4) our understanding of love would be changed to something we had to earn from the gods.
Q. What are the two meanings of Original Sin?
ANS: Answers might include that Original Sin has two meanings: (1) the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will and so lost their original holiness and became subject to death; (2) the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world.
Q. Give a short history demonstrating God’s faithfulness to his human creation.
ANS: Answers might include that after the Fall, God did not abandon humankind. He has urged humankind to turn away from sin and be faithful to him. He called Abraham to be the father of the Chosen People and gave them a covenant and Divine Law. He gave them rituals and priesthood so they could unite with him and one another. When they fell away, he gave them judges, kings, and prophets to lead them back to him.
Q. Explain the theological concept of merit. How can one gain it?
ANS: Answers might include that merit is God’s reward to those who love him and follow Christ’s Law of Love. To have merit is to be justified in the sight of God, free from sin, and sanctified by his grace. It is a free gift from God due to the grace of Christ within us. We may gain merit by responding with faith in Jesus Christ and becoming collaborators in God’s saving work.
Q. What is moral law? How can we know it?
ANS: Answers might include that moral law is established by God and is a rational expression of Eternal Law. Moral law reflects God’s wisdom; it is the teaching that leads us to the blessed life he wants for us. Everyone can know the moral law through the gift of our conscience.
Q. How does natural moral law play a role in the salvation of all humankind?
ANS: Answers might include that because we are all born with natural law stamped on our hearts, a person does not have to be a baptized Christian to live a life pleasing to God. A person who has never heard of God’s Revelation through Scripture and Tradition still has the possibility of being saved if she or he lives according to the natural moral law.
Q. What are three laws or codes that can be found in the Torah? Give the main points.
ANS: Answers might include that there is the Covenant Code. These laws follow the Ten Commandments and address slavery, personal injury, property damage, money, religious practices, and punishment for breaking laws. Then there is the Priestly Code, which deals with religious concerns, including instructions for proper worship. Lastly, there is the Holiness Code, whose central theme for all is “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.”
Q. To correctly understand the two Great Commandments, we must understand what Jesus means by love. Explain.
ANS: Answers might include that Jesus is not talking about a do-whatever-feels-good-to-you kind of love. He is talking about a love that is based in God’s Eternal Law. It is a love that is forgiving but also expects that we are working hard at being holy people. It is a sacrificial love that puts the good of others before our comforts. The Law of Love means that we hold ourselves to a high standard of moral living—God’s standard.
Q. What is meant by infallibility?
ANS: Answers might include that infallibility is the Gift of the Holy Spirit to the whole Church by which the leaders of the Church—the Pope and the bishops in unison with him—are protected from fundamental error when formulating a specific teaching on a matter of faith and morals.
Q. How is Christian morality related to the divine gift of human intellect?
ANS: Having intellect means that we have the ability to see and understand the order of things that God places within creation. It means that we can know and understand God through the created order. Our intellect allows us to distinguish between what is truly good and what only appears to be good.
Q. How is Christian morality related to the divine gift of free will?
ANS: The gift of free will means that we have the ability to choose to be in loving communion with God or we can choose to reject him. Our free will is a clear sign that God is not manipulative; he does not force us to love him, and he makes it possible for us to be in a loving relationship with him that is unique among all his creatures.
Q. What are two types of Church law, and what is the purpose of each type?
ANS: The Precepts of the Church are basic laws of the Church that direct us to actively participate in the Church’s sacramental life and in her mission.
Canon law governs the relationships between different Church members and governs the mission of the Church. Canon law covers such things as norms for the celebration of the Sacraments and public worship, norms for Catholic education, regulations for the administration of Church property, the rights and responsibilities of bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and the laity.
Q. What is the role of the Catholic Church in the moral life of believers?
ANS: The Magisterium—the bishops united with the Pope—have the responsibility of passing on and teaching Christ’s revealed truth, including moral truth. They have the responsibility for teaching the fullness of the New Law to all believers and all people of goodwill. They apply Christ’s moral teaching to modern situations.
Q. What is one good response to people who are concerned that the Catholic Church will impose her moral views on others?
ANS: The moral law taught by the Church is not her invention but is God’s universal law meant for all people. All people have the ability to know the universal Divine Law because it is written on our hearts. Part of the Church’s mission is to share with all people the moral law revealed by God. The Catholic Church has a responsibility to influence public opinion to create laws and build social structures that support and defend the moral truths revealed by God. The Church’s moral teaching is crucial for the common good. The Church does not seek to take over the responsibilities of the state or to make Church law the law of the land.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Section 1, Part 1 – Moral Choices and God’s Plan
1. Why are human beings unique among all of God’s creation? (Art 1, p. 11–13)
Human beings are unique among God’s creation because we are created in his image and are given a spiritual soul, a divine gift that is unique to us. By giving us a soul, God enables us to be in loving communion with him beyond limitations of time or space.
2. Briefly describe the three God-given gifts that allow us to live in true, loving communion with God.
God endows us with gifts of a soul, intellect, and free will so that we may live in true communion with him.
• Our soul, or spiritual principle, is immortal and makes us most like God. God creates our soul and unites it with our body at conception. The soul is our seat of consciousness and freedom, and it enables us to be in communion with God. It also lives on after death and will be reunited with our resurrected body at the Last Judgment.
• God’s gift of intellect gives us the ability to see and understand the order of things created by God and to know and understand him through creation. Intellect also allows us to distinguish what is good from what only appears to be good. Intellect helps us understand how to be in communion with God.
• Free will is the gift from God that allows us to choose between the various actions that our reason (or intellect) enables us to understand. We are held accountable for our actions and moral choices. Free will is the basis for moral responsibility. God gives us free will so that we are free to choose to be in communion with him. (Art 1, pp. 12–13)
3. What are some factors that can diminish our freedom and lessen the moral responsibility of our resulting actions?
Factors that diminish our ability to make free choices include unexpected behavioral side effects of a medication, psychological factors such as fear, and strong social pressures. None of these excuse bad behavior, but such factors can prevent us from acting with perfect freedom when we make moral decisions. (Article 2, p. 15)