Following Jesus and Catholic Morality Tonight s Topic Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ Faith & Faithfulness Fundamentals of Catholic Morality Natural Law & Revealed Law Type of Sin (Venial and Mortal) Responding to Modern Problems Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, `Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:5-8 When your son asks you in time to come, `What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD our God has commanded you? then you shall say to your son, `We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes; and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land which he swore to give to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us. Deuteronomy 6:20-25 How will we respond to such love? Faith & Faithfulness What is Faith? CCC 150 Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature. 1
We Must Respond to God Once we encounter Jesus Christ, we must respond Faith believing in Jesus Christ and entrusting our lives to Him Believing His Teaching and His Church Seek Him in the Sacraments & Prayer Spiritually alive through Sanctifying Grace Conform our Lives to His Gospel Morality As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11 If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. 2 nd Corinthians 7:1 Important Questions to Answer What Makes Something Right or Wrong? Can we impose our morality on others in society? Can we legislate morality? What are laws based on? What is Moral Law The fatherly instruction of God, setting forth the ways which lead to happiness and proscribing those which lead to evil. CCC Glossary Natural Law inscribed on the heart & discovered by reason Revealed Law found in Revelation and defended by the Church 2
Foundations of Morality The Dignity and Sovereignty of God The dignity of the human person We are made in the image of God and have a higher nature than plants and animals i.e. We can eat bananas, but not humans The purpose of human life communion with God Every relationship has rules of respect To me you shall be sacred; for I, the Lord, am sacred, I who have set you apart from the other nations to be my own. Leviticus 20:26 Natural Law The natural law which is inscribed by the Creator on the heart of every person consists in a participation in the wisdom and the goodness of God. It expresses that original moral sense which enables one to discern by reason the good and the bad. It is universal and immutable and determines the basis of the duties and fundamental rights of the person as well as those of the human community and civil law. Compendium to the Catechism #416 Natural Law CCC #1956 The natural law, present in the heart of each man and established by reason, is universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men. It expresses the dignity of the person and determines the basis for his fundamental rights and duties Natural Law CCC #1956 The natural law, present in the heart of each man and established by reason, is universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men. It expresses the dignity of the person and determines the basis for his fundamental rights and duties Natural Law CCC #1959 The natural law, the Creator's very good work, provides the solid foundation on which man can build the structure of moral rules to guide his choices. It also provides the indispensable moral foundation for building the human community. Finally, it provides the necessary basis for the civil law with which it is connected, whether by a reflection that draws conclusions from its principles, or by additions of a positive and juridical nature. 3
Natural Law Because natural law is written into our very nature, it is universal and unchanging All have the same rights and obligations under natural law All must obey natural law Discoverable by reason Natural law is the basis of civil law, but is superior to it Natural Law CCC #1960 The precepts of natural law are not perceived by everyone clearly and immediately. In the present situation sinful man needs grace and revelation so moral and religious truths may be known "by everyone with facility, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error." The natural law provides revealed law and grace with a foundation prepared by God and in accordance with the work of the Spirit. How do we know good from bad? CCC 1796 Conscience is a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act. Not a feeling, but a judgment of reason Catholic guilt can be a good thing if based on a formed conscience How do we know good from bad? CCC 1796 Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience. Our consciences can be wrong & corroded We form our consciences by: Right reason (Natural Law) Revelation (Revealed Law) The Catholic Church has authority from God to teach infallibly on faith and morals The Morality of an Action The morality of human actions depend on three things: The object of choice - the specific action chosen to reach the goal what you are doing (the means) Most important factor in determining morality There are actions that are intrinsically evil The intention, the purpose, or the goal in view what you are aiming at (this always comes first) The circumstances of the action what is happening around the act. When is an action morally good? The object of choice (action itself) must be good If this is evil, the whole action is evil no matter the intention The intention must be good A good intention does not make a bad action good, but a bad intention can make a good action evil Ex: giving money to the poor to be honored The circumstances can increase or decrease the responsibility of the one acting Circumstances don t change the morality of an action 4
Examples Suzy walks into the store and sees a beautiful necklace that would really impress her friends, but she doesn't have the money. So she puts it in her bag when no one is looking. It is Super Bowl Sunday and Tom has 15 friends coming over and needs to get ready for them. So he decides to skip Mass and spend the morning setting up. False Theories of Morality Relativism or Subjectivism something is good or evil because I believe it is so Society would crumble: there could be no laws Self-contradiction is it absolutely true that there are no absolute values? How could you tell some to notkill you? ->Anarchy Consequentialism an action is good or evil depending on the results Would have to be God to know all the results The ends don t justify the means How to Respond to Modern Claim You can t tell other people what to do? You are imposing your morality (or religion)? o Self-contradiction you can t is telling me what to do o No one actually believes this. Everyone imposes their morality when they say, Don t kill me o Morality / Natural Law is based on reason and not just revelation. I don t have to believe in God to know murder is wrong. o Free will does not mean I can do whatever I want to whom ever I want. That is licentiousness & anarchy. Laws must be based on morality otherwise it is just the tyranny of those in power How to Respond to Modern Claim DON T JUDGE ME! o Self-contradiction you are judging me by telling me not to do something o You can judge the morality of an action without judging the soul of the person (i.e. culpability) o We are not God we don t get to determine morality (that was the temptation of Adam & Eve) I am judging that you deserve better than that. You are created for more than sin. I m judging that you have dignity and these actions are beneath your dignity. St. Augustine of Hippo Lived 354-430AD Mother was St. Monica Unbaptized and lived a sinful life, living with a woman and fathering a child out of wedlock Met St. Ambrose at 30 Struggled with sin for three years Found Romans 13:13-14 Romans 13:13-14 Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 5
St. Augustine of Hippo Baptized at 33 Ordained priest at 36 Bishop at 41 You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. St. Augustine of Hippo Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace. What is sin? An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth, and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God. In judging the gravity of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and venial sins. CCC Glossary Two Types of Sins If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal (1 John 5:16-17 ). Venial sins Sin which does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. Mortal sins A grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner (sanctifying grace), constituting a turn away from God. The Reality of Sin Three Conditions for a Sin to be Mortal Grave matter something gravely contrary to the divine law and to the ultimate end of man Full knowledge of the evil of the act knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. Full consent of the will consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Mortal sin destroys in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible. Unrepented, it brings eternal death. How do we know what is Mortal/Venial The Catholic Church has authority to teach about morality both in natural law and revealed law (Scripture & Tradition), including what is mortal / venial Not just the 10 Commandments they summarize morality Thou shalt not kill extends to not enslaving or stabbing So important to inform our faith to learn what God has taught us in Jesus Christ & His Church 6
The Ten Commandments Exodus 20:2-17 & Deuteronomy 5:6-21 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 mother. The Ten Commandments 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness. 9. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife 10.You shall not covet your neighbor s goods. What is a Virtue? VIRTUE: An habitual and firm disposition to do the good. The moral virtues are acquired through human effort aided by God's grace; the theological virtues are gifts of God. The Beatitudes Mt 5:3-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. Mark 1:14-19 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11 7