2. Our Catholic Faith Living What We Believe
CHAPTER 9
Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments
 Guidance
 Called to Happiness
 Love God: The First Three Commandments
 Love Your Neighbor: The Fourth through Tenth Commandments

3. We violate the Ten Commandments at our own risk
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Guidance
Good laws, rules, and regulations are formed in part to help keep us safe
We violate the Ten Commandments at our own risk
In the Beatitudes, Jesus offered a deep examination of the Christian life of love and service to others

4. Does God really want us to be happy? Yes, God wants us to be happy
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Called to Happiness
Does God really want us to be happy?
Yes, God wants us to be happy
Only God’s goodness and love can satisfy our hunger for true happiness
From the beginning of creation, God desired humans to share in his divine nature
Jesus left us a “blue-print” for happiness: we are to keep his commandments and live the Beatitudes

5. The Beatitudes complete the promises that God made to Abraham
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Called to Happiness
The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes complete the promises that God made to Abraham
They show us how to fulfill our desire for happiness
They teach us how we should live in order to reach our eternal destiny of union with him

6. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Called to Happiness
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Jesus blesses those who know that only God’s righteousness can fulfill us.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Jesus blesses those who mourn over injustices and evils committed against God’s people in need.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land. Jesus treated others with gentleness and compassion – we too should be patient with the weaknesses of others.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wants us to recognize our spiritual poverty – everything we are and everything we have are gifts from God.

7. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Called to Happiness
Blessed they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Suffering for faith in Jesus is a great sign of love for him and if we remain faithful to him, he will reward us with eternal happiness in Heaven.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. A person with a clean heart has a single-minded commitment to God.
Blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy. Our forgiveness of others, especially our enemies, is a sign to the world of a merciful God who loves everyone.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Christians are, and must be, peacemakers.

8. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love God: The First Three Commandments
First Commandment: I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
Make God the top priority in our lives by practicing the theological virtues
Worship God and share our faith with others
Practice the virtue of religion
Prayer
Violations
Heresy
Apostasy
Schism
Presumption
Despair
Ingratitude
Spiritual laziness
Superstition
Idolatry
Divination
Sorcery
Irreligion
Sacrilege
Simony
Atheism

9. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love God: The First Three Commandments
Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
Honor God’s name through praise, reverence, and adoration
Our names are also holy
Forbids the wrong use of God’s name or the names of Jesus, Mary, or any saint
Keep promises and vows and always be true to our word
Violations
Perjury
Blasphemy
Swearing an oath with an intention to break it
Use of swearing, cursing, vulgar language

10. Third Commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love God: The First Three Commandments
Third Commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
The purpose is to praise God for his works of creation and to thank him
God gives this commandment to all people for them to have a day of rest and recreation
We acknowledge the one we are totally dependent on
Jesus brought new meaning to the Sabbath observance – we worship, praise, and thank God for the gift of the Son
Catholics are obliged to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
Violation
Willfully missing Mass

11. Forth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother.
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Forth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother.
Family is the domestic Church
Parents should: respect children, educate them in the Catholic faith, loving home, unconditional love
Behaviors from children: thankfulness, respecting, obey, meeting the physical and spiritual needs of aged parents, treat siblings with respect and love
Respect and obedience is due all proper Church and other authority figures
Violation
Societal laws that conflict with God’s will or God’s law

12. Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.
Human life is sacred from the first moment of conception until natural death
We show respect for God’s gift of life by eating healthy, getting proper exercise and rest, avoiding harmful substances, etc.
Any direct and intentional killing of a human being is a violation
Killing in self-defense is morally permissible as a last resort
Violations
Direct abortion
Intentional euthanasia
Suicide
Scandal
Immoral medical procedures

13. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Sixth and Ninth Commandments: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
Violations
Lust
Masturbation
Fornication
Pornography
Prostitution
Rape
Homosexual activity
Adultery
God gave us the gift of sexuality so that married couples can share their love and cooperate with God in bringing forth new life
Exercise the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty
Married couples should be faithful to each other
Chastity requires lifelong self-control

14. Both commandments support the institution of marriage
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Sixth and Ninth Commandments: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
Further Violations
Adultery
Divorce
Polygamy
Both commandments support the institution of marriage
Sexual intercourse in marriage has two purposes: unitive and procreative
Children are a gift of marriage

15. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Seventh and Tenth Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
God created the goods of creation for everyone
Do not become too attached to belongings
Justice calls us to respect the property of others and to share our things
Jesus teaches that poverty of spirit is the way to combat sinful attitudes
Keep promises and do not break contracts
Violations
Greed
Avarice
Envy

16. Commutative justice regulates relations between individuals
Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Seventh and Tenth Commandments: You shall not steal. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Types of justice
Social justice applies the teachings of Christ and the Church to political, economic, and social orders
Legal justice concerns our duties as citizens and what we owe the government
Commutative justice regulates relations between individuals
Distributive justice deals with the obligations the community has to its citizens

17. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments Love Your Neighbor: 4th – 10th Commandments
Eighth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Teaches that truth-telling is a matter of justice
We respect other people, their reputations, their right to privacy
Governments and entertainment industries are to use the media responsibly and not for propaganda or to promote immoral behavior
Violations
Lying
False witness
Perjury
Rash judgment
Detraction
Calumny

18. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments VOCABULARY
Heresy (239)
Apostasy (239)
Schism (239)
Presumption (239)
Despair (239)
Superstition (239)
Idolatry (239)
Divination (240)
Sorcery (240)
Irreligion (240)
Sacrilege (240)
Simony (240)
Atheism (240)
Humanists (240)
Communists (240)
Agnostic (240)
Oath (241)
Perjury (241)
Blasphemy (241)
Cursing (241)
Murder (245)
Abortion (246)
Euthanasia (246)
Chastity (247)
Modesty (247)
Lust (247)
Perjury (254)
Rash judgment (254)
Detraction (254)
Calumny (254)

19. Chapter 9 Christian Moral Life: The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations  will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.‘ Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?‘ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25:31-40