2. INTRODUCTION
What is Life in Christ?

3. Hearing God’s Voice
Path to happiness: put into practice Jesus’ example and his teaching.

4. What is Morality? Morality
Knowledge based on human experience, reason, and God’s revelation that discovers what we ought to do.

5. What is Morality?

6. What is Morality?
Three main sources of knowledge to reach conclusions about how we should act:
Human reason – our God-given intellects
Human experience – the collective wisdom of others, living and dead
Divine revelation – the teachings of God as found in the scriptures and the teachings of the Church (Tradition)

7. What is Morality? Gifts of the Holy Spirit
God-given abilities that help us live a Christian life with God’s help. Jesus promised and bestows these gifts through the Holy Spirit, especially in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom
Understanding
Knowledge
Counsel – right judgment
Fortitude
Piety - reverence
Fear of the Lord – wonder and awe

8. What is Morality? Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Described as the firstfruits of eternal glory
Holy Spirit
of the
Fruits
Charity
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Generosity
Gentleness
Faithfulness
Modesty
Control
Self-
Chastity

9. What is Morality? Magisterium
The official teaching authority of the Church. Jesus gave the right and power to teach in His name to Peter and the apostles and their successors, the pope and the college of bishops.

10. What is Morality? A Response to God
Responsibility requires freedom and intelligence.
Morality is a response to a loving God and a continuing venture to become fully the persons God wants us to be.
We can because of:
Intelligence and freedom
Help of the Holy Spirit

11. Living a Moral Life
Means deciding and then acting according to God’s plan for us.
Means being responsible and cooperative with God’s grace to live a fully human life.
Allows the Holy Spirit to work in us, making us like Jesus
Strengthens our friendship with God
Makes us persons of integrity who are responding to our God-given vocation
Attracts other people to God and to the Christian faith, helping to build up Christ’s body, the Church
Helps bring about God’s reign on earth, “a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

12. Character and Virtue Character
Who we really are and who we are becoming through our choices and actions

13. Character and Virtue Summary of character:
Persons with good moral characters are loving – living out Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor.

14. Character and Virtue Virtues
Healthy, good habits that help us do good and empower us to become what God wants us to be.
Virtues

15. Character and Virtue Faith Virtues Hope Love/ Charity Fortitude
Cardinal
Theological
Faith
Hope
Love/ Charity
Prudence
Fortitude
Justice
Temperance

16. empower us to be good so that we may do good.
Character and Virtue
Theological Virtues
Infused by God into our souls, enable us to live in relationship to the Blessed Trinity.
Gifts from God that
empower us to be good so that we may do good.

17. Character and Virtue Theological Virtues
Faith – enables us to believe in God
Hope – enables us to desire
heaven and eternal life
enables us to love God and our neighbor
Charity/Love – greatest virtue of all;

18. Four hinge virtues that support moral living
Character and Virtue
Four hinge virtues that support moral living
Cardinal Virtues

19. Character and Virtue Cardinal Virtues responsible decision-making
Prudence – practical wisdom;
neighbor what is due by right
Justice – giving God and their
our own convictions and do the morally right thing
Fortitude – strength and courage to stand firm in
Temperance – moderation that
brings balance in our life

20. Character and Virtue

21. Nine Steps for Living a Moral Life
Appreciating the gift of being human.
Using your intellect.
Looking to the law to guide your freedom.
Imitating Jesus.
Forming, informing, and following your conscience.
Repenting and seeking forgiveness when you sin.
Loving God above all.
Loving yourself.
Loving your neighbor as yourself.

22. Vocabulary Morality Gifts of the Holy Spirit Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Magisterium
Character
Virtues
Theological virtues
Cardinal virtues

24. Chapter One
The Gift of Being Human

25. Helps to help us be true to ourselves:
Made in God’s image – and acting accordingly
Helps to help us be true to ourselves:
Everyone doesn’t have to like us.
It’s okay to make mistakes.
Other people are okay; so are you.
You don’t have to control everything.
We are responsible for how we feel and what we do.
It is important to try.
We are capable and can change. The same is true of others.
We can be flexible.

26. Christian beliefs about creation
Humans are Made in the
Divine Image
God freely created humans out of love. God is the Creator; we are not. We are God’s creatures.
We are magnificent creatures, the summit of God’s creative activity God has put humans in charge of the rest of creation, commanding us to lovingly care for and use it for human betterment.
Christian beliefs about creation

27. God makes us in the divine image
Humans are unique because God made us in the divine image, enabling us to share in God’s own life.
We are spiritual beings who possess incomparable dignity, value, and worth.
We are made out of love, for love, and to love.

28. Creation is Good Nihilism Made in God’s image – and acting accordingly
A philosophy that denies there’s any meaning in existence or in religious beliefs. The only thing that matters after life is nothingness, annihilation

29. Human Dignity Dignity is the quality of being worthy of
esteem or respect. Every human
person has worth and value
because each person
is made in God’s
image.
Inherent
means inborn
or inherited, something
that does not need to be earned
or acquired

30. Our Spiritual Nature
What separates humans from other earthly creatures?
Ability to think
Free will
Ability to love
Responsible beings
Capacity to grow

31. Our Spiritual Nature Free Will
“The power rooted in reason and will [that enables a person], to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.

32. The Christian virtue of social charity and friendship
Our Spiritual Nature
Principle of Subsidiarity
solidarity
“Sum total of social conditions that allows people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.” (Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, 26)
subsidiarity
The Christian virtue of social charity and friendship
The principle of Catholic social teaching that holds that a higher unit of society should not do what a lower unit can do as well (or better)
common good

33. The Social Nature of Humans
God made us social beings.
It is part of our human nature to live in various societies.
Societies are groups that are bound by a principle of unity that goes beyond each individual in these communities (e.g. families, neighborhoods, schools)

34. Humans are Wounded by Sin
Original Sin
The flaw in human nature, the tendency toward sin, traditionally ascribed to Adam and Eve, depriving us of original holiness and original justice.

35. Humans are Wounded by Sin
God’s love and salvation revealed through the life, passion, death, resurrection, and glorification (ascension) of Jesus Christ. The sacraments, especially the Eucharist, celebrate this great mystery of God’s love
Paschal Mystery

36. Humans are Wounded by Sin

37. Vocabulary Nihilism Dignity Inherent Free will Subsidiarity
Common good
Solidarity
Original sin
Paschal mystery

39. Making Moral Decisions
Chapter Two
Making Moral Decisions

40. Right Reason in Action Prudence
The moral virtue that inclines us to lead good, ethical, and moral lives of action; “right reason in action,” as St. Thomas Aquinas said.

41. Right Reason in Action Prudence is necessary for correct judgment.
Prudence forms our character and helps us to more easily make good choices and then act on them.

42. Right Reason in Action
A decision-making process that attends to the implications and consequences of an action or choice.
Discernment

43. (Effect on OTHERS; Get the advice of OTHERS)
Right Reason in Action
Search out the facts
Think about the various alternatives and consequences
STOP
Pray
Others
(Effect on OTHERS; Get the advice of OTHERS)

44. Search Out the Facts WHAT Moral Object
What is the content or “matter” of our moral decisions
WHAT
Helps reveal to us whether the matter of our action is good or bad

45. Search out the Facts Moral Object
Actions consist of some of the following elements:
Actions express who we are
Actions make or form us into the persons we are growing to be
Actions impact the world around us, doing good or bringing about harm

46. Search out the Facts Moral Object
The moral content of an action that suggests whether the action is directed toward the true good.

47. Search out the Facts Two Rules of Morality
Your acts must promote the true good of humans or they are wrong.
Make sure your actions always conform to objective norms of morality like the Ten Commandments.

48. The aim or objective of a course of action;
Search out the Facts
Intention
The aim or objective of a course of action;
WHY?

49. Search out the Facts Intention
Is targeted at the goal of an action, what good (or evil) I want to happen.
Why am I doing this?

50. Search out the Facts Intention Rules for governing intentions:
Keep the intention good – for something to be morally good both the action and intention must be good.
The end does not justify the means – for an action to be moral, the means must be moral

51. Search out the Facts means
A method, course of action , or instrument by which something can be accomplished

52. The answers to questions that begin with who, where, when, and how
Search out the Facts
The answers to questions that begin with who, where, when, and how
The conditions or facts attending an event and having some bearing on it. Can increase or decrease the moral goodness or evil of an action.
circumstances

53. Search out the Facts
Circumstances
Circumstances of themselves cannot change the moral quality of acts themselves; they can make neither good nor right an action that is in itself evil (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1754)

54. Think About the Alternatives and Consequences
Until alternatives are considered, moral decisions should not be made.
Thinking out alternatives involves creativity and dreaming.

55. Think About the Alternatives and Consequences
We should never act without considering the consequences of our actions.
Consequences are not the only or decisive factor in the morality of actions; the moral object is the decisive factor.
Ask the following question: Would I be willing to allow everyone in a similar situation to act this way?

56. Others Be Considerate of Others
We must always ask how our proposed actions will affect others.
We must heed the advice of those who are wiser than us.

57. Others Be Consultive of Others The Church and its Magisterium
Consult with people who have made tough decisions before and take their advice.
The Church and its Magisterium
Forming our consciences only after considering the good of all, and paying attention to the moral law as taught by the Church’s Magisterium, is a proven way to discern and do God’s will.

58. Pray Christian moral living is sustained by prayer.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prayer as “the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit (2565)
Prayer is a conversation with God consisting of two parts: talking and listening.

59. Prudence Discernment Moral object Intention Means Circumstances
Vocabulary
Prudence
Discernment
Moral object
Intention
Means
Circumstances

61. Law as a Guide to Freedom
CHAPTER THREE
Law as a Guide to Freedom

62. Freedom, responsibility and law go hand-in-hand in the moral life
Look to the Law
Freedom, responsibility and law go hand-in-hand in the moral life

63. Freedom and Responsibility
Characteristics of Freedom
Freedom
“The power, rooted in reason and will, … to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility” (CCC, 1731)

64. Freedom and Responsibility
Characteristics of Freedom
The philosophy that holds that every event, action, and decision results from something independent of the human will.
Determinism

65. Freedom and Responsibility
Kinds of Freedom
External freedom freedom from factors outside of ourselves that threaten to destroy our power to exercise choice.
Internal freedom freedom from interior factors that limit choice.

66. Freedom and Responsibility
Limits of Freedom
Human freedom is not absolute but limited.
True freedom is not license.

67. Freedom and Responsibility
Abuses Against Freedom
Abuses of freedom results in sin.
Major impediments to the exercise of true freedom:
Ignorance – not knowing what we should do or not do
Inadvertence – not paying attention or being distracted while acting
Duress – freedom is impeded when someone tries to force us to do something
Inordinate attachments – money or other possessions enslave us and we do not act with full freedom
Fear – panic in the face of danger
Habit – repeated behaviors that are good (virtues) or bad (vices)

68. Responsibility imputable
Ascribed, attributed, or definitely linked to a specific accountable person or entity
imputable

69. Responsibility Emotions and Morality
Emotions are morally neutral. However, to the degree that they engage our reason and will, we can find moral good or evil in them.

70. Responsibility Jesus is the fundamental norm of Christian morality.
In Union With Christ
Jesus is the fundamental norm of Christian morality.
Jesus is the standard or model on whom we should pattern our lives.

71. Guidelines or laws that can help regulate human freedom
Responsibility
In Union With Christ
norms
Guidelines or laws that can help regulate human freedom

72. Responsibility
In Union With Christ
Source of norms are Scriptures, Tradition, and human reason.
Belief Values Principles

73. Law and Morality
Law
“An ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the one who is in charge of the community” (Saint Thomas Aquinas, in CCC, 1976).

74. Law and Morality Elements of Law: Law is reasonable.
Law is for the common good.
Competent authority makes law.
Law must be promulgated.

75. Law and Morality natural law
The reasoned participation of humans in God’s eternal law that reveals what God intends us to do and to avoid according to his wise and loving plan.

76. Law and Morality Natural Law
Natural law is our participation in the divine law.
Natural law teaches us what to do and what to avoid.
Natural law corresponds to three basic human drives and needs:
Preserving life
Developing as individuals and communities
Sharing life with others
Natural law is universal, permanent, and unchanging throughout history.

77. Law and Morality Also known as the Law of Moses
The Old Law
Also known as the Law of Moses
Ten Commandments summarize the moral prescriptions of the Old Law

78. Law and Morality Divine Law has four purposes: The New Law
It helps us stay on the right path on our journey to God.
It helps us discern what is right when there are conflicting ideas of right and wrong.
It speaks of motivation.
It indicates what is sinful.

79. Law and Morality The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the new law.
It helps us understand the core attitudes that precede our actions.
Can be summarized in two Gospel teachings:
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” (Mt 7:12)
“Love one another as I love you.” (Jn 15:12)

80. Law and Morality evangelical counsels The New Law
Vows taken to poverty, chastity, and obedience in order to live the Gospel more fully. The evangelical counsels were typically embraced by those in religious life.
evangelical counsels

81. Law and Morality precepts of the Church canon law The New Law
The minimal obligations for members in good standing of the Catholic faith community
precepts of the Church
The full body of officially established rules governing the Catholic Church, which was last revised in 1983.
canon law

82. Law and Morality Church Law Six Precepts of the Church:
You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.
You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.

83. Vocabulary Freedom Determinism Imputable Law Natural law
Evangelical counsels
Precepts of the Church
Canon law