1. LIFE IN CHRIST
Our Moral Life

2. What is the Purpose of Life?
To Know,
love, and serve
God to get to heaven

3. What is Morality?
A standard by which we judge our actions to be good or evil.
Morality can differ from culture to culture
How is the morality in this culture judged?
How can the moral lifestyle of Jesus help us?

4. What is Christianity?
The unveiling of the mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by Jesus, the son.
A name given to a life lived as Jesus Christ (Son of God) lived in word and action.
To live our life as Jesus Christ lived his life

5. It All Starts With God
For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, got started in Him and finds its purpose in him (Col 1:16)
It is God who directs the lives of His creatures; everyone's life is in His power (Job 12:10)
It is in Christ we find out who we are and what we are living for… (Eph 1:11)

6. We Are Not an Accident
I am your creator. You were in my care before you were born (Isaiah 44:2)
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me (Psalm 138:8)
God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all things He made (James 1:18)

7. Knowing your purpose gives your life meaning, simplicity, focus and motivation. It also prepares you for eternity
You Lord give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their faith in you (Isaiah 26:3)

8. What is Christian Morality?
Morality that helps the individual grow in the knowledge and love of God to enable the person to become Christ-like as possible
So what does it mean to be Christ like?

9. What is the difference between Ethics and Christian Morality?
Ethics doesn’t necessarily hold the belief in God as the main principle; it is based on natural morality.
Example- Humanism: humanity is the highest form of existence. It’s end is to produce the highest way of life to gain happiness here on earth.
It ignores many of the questions posed by Aristotle/Plato. (Where do we come from? / What happens after we die?)
It is more a list of do’s and don’ts– like many lived in the time of Jesus. Very narrow / legalistic / hypocritical

10. Human Conduct
The requirements for human conduct are derived not from what we think is reasonable, just, or coherent, but from what God indicates to be so
Because of God’s love for us He desires a relationship with us.

11. What is Love? A strong positive emotion of regard and affection
Any object of warm affection or devotion
A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction
a score of zero in tennis- Ha!!
We know what love is but it is hard to define it.

12. LOVE IS RELATIONSHIPS
Love requires one who loves (giver) and one who is the recipient
Love deals with feelings, emotions
Love requires a giving of ones self
To love requires selflessness

13. Love requires not just that we do “good” to others but that we respect them, listen to them, and be ready to learn from them.
To truly love others, we have to stand ready to receive from them at least as much as we hope to give to them
If “doing good” is not accompanied by respect and mutuality, then love becomes patronizing kindness.
Love requires a reciprocal giving and taking.
Does this attitude require us to look differently at “love thy neighbor”?

14. Why Jesus?
JESUS = LOVE
Christian morality finds its perfection in the moral message taught by Jesus
Jesus reveals God’s relationship to His children- (humanity)
Through Jesus we can demonstrate to others the saving life of God.
He came to promote a new way of living, not to replace one set of rules with another

15. How do we live a life emulating that of Jesus Christ?
G R A C E

16. By God’s Grace – Through the Holy Spirit we receive God’s grace.
Grace strengthens and develops virtues within us. Certain virtues are infused in us (i.e. they are part of our make up)

17. Characteristics that exhibit moral excellence, righteousness, goodness
What are Virtues?
Characteristics that exhibit moral excellence, righteousness, goodness

18. Cardinal Virtues
These virtues are the foundation of all other virtues. These are good habits we can acquire through human effort

19. Prudence
1) Prudence – makes us see what we should do and what we should avoid in order to save our souls, as well as choose the best means to reach heaven. “Right reason in action.” It helps us discover the good in every situation and choose the right method for achieving it.

20. Justice
2) Justice – makes us render to each one his due There are four types:
* Commutative – (community) fairness in our exchange with others. “You get what you pay for and you pay for what you get.”
* Distributive – the obligation of government to its citizens. Justice that guarantees the common welfare. Making sure everyone gets what is necessary to live a truly human life.

21. Legal – the flip side to distributive justice
* Legal – the flip side to distributive justice. It relates the citizens obligations to the larger society and government. It requires that citizens obey the laws of the society
* Social – applies the gospel message of Jesus to the structures, systems and laws of society to guarantee the rights of the individuals. It is also known as contributive justice because we all have a duty to help create goods, services, and other values necessary for living together.

22. Temperance
3) Temperance – helps control evil desires and use rightly the things that please our senses. Enables us to “control” our appetites. It is developed by self denial
These Cardinal virtues help us lead good Christian lives

23. Fortitude
4) Fortitude – gives us strength to do God’s will in the midst of trials and difficulties. “Intestinal courage.” I have the ability to do what is right in the face of adversity, even when fearful

24. Theological Virtues
Theological virtues dispose us to live in a relationship with God (The Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
They are given to us by God
They allow the Holy Spirit to live and work through us
They enable us to share in the divine life of God
They are given at baptism

25. The 3 Theological Virtues
Faith
Hope
Charity

26. Faith 1) – The virtue by which we firmly believe
Empowers us to believe in God and all that God has said and revealed to us
Faith is not just a human act to believe something. It is sharing in God’s own act of knowing which means we can’t share unless we share in God’s divine life.

27. Hope
2) – The virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal happiness in heaven and the means to obtain it.
Helps us desire heaven and eternal happiness, trusting the promise of Christ

28. Charity
3) – The virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbors as ourselves for the love of God– and respect and wisely use God’s good earth

29. Christianity is a Religious Morality
It is not a man-made ethical system
It is revealed by God to clarify the concepts of good /evil
God reveals his ethical plan first to Adam and Eve
God reaffirms with the 10 Commandments
Perfects it in the moral message taught by Jesus and the way he lived it

30. What is Sin?
Sin is when we no longer acknowledge God as our creator and himself wishes to be the one who determines, with complete independence, what is good and evil (Gn. 3:15) The first temptation
Not being faithful to our beliefs and practices makes it impossible to live a style of life proposed by Jesus.
God has not given us permission to sin; only the free will to choose
How do we recognize sin? / Avoid sin?

31. Following and imitating Christ
This IS Christian Morality
Following Christ is to be Christ like: To be a person who fully understands and lives Christian Morality
The imitation of Jesus is not to take the form of a literal copy of his life, but a moral approach
It is a morality of perfection (shooting a basketball /hitting a baseball)
We are called by Christ – Lk 9:59 “Follow me…” – Mk 8:34/ Mt 19:16 “If any man would come after me…”

32. We are obligated to accept this call
Accepting this call of following Jesus requires us to take up our cross and strive to make every moral choice as Jesus would during our daily life.
It is a patterning of our life after his. It is to show the same attitude and disposition Christ displayed

33. Vocation / Discipleship
The story of the young rich man (Mt. 19:16)
Vocation comes from the Latin for call.
Our life is seen as a vocation (calling) to a particular type of life
The word Disciple means “follower” indicating adopting another persons way of life, taking on his particular type of discipline

34. Faith Requires Discipline
We are inclined to seek our own will in spite of the fact we are called to follow Christ
To live a life of true discipleship we must discipline our minds and bodies to make this discipleship possible
Do you improve musically, athletically, physically, mentally without consistent practice, discipline and dedication?

35. Exercises for a Stronger Faith
1) SCRIPTURE
Before every moral choice is made, the question must me asked, “what approach and action would Jesus take in this situation?” The Gospels give us the answer.
Follow Jesus’ example to the best of your ability.
To do so you must have a working knowledge of the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and Epistles.
The goal is to be conformed to Jesus. Others should be able to see him shinning through our words and actions.

36. 2) PRAYER
Prayer is communication with God
Can you have a close, intimate and satisfying relationship with someone you don’t talk to?
God desires to have a relationship with us
It helps us see ourselves in proper relationship to God. We are His servants– He is our God
Prayer helps us see the purpose of God’s calling for our life
Prayer is a two way street. We talk to God and He talks to us

37. Ephesians 1:17-20
You receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him
The eyes of your understanding will be enlightened
You may know what is the hope of His calling
You understand the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe

38. Jesus is our Example
Jesus prayed because of His relationship to the Father
Six times in John’s Gospel Jesus invites us to ask the Father in His name for those things which glorify the Father (John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23,24,26)
Our Lord spent all night in prayer before choosing His disciples (Luke 6:12)
Jesus goes to the desert to pray and be strengthened immediately after His baptism (Matthew 4:1-5)

39. Some Examples of Jesus in Prayer in Marks Gospel
1:35 -prays in a 'solitary place' 6:41 -gives thanks for bread 6:46 -prays on the side of a mountain 8:6 -another prayer of thanks for bread 8:7 -prays thanks for the fish, too 14:22 -gives thanks for dinner bread 14:23 -gives thanks for the wine 14: prays 3x in a garden
Prayer is our power source

40. 3) Church Community
We are social beings
We are dependant on each other; we do not live lives independent of others
It is a communal gathering. We come together to give each other unity
There’s a common experience shared
We are all part of the one Mystical Body of Christ

41. Ubuntu
It is a reference to ones actions toward another fellow human being
I am human because I belong – or
A person is a person through other people
No one comes into the world fully formed

42. We would not know how to think or walk or speak or behave unless we learned it from fellow human beings
We need other human beings in order to be human
The solitary, isolated human being is a contradiction in terms
Because we need one another, our natural tendency is to be cooperative and helpful

43. Summery of Principles
1. Christ’s love is the foundation of Christian morality
Christianity begins with love. Christ’s gift of himself to us is the perfect act of love.
Christ’s love elevates human nature and perfects the natural law.

44. 2. Christian religion has Christ as its end.
In his great love for us Christ established the Church to unite mankind with himself. To seek unity with Christ we must be united with his Church which is his Mystical Body. The institution of Christian religion is based on this idea

45. 3. Our actions affect those with whom we are united
Because we seek to be eternally united with the Mystical Body of Christ, the actions of our lives, both good and bad. Have eternal effects on ourselves and on the whole Church.

46. 4. Christ is our model
Good habits promote an awareness of the value of personal integrity
Good moral habits are founded on good personal habits
Those who habitually try to do the good find making correct choices easier
To ensure that we become like him, Christ gives us the Church, grace and the scriptures

47. Mother Teresa is a perfect example of someone whose words and deeds manifest Christ’s presence within her.

48. Moral choices are not merely the acceptance of laws
They are made as a matter of human freedom and personal determination
Our moral choices stem from and shape our particular attitudes toward life.
Therefore our mind and heart must be trained to be directed toward God.
The secret lies in creating good habits. Goodness is habitual

49. Why encourage Good Habits?
Good habits promote an awareness of the value of personal integrity
Good moral habits are founded on good personal habits
Those who habitually try to do the good find making correct choices easier
The person trying to acquire the Cardinal virtues will find it easier to express these convictions into good acts.

50. Acting out of Love
Christian morality is positive, motivated by the love of God
Motivation by fear limits us to “do’s” and “don'ts”
Christian morality is a choice to return love for love
Love is self sacrifice – selflessness
Christ acted out of love, and He calls us to respond to Him out of love
Love is more than not doing bad—it is the reason we do good

51. Mk 11:12-21 The rich man fails to care for his neighbors needs
Mt 25: The man refuses to make use of his talents
Mk 11: 12-14, The fig tree is condemned because it failed to produce fruit required of it
When we fail to do the required good, we are guilty of sins of omission
Hunger, misery, and war are often falsely attributed to God when they are a product of human sin. We have a moral obligation to avoid and, if possible, prevent these evils

52. Transforming The Soul
The moral life is forged in the heart– the interior of a person
It is in thought, will, and emotion where moral battles are fought
The heart must be kept free from evil thoughts, desires, affections—they lead to bad actions
The senses must be kept under control– since sin begins as a desire
Mt 15:10-20 Jesus explains defilement

53. We are called to Holiness
By Baptism we are incorporated into Christ. Because of that we become what Christ is.
We are united to Christ’s roles as prophet, priest, and king at Baptism

54. Prophet We are witnesses to Jesus Christ
We witness by the lifestyle in which we live
The way we act, treat others, our attitude, all reflects how we are living our faith.

55. Priest Minister to others / live the gospel Nurture others
Be loving to all

56. King
The responsibility of establishing the reign of Christ in the world
Leadership
Stewardship
Being born makes you a creature of God. Being Baptized makes you a child of God

57. Human Intellect / Free Will and God’s Law of Love
The human intellect enables us to recognize and understand God’s command to do good and avoid evil. Free will enables us to choose good with the guidance of our conscience and to obey God’s law of love.

58. Free Will God gives us the freedom to accept/reject His will for us
We are free only to the extent we make good choices
All choices to commit sin limit or reduce freedom and lead to slavery to sin
True freedom is the ability to do what is good

59. Christian Morality Finds its Beginning and End in Love
Fear can keep you from committing sin but only love allows you to do good
Jesus gave the Apostles the 2 great commandments before His ascension
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul
2. Love your neighbor as yourself

60. Living a Moral Life
Three moral principles for a moral life apply to everyone
1. Freedom: which makes a person a moral agent
2. Conscience: which gives us the capacity to discover God’s will as written in our souls
3. Law: which should not limit freedom, but allow it to function properly

61. Living a Moral Life
Right moral conduct perfects the human being – wrong moral conduct degrades him
Humans are the only ones to whom moral good and evil can be attributed to. Animals are only attributed physical good and evil

62. Animals do not sin nor do they practice virtues
Humans are responsible for their actions. Responsibility makes sin possible
Humans act out of thought and deliberation. We are unlike other animals because we have a will and intellect
Intelligence gives meaning to the things and free will allows for the doing or omitting of actions the intellect has determined to be good or bad
Moral theology is the science that teaches us how to choose good and avoid evil

63. Moral and Immoral Acts
What circumstances determines whether and act is moral or immoral?
An act is immoral when it is done with knowledge and free will
Actions that lack knowledge or free will do not fall under the realm of morality

64. Knowledge as a Condition for Morality
Actions without knowledge or free will fall under something called acts of human which are considered differently than human actions (actions like other animals)
Intellect and free will are the spiritual faculties that humans possess
Human acts are acts because the express and determine the goodness or evil of the individual that performs them (and our choices form our character)

65. Because we are rational animals, the first requirement for a moral act is that it be done with knowledge
Sin does not come about by surprise. It requires thought and consent to act
Full knowledge involves clear and deliberate knowledge of the morality of an action

66. Full knowledge Presumes Two Things
Knowing clearly what he or she is doing. Sins do not occur while asleep or semi-unconscious
Being aware of its moral dimension. Knowing the act is a good or an evil

67. Freedom Freedom is our greatest quality
Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act on ones own responsibility
It is a force for growth and maturity in truth and justice
It attains perfection when directed toward God

68. Freedom is one of the central themes of moral theology since the two specific operations of our soul are founded in it—
intellect and will
The higher degrees of freedom a person reaches, the more capable the person is to higher levels of morality
A sinful person becomes a slave to his passions

69. Freedom does not make us free to be who or what we wish
The freedom we have is to establish a loving relationship with God
When we choose to reject this call is when we become slaves to our passions (Romans 7:15)
Doing evil is not freedom, nor a part of freedom, but only a sign that we have the capability to choose
The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom
The proper use of freedom increases our capacity to love the truth and grow in the knowledge of moral virtue

70. One never loses the capability to make choices, but habits of making correct moral choices is necessary for freedom to function (a drug addict)
Freedom is not rooted in the physical ability to do evil, but in the moral duty to do the good—a strong man can abuse a weaker on but he ought not to do so.
We have the physical ability to do many morally objectionable things, but we have the moral duty to avoid them

71. “Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (Rom 6:16)
Thus a person increases his freedom when he rejects evil and does good

72. Responsibility For Ones Actions
Each person is responsible for his own actions and their consequences
There is no freedom independent of responsibility
The way to acquire and grow in freedom is by exercising responsibility
God is not to blame for human evils that originate from our abuse of freedom
War, hunger, crime, drugs, AIDS—none are desired by God. The abuse of human freedom is to blame

73. Is a person less free because he accepts restrictions?
Not all restrictions necessarily involve a loss of freedom. Certain restrictions are in fact a safeguard of freedom. One may accept them because he believes they help to make him free (or stay free)

74. At the end of the day, one must examine his conscience to understand the results of all his moral choices - and eliminate those choices that led to sin

75. What is Conscience?
Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of an act he is going to perform, or has already performed.
It is a practical judgment; it judges whether a particular act is right or wrong from an ethical point of view and advise accordingly

76. By conscience, God’s law is made known to us which is fulfilled in the love of God and of one’s neighbor
Conscience is rooted in the truth—the truth about mankind, law, and what is good and evil
Truths remain true whether we adhere to them or not, conscience is not an infallible guide; there is always the possibility of error in one’s judgment
Conscience does not create truth (law); rather, it finds law and takes it as a guide

77. Conscience does not create truth (God’s law); rather, it finds truth (law) and takes it as a guide
Freedom of conscience is never freedom “from” the truth but always and only freedom “in” the truth
So the value of right conscience prevails over an unjust (man made) law
Our conscience, if formed properly, protects
our dignity and the means necessary to reach happiness

78. Can you think of any examples where civil laws and moral truths conflict with one another?