Life in ChristLife in ChristPart 1Part 1

USCCA Chapter 23USCCA Chapter 23

Friday, April 21, 2023Friday, April 21, 2023

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

1. The third pillar of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults concerns the living of Christian morality.

a. The Creed presents to us the truths of God’s plan of salvation and the invitation to respond to God in faith.

b. The Sacraments give us the grace to live the life to which God calls us.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

1. The third pillar of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults concerns the living of Christian morality.

c. The moral life, aided by the grace of the sacraments, makes it possible to live a life of faith.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

2. The fundamental principle of the moral life is that every person is created in the image and likeness of God.

a. Being made in the image and likeness of God protects the dignity of each person.

b. God has given every person an immortal soul.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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2. The fundamental principle of the moral life is that every person is created in the image and likeness of God.

c. Living a moral life is difficult because of Original Sin.

i. Our intellects have been darkened.

ii. Our will has been weakened.

iii. We have concupiscence.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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2. The fundamental principle of the moral life is that every person is created in the image and likeness of God.

d. Human imperfections never extinguish the image of God in each person.

e. Only human life bears the image and likeness of God.

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3. Human beings are free, able to say ‘yes’ to God.

a. Human beings are free to choose for God or against Him.

b. The best way to grow in freedom is to develop the habit of doing good.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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4. The morality of an action is determined by the following sources.

a. The action itself.

b. The intention of the person acting.

c. The circumstances surrounding the action.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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5. Sin is an offense against God and neighbor.

a. Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience.

b. Sins are elevated according to the gravity or seriousness, either as either:

i. Mortal sins, that destroy divine life in us.

ii. Venial sins, that weaken divine life in us.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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5. Sin is an offense against God and neighbor.

c. The three conditions for a mortal sin are:

i. The action itself must be serious, gravely evil.

ii. We must have full knowledge about the gravity of the action.

iii. We must have deliberate consent, the full desire to do the action.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

5. Sin is an offense against God and neighbor.

d. If we are cognizant of having committed a mortal sin, it must be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession prior to receiving the Eucharist.

e. God stands willing to forgive all sins and share His mercy with us; on our part, we must be willing to confess our sins.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

6. Conscience helps us to recognize the morality of an action.

a. Our conscience resides in our deepest core and is given to us by God.

b. A healthy, good conscience is formed over one’s entire life.

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6. Conscience helps us to recognize the morality of an action.

c. We are obliged to form our conscience according to objective moral standards.

d. A conscience not formed can err in its understanding of truth.

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6. Conscience helps us to recognize the morality of an action.

e. We are to always follow a certain conscience.

f. A conscience that makes erroneous judgments must be changed, if at all possible.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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6. Conscience helps us to recognize the morality of an action.

g. We are not to act with a doubtful conscience.

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7. A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good.

a. Virtue supports good moral behavior, controls our passions, and helps us avoid sin.

b. Cardinal virtues, available to all people, are habits of doing good. They are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

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7. A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good.

c. The theological, or God-given, virtues are faith, hope and charity. They are made available to us in the Sacrament of Baptism and help us to live Christ-like lives in union with the Trinity.

d. The seven deadly (or capital) sins are pride, avarice or greed, envy, anger, lust gluttony and sloth or laziness.

Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1Session 1: Life in Christ Part 1

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

For Discussion:For Discussion:

Read Matthew 19:16-22, the story of the rich young man. Describe the encounter between the rich young man and Jesus.

1. Why does Jesus push the rich young man to go beyond morality as simply fulfilling commandments? What is the connection between fulfilling the commandments and moral perfection?

2. How does the rich young man react to Jesus’ words? How is the rich young man’s reaction similar to reaction of people today when confronted with Church teaching on moral issues?