LESSON 2: We are Called to be Free

Path 4: Meaning of Human FreedomPath 5: Levels of

FreedomPath 6: Freedom & Moral Obligation

Option 2:• Reflect and enumerate your

“free” and “unfree” experiences.

SHARING…

Guide Questions:

1. Identify the time when you think you were free.

2. Why do you think you were free in that circumstance?

3. Through the experiences you cited, what connotation do most of us have on freedom?

4. Do you truly believe that these are the definitions of freedom?

Sacred Scriptures: John 4:4-42

Guide Questions:1. What do you think is the reason

why Jesus visited the place of Shechem, Samaria? Is there any reason why He stopped over that place?

2. Can you consider the Samaritan woman free in the story? Yes or No, then Why?

3. What do you think are the reasons why the woman is fetching water at noon time?

4. What do you think is the water in the story symbolizes?

5. What kind of God did the Samaritan woman encountered in the story?

- Jesus wants the Samaritan to change her life from being a sinner to a loving and good person.

- Jesus revealed her sinful past. Jesus revealed her true identity.

- He instructs the woman to leave the jar with water that means that He is instructing the woman to change to a better one.

- Jesus Christ wants to exercise authentic freedom for us to achieve life everlasting.

- Ezekiel 18:21 says, “But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he does all my decrees and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

Church Teaching: Pastoral Constitution in the Modern World (Gaudium

et Spes 17)Only in freedom can man direct himself toward

goodness. Our contemporaries make much of this freedom and pursue it eagerly; and rightly so, to be sure. Often, however, they foster it perversely as a license for doing whatever pleases them, even if it is evil.

For it is part, authentic freedom is an exceptional sign of divine image within man. For God has willed that man be left “in the hand of his own counsel” so that he can seek his creator spontaneously, and come freely to utter and blissful perfection through loyalty to Him.

Freedom is NOT:• A license to do anything I want, even

if it is evil• Nothing or nobody dictates• Having no limitations and

responsibilities• When can I have endless fun and

excitements

What FREEDOM is?• realized when a person does what is

good- always towards goodness • always social and relational• has a moral limit: welfare of others • exceptional• sign of divine image within a person

THEREFORE, FREEDOM IS…

•Choosing to do what is good.-When we achieve the true dignity

of our freedom when.- To grow in Maturity.

• Choosing to do what is good.

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

ACTIVITY: Read the scriptures silently with your partners.

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

Answer the following questions: 1. What does “cravings of the flesh” mean?

2. The statement, “It was for liberty that Christ freed us” states that Christ saved us. He saved us from what?

3. We are called to live in what way?

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

“It was for liberty that Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take on yourselves the yoke of slavery for the

second time!

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

My brothers, remember that you have been called to live

in freedom—but not a freedom that gives free

rein to the flesh.

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

Out of love, place yourselves at one another’s service.

My point is that you should live in accord with the Spirit and will not yield

Sacred Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16 “True Freedom”

to the cravings of the flesh.”

Church Teaching: CFC 696-687

Authentic freedom involves two aspects: • Freedom from- is a deliverance from

anything and everything that hinders us from doing the good and developing the true self.• Freedom from everything that

opposes our true self-becoming with others in the community.

• Interior Obstacles• - Ignorance• - Disordered Passions• - Fears• - Guilt• - Personality Defects• - Bad Habits• - Prejudices• - Psychological and Emotional

Disturbances• Exterior Obstacles• - Violence or Threats of Violence• - Economic Instability• - Social Pressure• - Political or Cultural Influences

What is the greatest single obstacle to our authentic exercise of freedom?

SIN…

• Freedom for - is the power to work towards fulfillment to which our nature is ordered and to which Christ invites us full life in His kingdom.• Freedom for growing as full persons

and children of God, sharing in the life of Christ. It is the freedom found in AUTHENTIC LOVE.

Church Teaching: CFC 696-687

With DignityInnately Good

We must free ourselves from those obstacles for it makes us less human and hinders us to grow to full persons.

Reflect…WHAT ARE MY PERSONAL

OBSTACLES?

• What is/are the reason/s why we continue to allow those obstacles in our life?

Church Teaching: CFC 697

2 Levels of Freedom1. Freedom of Choice

– Man’s gift of freedom refers to our capacity to make choices.

Without FREEDOM we can’t make a choice between…

2. Fundamental Freedom – Who we are today and will be in the future is based mostly on our free acts.- Our being who we are is a result of our choosing.- There is no other way of developing ourselves except through our free choices.

Church Teaching: CFC 697

• Truly, what ever our choices in life tell us who we are as a person. And every choice we make has an effect either good or bad depending on its nature. Letting go of our obstacles and embracing our nature as dignified being who are innately good capable of becoming full persons is always the best choice we can make. Deciding to be this kind of person everyday makes us truly human and leads us to God’s Kingdom.

Obstacles/HindrancesFull Persons, Truly Human

Good Vibrations….

• What is/are the obstacle/s the man in the window has?

• Who among the characters exercise authentic freedom?

• Among the choices presented, what do you think is the best choice, why?

“Story of Zaccheaus” Luke 19:1-10

- READ SILENTLY…

Questions:

• What kind of life did Zaccheus have? • What did Zaccheus hear about

Jesus?• What did Zaccheus decide to do

upon hearing that Jesus is coming in Jericho?• What does this act of Zaccheus

imply?• What is the effect of Jesus in the life

of Zaccheus?

Answers:

What kind of life did Zaccheus have? • A man who reached the top of his

proffesion as a tax collector. He was wealthy but he was not happy.

What did Zaccheus decide to do upon hearing that Jesus is coming in Jericho?•He decided to see Jesus.

Answers:

What does this act of Zaccheus imply?• He was reaching out for the

love of God. He wanted to change his sinful lifestyle and be truly happy.

Answers:

What is the effect of Jesus in the life of Zaccheus?• He was inspired to purify his life

of greed and indifference and to fulfill his moral obligations to his brethren and those who he may have cheated.

Answers:

Those who accept JESUS

Purified Life

Fulfills his MORAL

OBLIGATIONS

Authentic Freedom

Church Teaching: Dignitatis Humanae 11

•Authentic Freedom and moral obligation are related.

Following the 10 Commandments

Moral Obligation:

Is it also a GUIDELINE?

What is the difference of COMMANDMENTS and GUIDELINES?• Commandments – MUST • Guidelines – Just a GUIDE

Church Teaching: Dignitatis Humanae 11

Therefore, the 10 Commandments MUST be obeyed all the time.

Church Teaching: Dignitatis Humanae 11

• All commandments foster freedom...• It LEADS US TO BECOME FULL

PERSONS. • Frees us from OBSTACLES for us

to be FULL PERSONS.God love us so much that’s why

He gave us the commandments…

• Authentic Moral Obligation helps us to be freer by directing all of us against what is sinful and harmful and leads us to what is right and loving relationship with God.

Church Teaching: Dignitatis Humanae 11

•Moral obligation moves us, it’s not forced or out of compulsion but doing it freely with whole hearts.

Church Teaching: Dignitatis Humanae 11

IF WE PUT IN MIND THAT MORAL OBLIGATIONS IS GIVEN OUT OF LOVE THEN WE WILL

OBEY WHOLE-HEARTEDLY…

TRULY FREE = TRULY HAPPY!

Those who accept GOD and His Commands

Purified Life Fulfills his moral

obligations

To achieve AUTHENTIC FREEDOM is hard… what can we do to

obtain it, how can we make it easier?

“Conversion is possible through JESUS CHRIST,

through the HOLY SPIRIT who enables us to change from what is evil to what is good for

others and for ourselves.”

Activity: Interview (Role Play)• By committee• One of the members of each committee will act as a

reporter.• The reporter will ask different members of the

community.• She will ask what is freedom for him/her and how can

she pursue what is good?• Selected members of the committee will act as priest,

vendor, fisherman, farmer, teacher, student, mother, fireman, politician

Criteria:

• Content – 10• Cooperation – 3• Creativity and Stage Presence – 2TOTAL : 15 POINTS

Freedom is authentically exercised in choosing and pursuing what is morally good. In essence, it is the power to choose to act like someone who is created in God’s image and likeness. We are rational beings created with intellect and free will and thus, responsible for our own free acts. Through our free actions, we gradually shape our own life and can become the person we are called to be in following Jesus Christ, our Lord.

INTEGRATION: Doctrine

Questions;

1. Give a COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF FREEDOM BASED ON THE SCRIPTURES & CHURCH TEACHINGS.

- Authentic Freedom - choosing to do what is good.

- Authentic freedom is fully realized in Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is the grace and power of Christ’s Spirit within us the liberates us from sin so that we may live a life of loving service to our fellow man.

2. What are the two levels of freedom according to CFC 696-687?

• Freedom from-is a deliverance from anything and everything that hinders us from doing the good and developing the true self.

• Freedom for- is the power to work towards fulfillment to which our nature is ordered and to which Christ invites us full life in His kingdom.

3. Why freedom is never separated with moral obligation?

- Freedom and moral obligation are always together and do not contradict each other. Authentic moral obligation helps us to be freer by directing all of us against what is sinful and harmful and leads us to what is right.

• Share your personal experience of freedom. Relate the following concepts above with your answers.

EVALUATION: I. Write FREE if the statement is true. Write FLEE is the

statement is false.

1. The Samaritan woman’s decision to get water from the well at noon is a sign of freedom.

2. Jesus revealed the past of the woman to reveal the Samaritan’s identity.

3. The choices which we make every day greatly affect our self-becoming.

4. Freedom from is a deliverance from anything and everything that hinders us from doing the good and developing the true self.

5. Freedom from is the power to work towards fulfillment to which our nature is ordered and to which Christ invites us full life in His kingdom.

6. Authentic moral obligation helps us to be freer by directing all of us against what is sinful and harmful and leads us to what is right.

7. We need not free ourselves from anything and everything that may hinder our vocation to become the person we’re called to be.

8. We need to direct ourselves toward the good so that we may grow as full persons and children of God the divine life of Christ through the Spirit.

II. Essay: • 9. - 11. Define the meaning of freedom

according to the Scriptures and Church Teachings. Cite personal examples. (5 sentences only)• 12. – 15. Based on your new

understanding of freedom, what are you challenged to do to be truly free? *Answer the question above by illustrating your own symbol of freedom. Give its brief explanation.

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how great is your name throughout the earth! And your glory in the heavens above.

Even the mouths of children and infants exalt your glory in front of

your foes and put to shame enemies and rebels.

Psalm 8

When I observe the heavens, the work of your hands, the

moon and the stars you set in their place---what is mortal that you are mindful of him,

the son of man, that you should care for him?

Psalm 8

Yet you made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him

with glory and honor. You made him rule over the works of your

hands; you put all things under his feet---sheep and oxen without

number and even the beasts of the field.

Psalm 8

The bird of the air, the fish of the sea, and all that swim the paths of the

ocean. O Lord, our Lord, how great is your name all

over earth!