MORAL LAW FREEDOM GRACE AND VIRTUE

MORAL LAW
Characteristics of the Moral Law
 Moral Law is a demand of our faith: a full commitment to the moral law is essential if
we are to live out our vocation to holiness and abide by Christ’s new commandment of
love.
 Moral Law provides the way to true happiness: it is a pathway toward a liberating
happiness that results from drawing ever closer to Christ. The promise is that if we totally
immerse ourselves in Christ’s life and teachings, we will find a most rewarding, peaceful,
and spiritually gratifying experience.
 The Moral Law leads us to knowledge of the inner life of God and his plans for us.
 Moral Law is based on the Divine Wisdom of God.
 Moral Law and free will. Some general observations about freedom:
o Only persons can be free because they alone can make choices in terms of the
values they recognize
o Freedom is the capacity of the human person, in light of his moral awareness, to
direct himself from within, from the heart; it is his power to determine how he
shall live, to choose the ways in which he expresses his values in his actions (cf.
virtues)
o The one risk that I may not take is to be non-human, not a person, not one who
thinks, pursues values and seeks for meaning, takes over his own life, loves
o Moral evil, SIN, is refusing to determine myself in a way that promotes my own
personal growth and the good of others
o Personal freedom is limited by many things: (1) lack of knowledge, (2) emotion,
passion, fear, anger, rage, grief, (3) circumstances, (4) sin
o Our challenge every step of the way is to assume the direction of our life as well
as we can and to grow
o Morality is not just what we do; it is the way that we freely express ourselves

Some general observations about freedom and responsibility:

o Freedom refers to me as the source of my life, my actions; responsibility refers to
the other person(s) to whom my life, my actions are directed.
o Raw freedom or license is the power to do anything you please, at any time, any
place, any way and is often mistaken for true freedom
o Freedom is only freedom when it is used for its intended purpose, i.e., to relate to
others in giving and receiving and through them to God.
o A responsible person is one who uses his freedom to be in serious, truthful, real
relationship to others; it is impossible to separate the realities symbolized in the
words “person”, “responsibility”, “morality”, and “love”
o We are responsible not only for our actions but for ourselves: in other words in all
of my particular choices, in all the concrete ways that I choose to act or not to act
there are two aspects: I am performing some concrete action, and I am expressing
myself in that action. My activity is given a particular outward (bodily)
expression; in and through that bodily expression I am shaping myself / my life.
o Freedom and responsibility have to do with more than laws and commandments:
in other words there is a greater part of my life in which no particular law tells me

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what to do or not to do; yet in all my behavior I am called to express myself

freely, called to love God and my neighbor; no concrete laws can ever embrace
the whole of my life.
o The responsible freedom of persons is ongoing, dynamic: to be a free and
responsible human person is to be growing toward wholeness and fulfillment;
responsibility ultimately has to do with the ongoing attitude of our life as a whole
o To be a person is to be free, to be free is to be responsible, to be responsible is to
be moral, to be moral is to love

 Moral Law and Grace: We need both freedom and self-mastery to respond to our
vocation to holiness. To achieve this we must acknowledge, be open to and participate in
grace.

o Grace, the divine life of God in the soul, is a supernatural gift bestowed on us
through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation. It is a gratuitous gift which we
can never deserve or earn through our own action. This grace enables us to share in
the life of Jesus Christ and assists us in conforming our lives to his teachings. Grace
is the indispensable help that God gives us, allowing us to respond to his call to
holiness in our lives and to become his adopted sons and daughters.

o Sanctifying grace is the grace that confers a new life on our souls – that is sharing in
the life of God himself. It is a gift through which the triune God dwells in the soul.
We first receive this grace in the Sacrament of Baptism, and it is nourished in the
Eucharist. If we lose it through mortal sin, sanctifying grace can be restored to us by
the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Sanctifying grace unites us with God and makes us “pleasing to God”, but in an
incomplete way. In Heaven, we will be united to God completely and will see him
face-to-face. That is why we call sanctifying grace “the seed of eternal life”.

o Actual grace is a temporary grace given by God. Through actual grace, God helps us
to obtain, preserve, and grow in sanctifying grace by giving us knowledge and
strength to do what is good and right. When we pray for God’s grace to guide us in
making a difficult decision or to give us strength to resist a temptation, it is actual
grace that we receive.

Actual grace is necessary for all who have attained the use of reason. Without its
help, we would not be able to remain faithful to the commandments because we
would not have the strength to resist the power of temptation.

 Moral Law is guided by the virtues.

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Freedom then is at the heart of all morality. If there is no freedom, there is no

responsibility and where there is no responsibility there is no morality. The human person
is born with the capacity to determine himself, gradually to shape the direction of his life in
and through all the particular choices whereby he expresses his response to man and to
God. The human person is subject to many influences, pressures and forces. His freedom is
limited. Yet it is out of such freedom that his moral responsibility springs. Insofar as he is
free, he is responsible, not only in isolated actions but also in his real ability to determine
himself in a basic way. This is most especially true in the way he relates to other human
persons, builds community and so loves God. Thus morality is responsibility and freedom
is its source.

The Meaning of the Human Act

 Human acts are not physical events that come and go nor do they “happen” to a person,
rather they are outward expression of a person’s choices, for at the core of a human act is
a free, self-determining choice, which as such is something spiritual which abides within
the person, determining the very being of the person
 Although many human acts have physical, observable components, what is central to
them is the fact that they embody and carry out human choices; because they do, they
abide within the person as dispositions to further choices and actions of the same kind,
until a contradictory kind of choice is made (see example text pp. 48f)
 Human acts as freely chosen have existential and religious significance. Because of this
our eternal life depends on our making good moral choices in the light of true judgments.
Hence there is a connection between moral good and the fulfillment of our own destiny.
 It is in and through the actions we freely choose to do that we determine ourselves and
establish our identity as moral beings. Each choice involves a decision about oneself and
a setting of one’s own life for or against the GOOD, for or against the TRUTH, and
ultimately for or against GOD.
 We determine ourselves, make ourselves to be the kind of persons we are in and through
the actions we freely choose to do. We are free to choose what we are to do and through
our choices make ourselves to be the kind of persons we are. But we are not free to make
what we choose to do to be good or bad, right or wrong. We can in short choose badly or
well, and if we are to be fully the beings we are meant to be we need to choose well.
 The morality of human acts depends on three factors:
- the object of the act
- its end
- the circumstances in which it is done
 The primary source of the morality of the human act is the OBJECT because the
OBJECT of the act is precisely what the acting person chooses to do
- Since it is precisely what the acting person is choosing to do here and
now, he or she ratifies this object in his or her heart and makes himself or
herself to be the kind of person willing to do this – e.g. choosing to lie
makes one a liar (see JPII quote text p. 51)
- The object freely chosen, if it is in conformity with the order of reason
(natural law), is the cause of the goodness of the will and perfects us
morally.

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 The OBJECT is the PROXIMATE or IMMEDIATE END of an act of willing because

it is what one chooses to do here and now
 There is also a FURTHER or ULTERIOR END of most human actions – i.e. the end
for whose sake one chooses to do this here and now. This ULTERIOR END is a distinct
source of the morality of the human act different from the OBJECT or PROXIMATE
END.
 Both the OBJECT/PROXIMATE end and the FURTHER/ULTERIOR end must be good
or in conformity with the order of reason if the human act in its totality is to be morally
good
 The morality of an act also depends on the CIRCUMSTANCES in which it is done.
These too can be either good or bad.
 Because the morality of a human act depends on object, end and circumstances, the
act is morally good only if all these factors are morally good, i.e. in conformity with
the order of reason. If any of these morally relevant factors is contrary to the order
of reason then the act is morally bad.
 The object is primary and if it is morally bad can never be made good by reason of
any end no matter how noble or any circumstances, whatever they may be.

VIRTUE
What is Character?
Character is who we really are and who we are becoming through our choices and actions. It is
the part of us that does good or chooses evil. Our good thoughts and decisions help to form us.
Everything we process – experiences, images, words – help create our character. Each of our
freely chosen actions forms us as a person and strengthens or weakens our character.

The important lesson here is to take note that the “small” lies, arrogant attitudes toward others,
evil intentions all contribute to the defiling of a good character. Conversely, each seemingly
insignificant act of kindness, truth-telling, and love forms us into people with Christ-like
characters.

Persons with good moral character are:

1. loving
2. fully human
3. virtuous

What is virtue? What are Virtues?

Virtue is tied to freedom and refers to our capacity to do moral good, to choices – attitudes
– actions that shape us in goodness, to good habits that enable us to persevere in doing the
right thing.

The idea of virtues comes from a conception of a human being as a creature who can go to
extremes, a being having the capacity for both good and evil. The virtues respect our wonderful
capacity for goodness, but they also know there is something beautiful and noble in us that can
be terribly destroyed, lost. Here is where we stand in the moral life: we stand poised between

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possibilities for greatness or awfulness. Our lives are ours to make. What becomes of us is in our
hands – we have that noble but dreadful responsibility. We have the capacity to grow in
goodness, but we are not destined to it. It is through the virtues that we grow into the promise of
greatness, and it is through their opposite, vices, that we slowly dismantle and finally destroy
ourselves. Thus, it is through our experience of freedom that we work to become good, that we
choose the good, that we reconcile our mistakes. This is the insight behind any account of the
virtues: we can be something beautiful, noble and good, but only if we are willing to devote out
energies to achieving it. This is the picture of the moral life seen through the virtues.

We need virtues because we have to do something with the life we have been given. God begins
our life with the gift of his love, and it is God’s love that completes it. But in the meantime we
have to do something with the gift we have been given – we have to act on God’s love; we have
to respond to it. Our fundamental moral task is to take the gift we have been given and shape it to
completion.

The virtues are choices and actions that shape us in goodness and thus move us closer to the
fullness we are meant to enjoy. Thus virtues involve choices that demand restrictions and call for
certain attachments if we are to achieve our desired goals.
 Virtues narrow down our possibilities by instilling a particular direction and discipline
in our lives that allows us to focus on the specific good that we desire.
 Virtues help us become more than we already are by helping us to actualize our selves
according to our purposes and ends.
 Virtues are habits that shape not only our act but our selves (since habits give a
particular quality to the person who acts, it is not only behavior which is virtuous but the
individual who becomes virtuous as well).
 Virtues achieve the change of self that is necessary for happiness and make us who
human beings are meant to be and that is because they do not change us haphazardly or
superficially, rather they fashion in us a new and blessed self.

The development of virtue will be episodic:

 In the first stage – virtues of beginners – virtue works not so much to do good, but to
overcome bad. Here the energy of virtue is directed toward uprooting vices.
 In the second stage – those on their way – the chief preoccupation is to advance in virtue.
Here the energy of virtue is directed to doing good more than to resisting evil.
 Finally the third stage – those fully arrived – is reached when a person applies himself
primarily to the work of cleaving to God and enjoying him, which is the characteristic of
the perfect who long to depart and be with Christ.

Virtues are God given powers, abilities to do moral good. They are good habits that enable
us to persevere in doing the right thing. Virtues are skills in Christian living that enable us
to face both internal and external obstacles as we journey to God.

The Theological Virtues are Faith, Hope, and Charity with charity or love being the focus of
the moral life since all the virtues work for the sake of charity. We must remember that our
ability to love begins and ends in a gift from God. It is God’s love that enables us to love, to
respond to his call in our lives (cf. concept of agape)

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 Faith: this theological virtue enables us to believe in God and all that God has said and
revealed to us, and that the Church proposes for our belief, because God is truth itself.
Christians must cultivate their faith, but also proclaim it, bear witness to it, and spread it
to others.
 Hope: Hope enables us to desire heaven and eternal life, trusting in Christ’s promises,
and relying on the help of the Holy Spirit and his graces. Hope keeps us from getting
discouraged as we live the Christian life and keeps us going when times get tough and
lonely. It makes it possible for us to strive for true happiness and live the life of Jesus’
beatitudes.
 Charity (love): this greatest virtue of all empowers us to “love God above all things for
his own sake, and our neighbors as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC, 1822). Charity
enables us to observe the commandments and love everyone, even our enemies. This key
virtue helps us practice all the other virtues and uplifts our human ability to love, raising
it to the perfection of divine love.

Though it is indispensable in the moral life love alone is not enough other virtues are needed to
help us love (since love is an attitude and an action) these virtues are called the Cardinal
Virtues which include Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Courage. These virtues are so
prominent because they represent the qualities we need to get by in life, the virtues required to
navigate successfully all the challenges of the moral life. All virtuous actions reflect to some
degree these virtues.
 Prudence: St. Thomas Aquinas called prudence “right reason in action”. Prudence is
practical wisdom, the virtue of responsible decision-making. Prudence uses memory,
foresight, imagination, and openness to learning to help our intellects discover what is
good in every situation. Prudence also helps us select the right means of achieving what
is good. Prudence permeates all the other cardinal virtues, giving them direction and
control as we make conscientious decisions. Prudence in short helps us take the moral
principles we have learned and apply them to concrete cases.
 Justice: Justice involves relationships with others and our life in community. Justice
gives both God and neighbor what is their due by right. Justice, for example, requires us
to worship and adore God since he is our all-loving Creator. And it helps us respect the
rights of all other humans.
 Courage/Fortitude: Fortitude gives us the strength and courage to stand firm with our
own convictions and to do the right and moral thing. Fortitude helps us to resist
temptation and to overcome obstacles to living a good life. It helps us make sacrifices and
overcome fears of criticism, failure, rejection, and disappointment. Fortitude gives us the
“spiritual guts” to resist peer pressure which might tempt us to conform to evil practices.
 Temperance: Temperance is the virtue of moderation that brings balance to our life. It
helps regulate our appetite for the good things God has given to us, such as food, drink,
sex, and possessions. Temperance assists us in counteracting the vices of greed, gluttony,
and lust by helping us master the appetites of our senses and indulge them within
honorable limits.

In summary a virtuous act is prudent inasmuch as it is right judgment about what needs to
be done (the Good) and how to respond to it (the means to the end must be Good), it is just
insofar as it does the good in the way that it needs to be done, it is temperate in that it

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displays the right amount of passion in doing the good (the appropriate enthusiasm,
patience), and it is courageous in that it does not let fear or hardship deter the virtuous /
moral action.

God calls each person to conform himself to Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit (grace).
If this call remains unknown, the Christian cannot respond freely to it. How then does a follower
of Christ recognize God’s invitations in concrete situations? The standard answer is familiar: the
voice of God is heard in our conscience, the act by which an individual judges about the morality
of a proposed act.

Completion and perfection of the Virtues: Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

To live the moral life, the Holy Spirit gives us seven gifts that help us follow the Spirit’s
prompting to live good lives. These seven gifts are:
1. wisdom
2. understanding
3. counsel
4. fortitude
5. knowledge
6. piety
7. fear of the Lord
They complete and perfect the virtues in Christians who receive them.

In addition, the Holy Spirit allows us to partake in the first fruits of eternal glory. Twelve in
number, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident in the person who is living a Christ-like,
moral, and upright life:
1. charity
2. joy
3. peace
4. patience
5. kindness
6. goodness
7. generosity
8. gentleness
9. faithfulness
10. modesty
11. self-control
12. chastity