MODULE NUMBER 2

LESSON NO. 2

LESSON TITLE Christian Morality, Becoming Disciples of Christ: The Human Person

as a Moral Agent

DURATION 3 hours

SPECIFIC During the learning engagement, the students are expected to:

LEARNING ● Know the meaning of Christian Morality and

OUTCOMES become moral agents themselves

● Know how to differentiate the meaning of Disciples

and Apostles.

● Become disciples themselves.

● Become moral agents.

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS:

● What is Christian Morality?

● What are the basic elements of Christian Morality?

 ● Who are the disciples of Christ?

● How do we become disciples of Christ?

● What and who is a moral agent?

What is Christian Morality?

Every human person is a being of immeasurable dignity because each is created in the image

and likeness of God, with a spiritual and immortal soul (or spirit), intelligence and free will.

God wants everyone to find eternal beatitude (happiness) and has placed this desire deep

within every heart. Speaking of all dimensions of life in this world and beyond, Jesus said, “I

came that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Only God alone can satisfy

the human desire for fullness of life and enduring happiness. When St Augustine discovered

this, he wrote: “You have made us for yourself O God, and our hearts are restless until they

rest in you.” (St Augustine, Confessions, Chapter 1).

Humanity is faced with ‘big questions’; How should we live? What is goodness? Why

should we act morally? How do we know what is right or wrong? What kind of life leads to

real, and eternal, happiness? For Catholic Christians, faith in Jesus Christ is expressed in lives

of loving service as his disciples.

“ Christian morality helps us discover how we should live our lives as a result of our

faith in God’s word which has been revealed to us. Christian Morality can be summarized

in the word responsibility. There are two components to this term: response and ability.

To what do we respond? Christian life is a response to God’s freely given love and gift of
 salvation offered to us through Jesus Christ. ‘Following Christ is thus the essential and

primordial foundation of Christian morality’ (Pope John Paul II, The Splendour of Truth,

#19). Christian morality comes to the forefront when people say yes to God, when they

freely respond to God’s love. The essence of Christian morality is, simply, love. Reflect on

the words of Jesus: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your

sould, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second

resembles it: you must love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mt 22:37-39).

The second aspect of Christian morality is the ability to respond to God, the ability to love, the

ability to say to say yes to God. This is also a gift, also freely bestowed on us. It is part of what

it means to be a human being. Human persons have basic dignity which flows from our being

created in God’s image (with a soul); this implies that we can think and love and be in

relationship to others in community. Our conscience aids us in a life directed to God and other

people.”

[Michael Pennock, The Seeker’s Catechism: The Basics of Catholicism, Notre Dame Ind.: Ave

Maria Press, 1994,  p 43-44]

What are the basic elements of Christian morality?

The most basic principle of the Christian moral life is the awareness that every person bears

the dignity of being made in the image of God. He has given us an immortal soul and through

the gifts of intelligence and reason enables us to understand the order of things established in
his creation. God has also given us a free will to seek and love what is true, good, and

beautiful. Sadly, because of the Fall, we also suffer the impact of Original Sin, which darkens

our minds, weakens our wills, and inclines us to sin. Baptism delivers us from Original Sin but

not from its effects—especially the inclination to sin, concupiscence. Within us, then, is both

the powerful surge toward the good because we are made in the image of God, and the darker

impulses toward evil because of the effects of Original Sin.

But we should always remember that Christ’s dying and rising offers us new life in the Spirit,

whose saving grace delivers us from sin and heals sin’s damage within us. Thus we speak of

the value, dignity, and goal of human life, even with its imperfections and struggles. Human

life, as a profound unity of physical and spiritual dimensions, is sacred. It is distinct from all

other forms of life, since it alone is imprinted with the very image of its Creator.

The second element of life in Christ is the responsible practice of freedom. Without freedom,

we cannot speak meaningfully about morality or moral responsibility. Human freedom is more

than a capacity to choose between this and that. It is the God-given power to become who he

created us to be and so to share eternal union with him. This happens when we consistently

choose ways that are in harmony with God’s plan. Christian morality and God’s law are not

arbitrary, but are specifically given to us for our happiness. God gave us intelligence and the

capacity to act freely. Ultimately, human freedom lies in our free decision to say “yes” to God.

In contrast, many people today understand human freedom merely as the ability to make a

choice, with no objective norm or good as the goal.

An opposite tendency to one that makes the act of choosing the core of human freedom is one

that denies that we are free at all. Some believe that due to outside forces, inner compulsions,

social pressures, childhood experiences, or genetic makeup, our behavior is already

determined and we are not truly free. Though we do recognize that “the imputability or

responsibility for an action can be diminished or nullified by ignorance, duress, fear, and other

psychological or social factors” (CCC, no. 1746), normally we are still free and responsible for

our actions. Our freedom may be limited but it is real nonetheless.

The best way to grow in freedom is to perform good acts. Good deeds help to make us free and

develop good habits. The road to loss of freedom is through evil acts. Sin makes us slaves of

evil and reduces our capacity to be free. Freedom comes from being moral. Slavery to sin

arises from being immoral.

What and how can we become disciples of Christ?

In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus

attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to the

twelve apostles.

In addition, the gospels and the Book of Acts refer to varying numbers of disciples that

range between 70 and 120 to a "growing multitude".

The word disciple is used today as a way of self-identification for those who seek to learn

from the teachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount.

COMPARISON CHART

Apostle Disciple

Meaning An apostle is a A disciple is a follower

messenger and and student of a

ambassador. Someone mentor, teacher, or any

who champions a other wise person.

critical reform Someone who accepts

movement, belief or and helps in spreading

cause (more so in the the teachings of

Christian context). another or simply put

one who learns any art

or science.

Origin of the Word An apostle was The term disciple is not

originally and usually solely associated with

referred to the early any particular person or

followers of Jesus who association.

 spread the Christian

message to the world

or to a person of the

Christian missionary

designated to spread

the Christian message.

Etymology Middle English, from Middle English, from

Old English apostol and Old English discipul

from Old French and from Old French

apostle, both from Late desciple, both from

Latin apostolus, from Latin discipulus, pupil,

Greek Apostolos from discere, to learn;

see dek- in

Indo-European roots.

Differences in meaning

While a disciple is a student, one who learns from a teacher, an apostle is sent to deliver

those teachings to others. "Apostle" means messenger, he who is sent. An apostle is sent

to deliver or spread those teachings to others. The word "apostle" has two meanings, the
 larger meaning of a messenger and the narrow meaning to denote the twelve people

directly linked to Jesus Christ.

We can say that all apostles were disciples but all disciples are not apostles. Jesus chose

twelve Disciples and this inner circle of men came to be known as Apostles who were

entrusted to spread the message of Jesus throughout the world so that eventually there

would be many Disciples.

Moral Agent

A moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held

accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral responsibility not to cause

unjustified harm.

Are humans moral agents?

Their acts are blameworthy or praiseworthy. It makes sense to hold them morally responsible

for their intentional actions.

Ordinarily, human beings are considered moral agents and moral persons. Nonhuman animals,

such as dogs, cats, birds, and fish, are commonly held not to be moral agents and

not moral persons.
Being moral

A moral person is one whose conduct is good or virtuous, especially concerning sexual and

ethical conduct. It also means that you try to do what is right and ethical. Morality is usually

based on religious laws such as the 10 Commandments.