LESSON TITLE 4: GOD CREATED MAN AS SOCIAL BEING

SOCIETY

- is a group of persons bound together organically by a principle of unity that goes beyond
each one of them.
- It endures through time; it gathers up the past and prepares for the future. (CSDC #149)

SOCIAL BEING
- integrating oneself in cooperation with his fellow human beings and who is capable of
communion with them on the level of knowledge and love. (CSDC #149)

We have the mind and knowledge to know that we have to love and be socially
responsible, but what causes us to be failures in LOVING OTHER PEOPLE?

DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE SOCIETY (CSDC #149)

- Family
- Civil community
- Religious Community

Immorality is increasing and getting worse every day. Many people are used to seeing and
doing it, believing that it is openly accepted in society. People must be aware and properly
educated on the negative effects of the immoral practices in human life and in the society.

Our destiny in God is rooted in our ability to know, love, and serve Him.

a. Knowing the greatest commandment to love God is the first stage of our
destination.
b. Loving Him is the romantic stage.
c. Serving Him assures our final union with Him.

LESSON TITLE 5 : THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE SOURCE OF MORAL STRENGTH

Holy Spirit: Seven Gifts
a. Wisdom helps us see the world in its true light and to value more the things of heaven.
b. Understanding helps us to grasp better the truth of our Catholic Faith.
c. Knowledge points to us the path to follow and the dangers to avoid.
d. Counsel helps us to see and pick what are good for God’s glory and what is best for our
salvation.
e. Fortitude gives us the courage and strength to combat obstacles and difficulties.
f. Piety helps us to embrace all that is a part of God’s service because of our confidence in
Him.
 g. Fear of the Lord helps us understand that to offend God is the greatest of all evils.
Every true baptized Christian is expected to manifest and nurture these gifts and fruits of the
Holy Spirit. Blessed by the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened and readily called to share and
exercise these gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to help our brothers and sisters in need, to build
the kingdom of God.

Holy Spirit: Twelve Fruits

Charity Kindness Faithfulness
Joy Goodness Modesty
Peace Generosity Self- Control
Patience Gentleness Chastity

LESSON TITLE 6 : GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS
Doctrine: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and
female He created them.”
Man occupies a unique place in creation:
(1) he is “in the image of God”;
(2) in his own nature, he unites the spiritual and material worlds;
(3) he is created “male and female”; and
(4) God established him in His friendship.
Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not
just something, but someone.

Of all visible creatures, only man is “able to know and love his creator.” He is “the only
creature on Earth that God has willed for its own sake,” and he alone is called to share, by
knowledge and love, in God’s own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the
fundamental reason for his dignity. CCC# 356

Moral: “GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY” since all people have the same dignity as creature
made in his image and likeness. Only the recognition of human dignity can make possible the
common and personal growth of everyone.

Woman is the complement of man, as man is the complement of woman: man and woman
complete each other mutually, not only from a physical and psychological point of view, but
also ontologically.

Worship: All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life to
the perfection of Charity. “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” God wants us to be
HOLY. One must try to sanctify oneself in one’s place within the
How should we act as a Human Being according to the Catholic Teachings?

Therefore, man has two different characteristics:

1. He is a material Being – linked to this world by His body,

2. He is a spiritual being – open to transcendence and to the discovery of “penetrating
truths, thanks to his intellect, by which “he shares in the light of the divine mind.”
CSDC #129
 LESSON TITLE 7: GROWING IN AUTHENTIC HUMAN FREEDOM
There are several forms of freedom
people, nowadays, either respect or
practice:
 Religious freedom
 Academic freedom
 Freedom of information

Countless people do not really understand the meaning of the concept of freedom.

FREEDOM
According to Google. . It is the quality of state of being free; such as the absence of necessity,
pressure or limitation in choice or action.

Academic Freedom simply means your freedom to go to school, study and learn the things you
want to know.
Religious Freedom is our freedom to choose our own religion and join our chosen religious
groups. Freedom of Information as the name implies: this freedom gives us the power to know
news and information that circulate around us or the country.

Freedom is one of the words commonly used and abused because of the lack of understanding
on the true meaning of it. Because today people often use the word freedom into some things
that they can benefit from. A person can only enjoy exercising freedom if he/she is properly
guided by principles grounded on natural moral law.

FREEDOM HUMAN FREEDOM AUTHENTIC AUTHENTIC HUMAN

FREEDOM FREEDOM

- It is the - Human freedom is a - Authentic - Authentic

power rooted in FORCE FOR Freedom is a way of Freedom is a
reason and will, GROWTH AND life characterized by shared capacity
to act or not to MATURITY in truth and the consistent with others in the
act, to do this or goodness; it attains its experience of INNER community in
that, and also to perfection when PEACE out of which choosing what is
perform directed toward God. we are free to openly good in order to
deliberate - It is our Divine share the gifts that become our true
actions on one’s inheritance and the way God gave us.  selves.
responsibility that God intends us to - Progress in - THERE IS NO
(CCC 1731). - - live! The more one VIRTUE, TRUE FREEDOM
By free will, does what is good, the KNOWLEDGE of the EXCEPT IN THE
one shapes his freer one becomes. good and ASCESIS SERVICE OF
own life - The choice to (self-discipline). WHAT IS GOOD
DISOBEY and do evil Enhances the mastery AND JUST
is an abuse of of the will over its acts.
FREEDOM and leads
to
 “SLAVERY OF SIN”

Here are some of the key points you have to remember in order to act morally upright.
 THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS
 ALL IMMORAL ACTS ARE SINFUL
 A SINFUL ACT DOES NOT DEFINE A PERSON
 NOT ALL LEGAL ARE MORAL
 IN THE HEIGHT OF EMOTION, DON’T MAKE DECISION

Doctrine:

 Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that,
and also to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.
 By free will, one shapes his own life.
 Human freedom is a force of growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its
perfection when directed toward God.
 The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes.
 There is NO TRUE FREEDOM except in the SEVICE of WHAT IS GOOD and JUST.
 The CHOICE TO DISOBEY and DO EVIL is an abuse of freedom and leads to “THE
SLAVERY OF SIN.”

Moral:

 The best way to train our good use of the power to choose is to SEEK ALWAYS our
own good, and most especially, the GOOD OF OTHERS.
 In difficult situations, it is always recommended to evaluate the situation listing its pros
and cons. After seeing clearly the positive and negative possibilities, choose now
the good option
 In times of CONFUSION, seek the wisdom and experiences of the aged in that matter.
It is always good to CONSULT the elders and CONFER with peers who had
experienced the same confusion.
 LISTEN TO THEIR COUNSELS FOR THESE ARE LIKE A GUIDING STAR OR A
COMET IN THE DEEP< DARK NIGHT.,
 Authentic Freedom is not “the right to say and do anything”, but to “do the good” (CCC
#1740).
 THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE – John 8:32

The Exercise of freedom implies a reference to a natural moral law, of a universal character,
that precedes and unites all rights and duties.

The NATURAL LAW is nothing other than the light of intellect infused within us by God. It
consist in the participation in His ETERNAL LAW, which identified with GOD Himself. HUMAN
FREEDOM needs, therefore, to be LIBERATED.
Worship:

 Big decisions in life, such as career-pathing, state of life, and overcoming difficult and
confusing situations are best made with the inspiration of the Almighty, the great
designer of the universe.
 We offer to God our decisions and ask for His blessings in our endeavors. This is the
best way we can give glory to God for our freedom.

LESSON TITLE 8: CONSCIENCE

Reality check:
Our words, deeds, and dictates of conscience not only shape our personality but more
importantly it strengthens our character for greater moral and spiritual integration. Improving
them is a good means of attaining eternal union with our Father and Creator.

CONSCIENCE
How’s, what’s, which’s and why’s. Some are routinary and others are urgent. In all these
situations, our conscience comes into play. For most Filipinos, it is understood as a kind of
inner voice (TINIG NG BUDHI) which guides our moral life.

CONCEPT OF CONSCIENCE
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH
CONCEPT CONCEPT CONCEPT CONCEPT
Hiya? No one can tell A group depends Others believe that as long as they
Guilt? me what to do. it on their are obeying the laws of the
Worry? I can do anything barkada. They government and the church, they
as long as it wait for other are obeying their conscience.
doesn’t hurt people to spell out Some of us care nothing about our
anybody for them every responsibilities for others,
detail of what they say: “malinis ang konsensya
should they do. ko… wala akong pakialam sa iba.
None of these groups, however,
has an adequate idea of
conscience.

2 BASIC ELEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE:

1. DISCERNING MORAL RIGHT FROM WRONG
- Judging a proposed action as morally right or wrong, good or bad.
2. THE FEELING OF BEING OBLIGED TO DO THE GOOD.
- You feel morally bound to be honest, to tell the truth and avoid evil.

CHRISTIAN VIEW OF CONSCIENCE

 Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of man. There he is alone with God
whose voice echoes in His depths.
 Conscience belongs to the person as a human being. It is part of what is to be human
person, an integral element of one’s humanity.

CULTURAL VALUES AND MORALITY

 Culture is “a way of life,” a set of ideals prescribing how we ought to live in order to
become accepted members of the community.
 A.PAKIKISAMA- B. UTANG NA C. BAHALA NA C.HIYA
LOOB
This involves a sense This is a feeling of A fatalistic concept It is related to the
of belonging and loyalty indebtedness to relating to success need to conform
to one’s group someone who has and failure. We run with the
especially the done something away from personal expectations of
‘barkada’. good for you. Can be responsibility and the authority
ALL FOR ONE AND a motivation for us to leave everything to figure or with the
ONE FOR ALL do good. chance or fate. On society.
the other hand, we
also say “ bahala na
ang Diyos”
this situation makes
us realize our total
dependence on God,
in Whom we place
our ultimate trust.

Bible integration: Standing on Solid Ground (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Peter 5:7-10)

Video presentation

Doctrine:
 The education if the conscience is a lifelong task.
 A well- formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according
to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator.
 The ultimate educator or formator of our conscience is God Himself through His
words, teachings, and actions.

Moral:
 A well- informed conscience does not happen easily. One has to listen to the counsels
of the parents and teacher from the age of reason until the present.
 The first step in the formations of conscience is the training of the will to resist the
temptations of the evil one and the temptations of the flesh, wealth, and power.
Worship:
 The words of God and God Himself are the ultimate master in the formation of
conscience. When God calls you, He will also lead you safe and sound.
 Keep your faith burning with zeal while following God. The more you obey Him
selflessly, the more He will reveal to you His mysterious ways. Always keep the Spirit
of God alive in all your endeavors.
 In order to form good conscience, one has to filter everything according to the
Scriptures, Church doctrines, Christian Tradition, most especially the experiences of
the apostles with the early Christian community.