RS 3 – Christian Morality

MORALITY - a free and intelligent response to God to become good persons, to make right
choices, and to engage in right actions; the science of what human beings ought to do by reason
of who they are. Living a moral life makes us more like Christ and brings us lasting happiness.
LIFE IN CHRIST: LIVING TOWARD BEATITUDE – Matthew 5-7 and Romans 12-15

SIN IN CHRISTIAN TRADITION

Original Sin – deprivation of the original holiness given to the first human beings; a personal sin
(choosing to prefer self to God) which was necessarily transmitted to all future generations.

Concupiscence – inclination to commit sin as a result of the effects of original sin.

Mortal Sin – an action so destructive that it mortally wounds our relationship with God

Conditions for Mortal Sin – Grave Matter, Knowledge of Sinfulness, and Freedom

Venial Sin – an action that turns us away from God in small degrees

WHAT CAN HELP US CHOOSE GOOD AND AVOID EVIL?

1. The Moral Law – Divine Wisdom; the rules of conduct that lead us to holiness

Natural Moral Law – written on the human heart, discernible by reason, set forth by God The T
Ten Commandments (The Old Law) – revelation of God, foundation for moral life

The Law of the Love (The New Law) – lived and preached by Jesus Christ, especially in the Sermon
on the Mount

2. Conscience – awareness of, and attentiveness to, the voice of God guiding our actions toward
the good, the true, and the beautiful; formed through Scripture, the teachings of the Church,
the witness and advice of others, prayer, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
3. Virtues – Habits that lead us toward the good; can be developed through the spiritual life.
Theological Virtues – Faith, Hope, Charity
Cardinal Virtues – Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude
4. Grace – God’s unmerited gift to respond to his call and to conform our lives to his will.
Sanctifying Grace – A habitual gift that perfects the soul; e.g., the grace of Baptism
Actual Grace – God’s interventions at different points in our lives.
Sacramental Grace – gifts proper to the different sacraments.
Special graces or Charisms – gifts to be used for building up the Church.

5. The Church
The Word of God – containing the teachings of the Law of Love
The Sacraments – the grace to sustain us along the way
The Example of Holiness – the model and witness of the saints
Discernment – the companionship of others striving for holiness
 The Magisterium – the teaching authority of the Church, as ordained by Jesus Christ.

HOW DO WE KNOW IF A PARTICULAR ACT IS GOOD OR EVIL?

Sources of Morality – how to determine if an act is moral (good) in God’s eyes
Object – Of itself, is the action intrinsically good, intrinsically evil, or indeterminate?
Intention – Why am I doing this act? What is the goal of my action?
Circumstances – Are there any outside forces, emotions, people, or other things impacting my
action? Circumstances can increase or decrease our responsibility (culpability) for sin.

THE HUMAN ACTS VS. ACTS OF MAN

HUMAN ACTS ACTS OF MAN

-knowledge of the act must be deliberate -done without knowledge
-freedom -it must be done with consent -without consent
-voluntariness -it must be voluntary -involuntary

*Acting is morally good when the choices of freedom are in conformity with man’s true good and thus
express the voluntary ordering of the person towards our ultimate end: GOD HIMSELF.

*Human acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of conscience, can be morally
evaluated. They are either good or evil. (CCC, 1749).

*An action can also be indirectly voluntary when it results from negligence regarding something one
should have known or done.

>it can be tolerated without being willed by the doer

Example: an exhausted mother failed to take care of her child; but in the case of a drunken driver who
manslaughter cannot be tolerated because the agent/doer has the possibility of avoiding it by not
driving.

MORALITY OF PASSION

PASSION (feelings) are movements of the sensible appetite. These lead us to act or not to act when
experiencing a perceived good or evil.

>they form passageway and ensure the connection between the life of the senses and the life of the
mind.

>Passion can be stimulated by VIRTUES and can be corrupted by VICES!

MORALITY OF CONSCIENCE

The moral conscience is considered the proximate norm of conduct because it is the immediate source
of information guiding human actions.

>conscience is a judgment of reason, because through it man recognizes the moral quality of concrete
act present, past, or future.

*what is the judgment of conscience?

when it : -enjoins the person at the appropriate moment to do good and avoid evil; or

-judges a particular choices, approving the good ones and denouncing the evil ones.

*Conscience enable the sinner to assume responsibility for his sins by allowing the just judgment to
remain in him/her at the same time as the evil of his particular choice..

3 rules to apply in every judgment of conscience:

1. One may never do evil so that good may result from it

2. Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (golden rule).
3. Always proceed by way of respect for your neighbor and his conscience.

Ignorance causes moral conscience to make erroneous judgment because men are tempted to prefer
their own judgment and reject authoritative teachings: the word of God, the regular examination of
conscience, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the advice of others/elders, the teachings of the Church.

VIRTUE- a habitual and firm disposition to do good. It allows the person not only to perform good
acts, but to give the best of himself.

Theological Virtues relate directly to God. They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the
Holy Trinity.

 They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as
children of God: Faith, Hope, Charity.

Faith-the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that He has said and revealed
to us, and the Holy Church proposes for our belief, and strive to know and do the will of God.

Hope- the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our
happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help
of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Charity-the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our
neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Human virtues/cardinal virtues – are firm attitudes, stable disposition, habitual perfections of intellect
and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and
faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery, and joy in leading a morally good life, It is acquired by
human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts. -CCC 1804

Prudence-the virtue that bring out practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and
to choose the right means of achieving it.

“It is the RIGHT REASON in action.” – St . Thomas Aquinas

Justice-the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and
neighbor.

Fortitude-the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the
good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and overcome obstacles in the moral life.

It enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions.

It dispose a person to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of just cause.

Temperance- is moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures provides balance in the use of
created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts.

A temperate person directs his sensible appetites towards what is truly good and does not let himself
be controlled by his passions.