Chapter Three

Justice and Society

We Belong to Each Other

We belong to the community of
humankind.
We find our true selves by
associating with and caring
for other people.

Our Social Nature

Life is like a spider web.
How?

We are all interconnected.

And?

A ripple effect of goodness or

hostility might start from a single
act.

Our Social Nature

Q. What is Society?
A. A group of persons bound
together organically by a
principle of unity that goes
beyond each one of them.
Characteristics of Societies:
1. The human person is at the center of all
societies.
2. Societies are made for the benefit of the
people.

Our Social Nature

world
nation
state
city
parish
team/clubs
school
neighborhood
family

As you can see in

the chart, we
belong to many
different
societies.

Principle of Subsidiarity
Definition: the principle of Catholic social teaching
that teaches that justice and
human welfare are
best achieved at the most immediate level
People should take responsibility to provide for
their own welfare without
government intervention
Supports the sharing of power and
authority on the grassroots level

Principle of the Common Good

Definition: the sum of those conditions of
social life which allow social groups and their
individual members relatively thorough and
ready access to their own fulfillment
Three essential elements:
1) Respect for the person
2) Social well-being and
development
3) Peace

Principle of the Common Good

The common good cannot be promoted without
respecting individuals and groups of people.
To feel esteem for
or to honor a person

Respect

To show
consideration for,
avoid violation of, or
treat one with
deference

Principle of the Common Good

Solidarity: the Christian virtue of social charity
that helps us to see we are all members of one
human family, sharing equal human dignity.
We share certain values, goals,
standards and interests
We are all responsible for
each other
We depend on each other

Principle of the Common Good

Option for the Poor: our responsibility to do
justice by looking out for the poor
Requires us to change political and economic
policies that hurt the poor
Calls us to live more simply so that
we can share our basic wealth
with those who lack the basics

The Human Family and Natural Law

Natural
law
The imprint of
divine light in our
hearts so that every
human being can
discover what is
true and how we
should act in
relationship to God
and others

Human
reason
commanding
us to do
good and
avoid evil

Gods law
written on
our hearts

The Human Family and Natural

Law

Natural Law
is:

1. Universal = it applies to each person

and society
2. Unchangeable and permanent
3. The foundation for civil law

Responsibilities of Individuals & Society

(Chart from p. 66 Obligations of

individuals/societal obligations)

Centrality of the Family

The foundation of all society is the family.
The family is original cell of social life.
We cannot have a just society if the rights of
families are not protected.
Society and government have a duty
to honor and assist family and to
guarantee basic human rights.

Centrality of the Family

The Charter of the Rights of the Family
1.
2.
3.
4.

1. All persons have the right to marry or remain single

2. Marriage must be a free and full consent expressed
by the spouses
3. Spouses have the inalienable right to found a family
4. Human life must be protected from the moment of
conception
5. Parents are the first educators of their children
6. Family has right to exist and progress
7. Right to live freely its own
religious life and express faith publicly

Centrality of the Family

The Charter of the Rights of the Family, cont.
8. Exercise social and political function
9. Rely on adequate family policy on the part of public authorities
10. Right to a social and economic order in
which organizations of work permit members to
live together and offers recreation
11. Right to descent housing in an environment
that provides the basic services for the life of the
family and community
12. Families of migrants have the right to the same
protection as other families

Vocabulary
Society
Subsidiarity
Common good
Solidarity
Option for the poor
Natural law
The Charter of the Rights
of the Family

Justice and the

Right to Life

Assaults Against Life

* In 96% of states there is a
pattern of discrimination
regarding race and the death
penalty
* Capital punishment does not
deter crime
* On the federal level, 3.5% of
persons to be executed have been
innocent
* Abortion techniques are
inhumane
* Patients often ask for
euthanasia due to inappropriate
treatment

Human beings have

a right to life from
the
moment of
conception to
natural death

Abortion
Q: What is
it?

A: Defined as the
unjustified killing of
unborn human beings

Q: Why is it
wrong?

A: When society tolerates

abortion, all of human
life is threatened

Remember:
Human life is a gift from God
which must be protected,
nurtured, and sustained from
the first moment of
conception

Abortion
Legalized in 1973 by the
US Supreme Court in
Roe v. Wade

This decision held that a

womans right to privacy
included her decision to
have an abortion

1.3 million abortions in US each year

3,700 abortions per day, 155 per hour, 1 every
24 seconds
48% of pregnancies are unintended, half of
these are aborted
46 million abortions in the world every year

Abortion
What factors lead to the disrespect for the
sanctity of life?
Breakdown of
the family

Belief that freedom is

the absolute value

Did you know. . .

Abortion

The Church has opposed abortion from the

beginning
The Church always considered abortion a mortal sin
The Church believes in the
seamless garment of respect
for human life from the womb
to the tomb

Abortion
Abortion should be made illegal
God conveys the gift of life, not the state
One should cultivate a correct
view of the sacredness of sex
There are always alternatives to abortion
Human life begins at conception
A childs right to life outweighs a
mothers freedom of choice or her
right to privacy

A person
who is
right to
life
believes:

Stem Cell Research

Embryonic stem
cells have the
potential to
become any kind
of body cell

Stem Cell
is an
unspecialized
cell that has the
potential to
become a
specific
type of
cell

Adult stem cells

have the potency
to become many
different cells but
not all.

Stem Cell Research

Did You Know. . .
* The Church supports stem cells that come from
adult tissue, umbilical cord blood and other
sources.
* The Church is against the use of
embryonic stem cells, since stem
cells must be harvested from living
human embryos that destroys them.

Euthanasia
Q: What is
it?

A: Defined as an act or omission

which of itself or by intention
cause death, with the purpose of
eliminating suffering

Did You Know . . .

Euthanasia is also called

mercy killing

Euthanasia
Our cultural climate
sees no value in suffering
People who neglect
God think they have sole
control over life and death

Aging population puts pressure on a

costly healthcare system

Reasons
for
legalizing
Euthanasia
include:

Euthanasia
Palliative
medicine

Unrelieved
suffering

Options for the dying

Euthanasia

Euthanasia
The Church believes in using ordinary and morally acceptable
means to preserve life, even of those who face death.
The Church teaching holds that to decision to forego using
extraordinary or disproportionate means to sustain life is
morally acceptable
Declaration on Euthanasia states we can judge whether the
means is ordinary or extraordinary by:
Kind of treatment used
Its complexity and risk
Its costs and possibilities of using it

Euthanasia
A: Euthanasia violates Gods law which

forbids the deliberate and morally

unacceptable killing of a human person

Q: Why does
the Church
A: Suicide is equivalent to murder and
strongly
violates the fifth commandment
condemn
euthanasia, A: Assisted suicide is the
concurring with the
suicide and
intention of another
person to commit
assisted
suicide; helping
suicide?
someone take his/her life

Capital Punishment
Things to consider:
Not even a murderer loses
his/her personal dignity

Jesus taught nonviolence

and forgiveness

All people are challenged to

look for ways to punish and
rehabilitate criminals while
protecting society

Capital Punishment
Did You Know. . .
* The Church has traditionally permitted the
death penalty as a last resort for a society to
defend itself against violent criminals
* States have enough means today to
repress crime and control violent
criminals without inflicting the death
penalty

Capital Punishment
Reasons for
punishment:
deterrence

retribution
reform

Capital Punishment
A dead criminal cannot be reformed
Mistakes have been made in
administering capital punishment
Since 1973 at least 100 people have
been exonerated and released from
death row in the US
Executions attract unhealthy
publicity
Death penalty is disproportionally
administered to poor persons
and members of minority groups

Problems
with the
death
penalty:

The Seamless Garment

Q: What is
it?

Respect for all human life from

the moment of conception
until natural death,
from womb to tomb.

A: Consistent
life ethic

The Seamless Garment

pursue
social
justice

protect
human
life

Pro -Life

promote
family
life

Vocabulary
abortion
stem cells
embryonic stem cells
adult stem cells
euthanasia
assisted suicide
capital punishment
consistent life ethic

Holy orders and consecrated life

both mean putting ones life
totally at the service of the Lord
but their roles in and relation to
the Church are different.

Holy orders is the sacrament

through which the mission
entrusted by Christ to his apostles
continues to be exercised in the
Church until the end of time: thus it
is the sacrament of apostolic
ministry.

Those in Holy Order are bishops,

priests, and deacons.

The consecrated life is constituted

by the profession of the evangelical
counsels (poverty, chastity,
obedience). Although not part of the
Church's hierarchy, this life belongs
to the Church's life and holiness.

Examples of consecrated life would

be nuns, monks, and those who live
a consecrated life in the world.

Why is this a vocation?

Remember how we define
vocation?
It is Gods invitation, His call to
each person to love and serve
Him and His Church.

The people who are called to and

follow this path are conforming their
entire lives to Christ.
Isnt that really what all Christians
are called to do?

Challenges

Chapter Three
Marriage in Gods Plan

Benefits and Purpose of Married Life

Marriage is always necessary as a means for
procreation of the human race and for the
wholesome and proper raising of children

God made marriage good because he created the

world and everything in it to be good

Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament

Benefits and Purpose of Married Life

Purposes of marriage:
Procreation/ Raising of Children
Willingness of spouses to give
themselves to each other
Sharing Family Life
Sexual intimacy
Companionship
Friendship

Marriage in the Bible

The catechism teaches that God created man and
woman together and willed each for the other

Man and woman are created equal as a communion

of persons, equal to one another, and
complementary as masculine and feminine

Man and woman are to be stewards of God, caring

for the earths resources

Influence of Sin
The struggles that married couples face are all
a result of sin
Some examples of these are domination, infidelity, and jealousy

To heal the wounds of sin, a man and woman rely on the

help of Gods grace, which in his infinite mercy he
extends to them

Since the first sin, marriage has helped couples

overcome self-absorption and choose to be selfgiving with another

Introduction of the Law

The Israelites married mostly within their local tribe
There was no wedding or religious rite that marked the
marriage
An engaged woman was considered legally married
When the marriage was consummated, the husband
received the wife and the family of the wife
received a dowry
Dowry: money or property considered compensation for the
loss of the daughter

New Covenant and Marriage

As Jesus began his public life,
his first miracle was at the
wedding at Cana
The miracle was a statement
of the goodness of marriage

It was a statement that from

then on, marriage would be
an efficacious sign of His
presence

New Covenant and Marriage

Marriage was to be indissoluble to death

What God has joined together, no human being

must separate

In the same way that Christ loves the Church,

husbands and wives love each other with
faithfulness that does not end until death

Love and Other Relationships

The way in which many people talk about being in
love would be more aptly described as being infatuated
with one another
Infatuations are usually short in duration whereas true
love lasts
Two elements make up human relationships:
Friendship
Exploitation

Infatuation and Friendships

Friendship is often comfortable and easy, and based
on mutual trust, understanding, and enjoyment of one
another
Friendship is not exclusive or possessive
Filial love is a connection that can last a lifetime but
is not romantic; most friendships are this type of love

Infatuation and Friendships

A romantic infatuation involves sexual attraction or
sexual feelings
While they can be normal and exciting, they can be
dangerous if a person decides to become sexually
intimate with someone based only on infatuation
Exploitation refers to a relationship that is based in
selfishness
This occurs when one person takes what he or
she can get without showing respect or concern for
the other person

Vocation to Chastity
Marriage involves the total self-giving of a husband
and wife to each other both emotionally and physically
Sex is both unitized and procreative in marriage
Chastity is the moral virtue under the cardinal virtue
of temperance that helps us to moderate our desires
for sexual pleasure
The virtue of chastity integrates a persons sexuality
with his or her whole being

Vocation to Chastity
Chastity gives you the freedom from:
Guilt, doubt, worry, regret
Sexually transmitted diseases
Being used by others
Pregnancy
Chastity gives you the freedom to:
Have many relationships
Develop self-respect and selfcontrol
Find a mate who values
you for the person you are

As with most other areas of life living

chastely comes down to backing up
your verbal promise and commitment
with your actions

Vocabulary
Sexual Fidelity
Dowry
Efficacious
Exploitation
Filial Love
Temperance

Chapter Four
The Sacrament of Matrimony

Development of the Sacrament

Early Church:
Celebrated in the same way that local cultures had for centuries
Father of the bride handed over his daughter to the groom
Bride wore a ceremonial gown and veil
The couple joined their right hands
Exchange of rings

Development of the Sacrament

Seventeenth Century
Church became more involved in wedding ceremony
Bishop or priest gives nuptial blessing
Intended for the bride and the marriage covenant; takes
place after the couple gives their consent to be married

Eventually the wedding ceremony developed into a

liturgical rite performed at church rather than in the
home

Development of the Sacrament

Middle Ages
Ceremony became very formal
Helped counteract the abuses of secret marriages

Twelfth Century
Church made it explicit that marriage is one of the Seven
Sacraments
Taught that marriage was to be a sacrament lasting until the
death of a spouse and prohibited divorce and remarriage

Preparing for Marriage

Preparation for marriage begins during infancy and
extends through childhood and adolescence
Arranged marriages
One family makes an agreement to promise their daughter to the
son of another family
Love was understood to follow and grow out of marriage

The more common method begins with a feeling of

infatuation followed by a possible friendship allowing the
two people to get to know each other on a deeper basis

Preparing for Marriage

First two predictors of a successful marriage:
Family life
That the spouses came from similar family backgrounds
That the spouses had parents with long and successful
marriages

Preparing for Marriage

Benefits of Dating
A man and woman get to know each other by sharing
many varying activities and experiences together
Gives two people a chance to see if they are
compatible
A man and woman stand a better chance of having a
good relationship if they have:
Come from same social group
Same or similar values
Practice same religion
Similar interests

Preparing for Marriage

A person who is getting serious about a dating partner
should ask questions such as:
How does my partner treat me?

Is this person someone I

will be proud to marry
in front of my family and
friends?

How does my partner

treat others?

Is this a person with whom I want to

have and raise children?

Requirements for a Catholic Wedding

Marriage is permitted in the parish where one of the
persons lives or has established at least a month long
residence

Civil laws determine legality of marriage

Example: age requirements vary state to state
Church laws set requirements for the sacrament
Couple must be of mature age, unmarried, willing to have
children, and must be freely giving consent to marriage

Requirements for a Catholic Wedding

Matrimonial consent is the most important since it
determines the validity of marriage

During the preparations a priest interviews the couple

separately to find out if impediments exist
impediments: external circumstances or facts that prevent a
sacramental or religious marriage from taking place

Requirements for a Catholic Wedding

A man under age 16 and a woman under
14 cannot validly enter marriage
A priest may not be validly married
If either the man or woman is physically
incapable of sexual intercourse, the
marriage is not valid
A person may not marry descendents in a
direct line whether or not the relationship
is by blood or marriage

Requirements for a Catholic Wedding

If one of the partners is not Catholic
Permission for the marriage must come from the local bishop
The Catholic partner must promise that he or she will do all in
his or her power to have the children baptized and raised in
the Catholic church
The non-Catholic partner is informed of the promises made by
the Catholic partner
Both partners are instructed in the requirements of the
Sacrament of Matrimony and family life

Parish Preparations
Pre-marriage inventory
Helps a couple gauge the effectiveness of their communication
with one another
FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication
Understanding and Study)
One of the most widely used inventories

Engaged Encounter/ Pre-Cana

A weekend retreat, series of classes, or parish based program
A time to listen to presentations and reflect before meeting oneon-one with the future spouse

Celebration of Marriage
Marriage is a sacred covenant
An agreement between the couple and God
Modeled on the faithfulness Yahweh exhibited in his covenant
with the Israelites in the Old Testament
Reflects the New Covenant established by Christ at the Last
Supper and with his Death on the cross
Marriage is usually celebrated during mass because it is in the
Eucharist that the New Covenant is realized

Celebration of Marriage
Elements of Mass
Liturgy of the Word which shows the importance of
Christian marriage in the history of salvation
Nuptial blessing
Consent of the spouses to marry
Reception of Holy Communion by
the bride and groom and all present

Vocabulary
Fiance
Impediments
Natural Family Planning
Marriage Banns
Covenant
Domestic Church

CHAPTER THREE
Law as a Guide to Freedom

Look to the Law

Freedom, responsibility and law
go hand-in-hand in the
moral life

Freedom and Responsibility

Characteristics of Freedom
Freedom

The power, rooted in reason

and will, to perform
deliberate actions on ones own
responsibility (CCC, 1731)

Freedom and Responsibility

Characteristics of Freedom
The philosophy that
holds that every event,
action, and decision
results from something
independent of the
human will.

Determinism

Freedom and Responsibility

Kinds of Freedom
External freedom
freedom from
factors outside of ourselves that threaten to
destroy our power to exercise choice.

Internal freedom
freedom from
interior factors that limit choice.

Freedom and Responsibility

Limits of Freedom
Human freedom is not absolute but
limited.
True freedom is not license.

Freedom and Responsibility

Abuses Against Freedom
Abuses of freedom result in sin.
Major impediments to the exercise of true freedom:
Ignorance not knowing what we should do or not do
Inadvertence not paying attention or being distracted
while acting
Duress freedom is impeded when someone tries to
force us to do something
Inordinate attachments money or other possessions
enslave us and we do not act with full freedom
Fear panic in the face of danger
Habit repeated behaviors that are good (virtues) or
bad (vices)

Responsibility
Ascribed,
attributed, or
definitely
linked to a
specific
accountable
person or
entity

imputable

Responsibility
Emotions and Morality
Emotions are morally neutral.
However, to the degree that they
engage our reason and will, we
can find moral good or evil in
them.

Responsibility
In Union With Christ
Jesus is the fundamental norm of
Christian morality.
Jesus is the standard or model on
whom we should pattern our
lives.

Responsibility
In Union With Christ
norms

Guidelines or laws
that can help regulate
human freedom

Responsibility
In Union With Christ
Source of norms are Scriptures,
Tradition, and human reason.
Belief

Values

Principles

Law and Morality

Law

An ordinance of reason for the

common good, promulgated by the
one who is in charge of the
community (Saint Thomas
Aquinas, in CCC, 1976).

Law and Morality

Elements of Law:
Law is reasonable.
Law is for the common good.
Competent authority makes law.
Law must be promulgated.

Law and Morality

natural law

The reasoned participation of

humans in Gods eternal law
that reveals what God intends us
to do and to avoid according to
his wise and loving plan.

Law and Morality

Natural Law
Natural law is our participation in
the divine law.
Natural law teaches us what to do
and what to avoid.
Natural law corresponds to three
basic human drives and needs:
Preserving life
Developing as individuals and communities
Sharing life with others

Natural law is universal, permanent,

and unchanging throughout history.

Law and Morality

The Old Law
Also known as the Law of
Moses
Ten Commandments summarize
the moral prescriptions of the
old Law

Law and Morality

The New Law
Divine Law has four purposes:
It helps us stay on the right path
on our journey to God.
It helps us discern what is right
when there are conflicting ideas
of right and wrong.
It speaks of motivation.
It indicates what is sinful.

Law and Morality

New Law
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the
new law.
It helps us understand the core
attitudes that precede our actions.
Can be summarized in two Gospel
teachings:
Do to others whatever you would
have them do to you. (Mt 7:12)
Love one another as I love you. (Jn
15:12)

Law and Morality

The New Law

evangelical
counsels

Vows taken to
poverty, chastity,
and obedience in
order to live the
Gospel more fully.
The evangelical
counsels were
typically
embraced by those
in religious life.

Law and Morality

The New Law

precepts of
the Church
The full body of
officially
established rules
governing the
Catholic Church,
which was last
revised in 1983.

The minimal
obligations for
members in
good standing of
the Catholic
faith community

canon law

Law and Morality

Church Law

Six Precepts of the Church:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy

days of obligation.
You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy
Communion at least during the Easter season.
You shall keep holy the holy days of
obligation.
You shall observe the prescribed days of
fasting and abstinence.
The faithful also have the duty of providing for
the material needs of the Church, each
according to his abilities.

Vocabulary
Freedom
Determinism
Imputable
Law
Natural law
Evangelical counsels
Precepts of the Church
Canon law

CHAPTER FOUR
Jesus as Moral Guide

Called to Beatitude
beatitude

An attitude guiding us
to follow Jesus more
closely in order to
achieve holiness and
happiness.

Called to Beatitude
In the Beatitudes, we learn the how of our
Christian vocation.
The Beatitudes depict Christ; they reveal
his love.
They teach us the goal of our very
existence to become partakers of Gods
own divine nature and sharers in eternal
life.
Our teacher for learning morality and the
way to true happiness is Jesus himself.

Jesus Is Our Moral Norm

God Incarnate
Jesus was truly man. He was
like us in every respect , even
tempted as we are, yet he never
sinned.

Jesus Is Our Moral Norm

Jesus Teaching
Kingdom of God
(or reign of God)
Gods peace, justice, and love that was
proclaimed by Jesus and inaugurated in his life,
death, and resurrection. It refers to the process
of God reconciling all things through his Son, to
the fact of his will being done on earth as in
heaven. The process has begun with Jesus and
will be perfectly completed at the end of time.

Jesus Is Our Moral Norm

Jesus Teaching
metanoia

Greek term for repentance, a turning

away from sin with the intention of living
a Christian life.

Jesus is Our Moral Norm

Jesus Teaching

The Eucharist celebrates Jesus Paschal mystery.

Our celebration of it with other Catholic believers
enables us to enter into the mystery it represents for us.

In the Liturgy of the Word, we are challenged to take the

good news to heart and live it in the present on our
journey to the Triune God.
In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit prays
through us as we thank and praise God for all he has
accomplished for us through Christ Jesus.
At the end of Mass, we are sent to love
and serve the Lord.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

All we have and all we are is a gift

from God. We are totally dependent
on God.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted

Those who mourn are with God and

can move them to lend a helping
hand to those who suffer.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.

People who are humble and treat

others with respect, understanding,
and compassion.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are they who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will
be satisfied.

Christians desire for high ideals and

goals, striving to do Gods will.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the merciful, for they will
be shown mercy.

We must forgive others, even our

enemies.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the clean of heart, for
they will see God.

People who are single-hearted,

undivided in their loyalties, without
fakery or pretense.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called children of God.

We are called to work to settle

disputes, to root out violence, to
forgive and show compassion.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the
sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.

To stand up for what is right, especially in

the face of mockery, rejection, verbal and
physical abuse.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
The Beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
Jesus Is the Fulfillment of the
Law
Jesus fulfills the Mosaic Law by
emphasizing its spirit and intent rather than
stressing a strict interpretation of the letter
of the law.

Jesus perfects the Old Testament Law by

intensifying it and by setting a higher standard
the law of love.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
Jesus on Good Works, Prayer,
and Trust
Jesus calls his followers to perform
religious works of almsgiving, praying,
and fasting.
We should do these actions humbly
and with the purest of motives.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
Praying the Lords Prayer
Our Father Jesus invites us to call God Abba (Daddy),
to address God with childlike trust. We are Gods people
and brothers and sisters to one another.
Who Art in Heaven Gods way of being, Gods
majesty. We are in union with Christ in heaven.
Hallowed Be Thy Name We pray that everyone on
earth will regard God as holy.
Thy Kingdom Come; Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is
in Heaven We are to live, experience, and work for
Gods Kingdom right now.

The Sermon on the Mount:

Jesus, the New Moses
Praying the Lords Prayer
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread We ask for physical
life, psychological life, and spiritual life. We pray for our
needs and the needs of all people.
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who
Trespass Against Us We ask God for forgiveness and we
also forgive others.
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation We ask God to spare
us the path that leads to sin.
But Deliver Us From Evil. We pray to God to manifest the
victory Christ has already won over Satan and sin.
Amen So be it.

Justification, Grace, Merit,

and Holiness The Holy Spirits
Justification

grace that
cleanses us from
our sins through
faith in Jesus
Christ and
baptism.
Justification
makes us right
with God.

Justification, Grace, Merit,

and Holiness
A free and
unearned favor
from God, infused
into our souls at
Baptism, that
adopts us into
Gods family and
helps us to live as
his children.

Grace

Justification, Grace, Merit,

and Holiness
Types
of
Graces

Sanctifying
Grace
makes us holy

Actual
Grace
Gods
interventions

Sacramental
Grace
specific gifts
that come from
particular sacraments

Charisms
special gifts the
Holy Spirit gives
to individual
Christians to
build up the
Church

Justification, Grace, Merit,

and Holiness
Merit and Holiness

We must cooperate with the many graces God

gives to us to live upright, holy lives so we can
merit the reward God has in store for us.
The source of all merit is the love of Jesus Christ,
whose sacrifice has won us everything.
Christ calls everyone to holiness.
Holiness requires self-denial and prayer

Discipleship
discipleship

The mandate of all

baptized Christians to
follow Jesus and
participate in his role as
priest, prophet, and king.

Discipleship
Contemplative orders
Religious orders that put a
focus on living a life centered
on the celebration of prayer,
rather than on active ministry.
Men Benedictines, Trappists, and
Carmelites.
Women Benedictines, the Poor
Clares, Carmelites, and Trappistines.

Discipleship
Apostolic orders
Religious orders that stress
apostolic works like caring for
the downtrodden and sick,
teaching, or preaching.
Men Society of Jesus (the Jesuits),
Franciscans, Salesians, Holy Cross, Christian
Brothers, Dominicans
Women Sisters of Charity, Franciscan
Sisters, Sisters of Mercy, Dominican Sisters

Vocabulary
Beatitude
Kingdom of God
Metanoia
Justification
Grace
Sanctifying grace
Actual grace
Sacramental grace
Charisms
Discipleship
Contemplative orders
Apostolic orders