cardinal virtues
principal moral virtues; they are the foundation of all the other moral virtues; they remove the obstacles to our union with God and make us lead good Christian lives; they are:
-Prudence
-Justice
-Fortitude
-Temperance
Prudence
makes us see what we should do and what we should avoid in order to save our souls, as well as choose the best means to reach heaven
Justice
makes us render to each one his due
Fortitude
gives us strength to do God's will in the midst of trials and difficulties
Temperance
helps control evil desires and use rightly the things that please our senses
theological virtues
dipose the Christian to live in a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; they enable us to share in the divine life of God; they inform the cardinal virtues and give life to them; they are:
-Faith
-Hope
-Charity
Faith
the virtue by which we firmly believe - on the word of God - all of the truths he has revealed
Hope
the virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal happiness in heaven and the means to obtain it
Charity
is the virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbors as ourselves for the love of God
good
God dictates what is good; must do this in order to enter heaven
evil
has a greater attraction than good
sancifying grace
grace that confers on our souls a new life, that is, a sharing in the life of God himself
actual grace
is a supernatural help of God that enlightens our mind and strengthens our will to do good and avoid evil
the Call or Vocation
The Christian life stems from a call from God. It is seen as a vocation, or calling, to a particular type of life. Jesus goes out and calls individuals, as well as groups of people.
the Response
Christians must respond affirmatively to God's call. It's essential, because faith can't flourish without this answer. Faith is like a conversation, God starts it, but if we don't reply than there is no faith.
the Following
Jesus's call is to live like He did, to the extent that it's humanly possible. This call reflects one's freedom.
Discipleship
The call of Jesus is ordered toward being his disciple, since he is the teacher. The relationship between teacher and disciple is the same and the relationship that Christ and those who believe in him.
the Imitation
Christians learn by imitating the life of Jesus, but it can't be emulated totally.
positive morality
A moral code that prescribes what ought to be done
negative morality
A moral code motivated by fear of punishment
Christian Morality
The part of theology that specifies the moral norms derived from the new being that the Christian - because of his incorporation into Christ in Baptism - needs to follow, with the hope of imitating Jesus' life to the point of identifying with him.
Christian Vocation
God's call to the human being by which he is incorporated into Christ through grace and becomes a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. As one of God's people, he partakes in the life of the Church.
Christianity
The way of life lived as Jesus Christ the Son of God lived in word and action; based on love and directed toward the achievement of sainthood, while following the moral rules set down by Jesus; it answers man's question "What is the purpose of life?" (whi
Disciple
A follower who adopts another person's way of life, taking on his particular type of discipline.
Free Will
A gift from God to make possible the free choice to love God
freedom
The power rooted in reason and the will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility.
Holiness
The free dedication of oneself tot he will of God, and the participation in the life of grace offered to the Christian. This dedication to God affects a moral transformation in the life of the individual.
Humanism
A moral system that denies belief in God and views humanity as the highest form of existence
Law of Christ
An interior law that stems from grace - in connection with life in Jesus - and becomes a norm or impulse for imitating Christ and acting like him.
Moral Law
The objective standards authored by God and taught by Church authority; has been written in Natural Law and Revelation
Morality
The standards by which we judge our actions to be good or evil. Morality looks to those human acts that impact the totality of our "personness" and which affect our final end.
New Being in Christ
The supernatural condition of the baptized by which they participate in the life of Jesus.
Original Sin
The sin committed by Adam and Eve
Sins of Omission
Failure to do what is known to be right, good, or required.
virtue
A habitual and firm disposition to do good.
Relativism
There can only be one truth, but this says that there can be more than one truth and that all things are subjective
Humanae Vitae
The Latin title of Pope Paul VI's encyclical meaning, "Of Human Life," reaffirming that the use of artificial birth control is intrinsically wrong. This document has sometimes been called prophetic for its accurate prediction of the decline in morality wh
Natural Law
the law written in our hearts by God; it has an order; the way things work naturally
grace
helps the human to become a new creature; aids the Christian to be a good Christian so that he may act accordingly
Where is Christian Moral Life forged and begun?
It is forged in the heart with love.
Characteristics of Christian Morality
1) It first affects the person and then the action
2) It transforms the soul first, then the moral appearance
3) It encompasses the attitudes of the person
4) It accounts for what is forbidden, but stresses more what ought to be done
5) Requires not only
Discuss why Christian morality finds its beginning and end in love.
It is the crown characteristic of the Christian moral life. The Christian moral life begins with love and culminates with the new commandment of love. Both Jesus and his apostles emphasized the importance of loving God and others like He has loved us. The
What is the purpose of life?
To know, love, and serve God in order to get to heaven.
What is the effect of living the moral lifestyle of Jesus?
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Why are faith, hope, and love called the theological virtues?
Because they enable us to share in the divine life of God.
How do Christian ethics differ from secular ethics?
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What happens to Christianity when it is reduced to merely following a moral program?
People's hearts aren't in it, and they miss the point that Christianity isn't just about following rules, it's about the invitiation to share the love that can be experienced only by sharing in God's life. The Pharisees, and often the Jews in the Old Test
What are some characteristics of a legalistic approach to Christianity?
Seeing Christ as a moralist; that Christ came to replace one set of rules with another; the Pharisees, and often the Jews in the Old Testament, would do this, and Christ was critical of the Pharisees.
What do we mean when we say that Christianity is a religious morality?
Morality was created by God, not by man. It was revealed by him in Scripture.
What is the origin and goal of Christian morality?
Christian morality has its origin in the Father's gradual self-revelation of his own mystery in words and deeds through his Son.
What two characteristics set Christianity apart from all other religious beliefs?
1) The concepts of good and evil are determined by God
2) The ethical requirements of the Gospel require the aid of God's grace.
What five elements make up the morality of following and imitating Christ?
1) The call or vocation
2) The response
3) The following
4) Discipleship
5) The imitation
What does it mean to be Christ-like?
You don't have to literally do exactly what He did, but you have to have the same moral approach. You have to have the same attitudes and ask yourself "What Would Jesus Do?" but "What Is Jesus Doing?
What characteristics set Christianity apart from all other religious beliefs?
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What's the difference between free will and freedom?
God gave us free will to make possible the free choice to love God, but a person has freedom only to the extent he makes correct moral choices.
What is the final lesson of Christian morality?
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How is the life of holiness made possible and how is it strengthened?
It is made possible through the grace we received in Baptism and is strengthened in Confirmation.
Why is it that Christian life surpasses that of people who follow only natural ethics?
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