The Chu rchUNIT FIVEshort

What is the role of in our goal to follow Christ in choosing the fullness of life and avoiding the life of sin?

conscience

Why do we need in forming our conscience? How does she form our conscience?

the Chu rch

SURVEYBE PREPARED TO DEFEND YOUR ANSWERS

SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5

strongly disagree

strongly agree

The Church should always respond to current events.

SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5

strongly disagree

strongly agree

The Church should not have a stand in issues or policies

concerning the state.

SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5

strongly disagree

strongly agree

The Church is only concerned about issues on sexual morality.

SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5

strongly disagree

strongly agree

The Church should not tell me what to do with my life.

SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5

strongly disagree

strongly agree

The Church should only focus on matters of the spirit (prayer,

sacraments, devotions) and not our daily lives.

The Chu rch

#throwback

Fundamental Sacrament of Jesus

#throwback

SIMPLIFIED: Jesus is made present with us today.

The Church shares in the three-fold office of Jesus. She continues the mission Jesus entrusted to His apostles. She is to keep spreading the Good News. She is to share Christ’s presence via the 7 sacraments.

Fundamental Sacrament of Jesus

#throwback

moral imp lication

If you want to know ME - my way, truth and life - encounter me where I’m

surely present.

Community of Faith

#throwback

SIMPLIFIED: WE are the Church, not THEY nor IT.As a Church community, we are reminded that our lives are naturally intertwined with others. Thus, we are constantly walking with others.

We will never understand the teachings of the Church if we fail to recognize that we are part of her.

Community of Faith

#throwback

The truths that our conscience adhere to are always truths in the context of others and can only be discovered in community. By this truth we realize that we are not alone in charting the path towards the fullness of life. We are supported and guided by one another in the Church to be able to keep ourselves close to Jesus and stay on course towards the fullness of life with God.

moral imp lication

Community of Faith

#throwback

What makes the Church different from other communities that we belong to is that it involves faith.

SIMPLIFIED: The Church is GIFT and TASK.

Community of Faith

#throwback

SIMPLIFIED: The Church is GIFT and TASK.Jesus entrusted his Church to us and therefore, we must continue to make it His living presence today. Without recognizing Christ's presence nor building it today as his sacrament, the Church is simply reduced to a gathering of people.

Community of Faith

#throwback

While the Church is the most fundamental sign of Christ’s presence to us today, we are still called to build her up and to maintain her in such a way that she remains faithful to the Gospel. Jesus made the Church holy. We are to keep it holy in fidelity to Christ’s call and mission.

moral imp lication

The Chu rchCommunity of FaithFundamental Sacrament of Jesus

Moral Guide

Moral GuideThe Church today plays a vital role in our moral decision making. In obedience to Jesus, the Church strives to preach Christ's Gospel to us and to all people.In a world where it is hard to know what is true and worthy of belief, we can rely upon the Church to provide us with "the knowledge of the truth." She is guided by the Holy Spirit and governed by Christ, leading the Church through Peter and the apostles, "who are present in their successors, the Pope and the college of bishops." (cf. CCC 869)

Formation of Conscience

By being part of the Church, our conscience becomes formed and informed, by: • making us aware of JESUS in the Gospels and

continuing to remain faithful to Him despite the shifting times and ways of living,

• giving us a space to constantly be in contact with Jesus Christ, via prayer, sacraments, ministries, etc.,

• providing us with a community, who supports and journeys with us.

via the Church

Granted that the Church provides us with an experience of Jesus Christ and a community to exercise our conscience with, must our leaders go to the extent of speaking on many (if not all) issues?

Analogy of the Body1 Cor 12:12-24

What big ideas can we derive from St. Paul’s analogy of the body?

How do these big ideas make us understand the Church better?

I can form my conscience on my own.

Individualism

Every member of the Church is entrusted with a function for the community.

The role of the Pope, the bishops and the clergy is to study the Gospels & discern as to how Jesus is present to us in our everyday lives.

In different cases, as leaders and elders of the Church and as those people immersed in the study of Scripture and Tradition, our Church leaders should make a well-discerned statement or pronouncement to respond to the signs of the times.

REMEMBER: These statements have to be faithful to Scripture and Tradition while carefully listening to the signs of the times, which we the laity can give light to.

Reflection Questions

What is my attitude towards the Church's authority to guide us in matters of faith and morals?

In which areas of our lives do I find it hard to accept our Church's role in teaching and guiding us? Why do I find it hard to accept?

How can I form my conscience with the guidance of the Church?

Why do we need in forming our conscience to direct our lives to God through the way of Jesus Christ?

the Chu rch

Following the way of Christ poses a great challenge. The presence of the Church reminds us that we are not alone in making our decisions or orienting our lives to God, the fullness of our life. Our conscience becomes more formed when we seek the support and guidance of our faith community.

Why do we need in forming our conscience? How does she form our conscience?

the Chu rch

You don’t need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn’t make you a taco.

JUSTIN BIEBER

What do ü mean?

Imagine that you are part of a UN commission established to formulate a Declaration of UNIVERSAL MORAL PRINCIPLES - that is, a list of principles that would apply to everyone everywhere simply because they are human.

If you were to determine the basics for a Christian to be called a GOOD CHRISTIAN, what would you require of him/her? What activities and/or policies are required of the Christian?

Analogy of the BodyWe all have our functions to make the body work and flourish. We all

have to do our part well.

The Body of Christ

We follow some basic requirements as members of the Church to keep the

Body “healthy”.

These requirements allow the Church to help guide us further in following the way of Jesus, our head.

"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God,

whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is

exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation

has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter,

the Bishop of Rome.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH #85

As Jesus is made present to us in the Church, we seek moral guidance in the Church who continues to ensure that all of us Christians remain faithful to Jesus and the apostles.

Jesus ChrisT

Department Chairperson

Dept. of Faith & Morals

As teachers of the faith, the POPE & the BISHOPS discern how the Word of God can be applicable to our daily lives without losing the message of Jesus and his apostles.

MagisteriumIt is a living and ongoing teaching office that is entrusted to the pope and the bishops by discerning how the Word of God is present and is applicable considering the signs of the times. This serves as our guide in our daily decision-making.

WORD of

GOD

SCRIPTURE

TRADITION

HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Discerned with the Help of the

HOLY SPIRIT

Teaching on Faith &

Morals

Infallibilitynatural law

In addressing real and pressing problems that involve complex realities, the magisterium applies Scripture and Tradition in the light of NATURAL LAW.

God has placed within us a way to participate in his wisdom and truth. It is unchangeable and permanent throughout history.

natural law

This natural law can be accessed using the good sense God gave us.

natural law

This natural law serves as a "necessary foundations for the erection of moral rules and civil law." (cf. CCC 1979)

By examining human nature, the natural moral law discovers basic principles that should govern human conduct.

moral imp licationThe Church undergoes a careful process of discerning the Word of God in our daily lives. It is required of her to communicate how the Word of God applies to our lives and for us who are listening, it is required for us to listen and recognize the Word of God, as well.

The Body of Christ

As members, we have a bare minimum of necessary actions/

activities for our moral and liturgical life.

But, if we are in a loving relationship, don’t we give more than the minimum?

Precepts of the Chu rch1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy

days of obligation and rest from servile labor. 2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year. 3. You shall receive the sacrament of Eucharist at

least during the Easter season. 4. You shall observe the days of fasting and

abstinence established by the Church. 5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the

Church.

Christian life is a commitment. If we fall below, we can’t really call ourselves in full communion with the Church.

moral imp licationCommunal living also involves our basic participation in all our community's activities. Our conscience is formed by daily exposure to our faith community. Without these activities, we will not be able to recognize and discern the living Word in our communal lives as Christians.

Written Sources of Moral TeachingsNOTE: These are rooted in Scriptures and Tradition

carefully considering and responding to the Signs of the Times

DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN IIAddresses specific moral issues, gives a pastoral direction to the

Church in a fast-paced world.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCHPrimary teaching document of the Catholic Church to guide

Church leaders and faith teachers

For Filipinos, we also have the CATECHISM for

FILIPINO CATHOLICS

PAPAL ENCYCLICALSOfficial letter of the Pope to the entire Catholic community.

Some encyclicals address specific areas of morality.

STATEMENTS OF VATICAN COUNCILSOffices that assist the Pope to oversee various areas of Church

life. These commissions respond to certain areas of morality or Church life. They issue pronouncements and guidelines on how

to address and respond to those areas.

PASTORAL LETTERSThe bishops or the pastors of each diocese can write official letters to their communities. These letters respond towards

local issues on behalf of the Church.

Reading theWRITTEN SOURCES OF MORAL TEACHINGS

CONSIDER BEFORE READING

Context of the document

CONSIDER WHILE READING

Nature of the document

Human Person’s Authentic Good

Objective Content of the Doucment

Interior movements of the reader

moral imp licationIn forming our conscience, it is important that we consult in order to act responsibly in making a moral judgment. We need the knowledge appropriate to the decision we have to make. The judgment of conscience properly formed takes seriously that we are limited in our personal experience and vision of what is good but that we can learn from the broader experience and vision of the community to which we belong. These official teachings of the magisterium can open us to that broader experience and provide that broader vision.