Discerning Love

Chapter 21

Conscience

• The nobler person deep inside each of us– Our “inner voice”

• Read Bubba Smith’s story on pg. 276• What was the “something greater” at stake?

Responding to the Conscience• Our conscience is a judgment of our reason.• “Return to your conscience, question it … turn inward … and in

everything you do, see God as your witness.” St. Augustine• Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as

personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience.” Vatican II, Dignitatis Humane

• Our conscience give us the– Power to discern right from wrong– Responsibility to listen to it prayerfully– Responsibility and Right to obey it

Moral Decision Making• Read about Neil Armstrong's childhood experience,

pg 277-278• When was a time your parents left a final decision up

to you? • Responsible moral decisions are not easy to make.

When we aren’t what love invites us to do, we should– Consult Jesus teachings– Seek competent advice– Pray for guidanceRead “Up Close & Personal”, pg 278: Avery Dulles

Three Kinds of Decisions• Clear-Out Decisions

– It is clear what loves calls us to do, but it is not easy to do – Example: Thomas More not invalidating King Henry VIII’s marriage– What is the difference between moral courage and physical courage?

• Clouded Decisions– Not always clear what love is calling us to do– Example: Franz Jagerstatter not serving in Nazi army & case of Granny

• Contrary Decisions– Very difficult and serious because it involves acting in opposition to

the twofold teaching charism Jesus conferred on his Church:• Power to teach in his name• Assurance of the Spirit’s help• (pg 282: “Thus it happens that the Church receives clarity on

certain moral and doctrinal matters gradually by stages.”)

Two Levels of Church Teaching

• Requiring a Faith Assent– Church teaches with absolute certitude– We give a faith assent; to do other would be to cease

being Catholic

• Requiring a Religious Assent– Church teaches with less than absolute certitude– We give religious assent because of the Church’s teaching

charism

Forming the Conscience• Right and Obligation: to form & follow our own conscience– Basis guidelines in forming our conscience:• We’ve unsuccessfully sought alternative solutions to our

moral problem;• We have a grave reason for acting;• We’ve prayed for guidance;• We’ve pondered the Church’s teaching and consulted

with competent people

• Vincible Ignorance – our fault• Invincible Ignorance – not our fault– Not responsible for the error in judgment; not a sin

Chapter TestMatching1 – d2 – b 3 – e4 – g5 – c 6 – f7 – a

Fill in the Blanks1 a. Clear-cut b. Clouded c. Contrary2 a. Ponder Church’s teaching b. Pursue competent advice c. Pray for guidance3 a. Absolute b. Faith c. Less than absolute d. Religious

True/False1 – T2 – F 3 – T4 – F5 – F6 – T7 – T8 – T

Witnessing to Love

Chapter 22

Saints Today• Story of lost boys in catacombs (pg 288-89)– Saints who lived long ago can still serve as guides for us

• Saints are Models– St. Francis was inspired by Genesis: every person is created in God’s

image; Mat 25:45: what we do for the least we do for Jesus; & Mat 10:5-15: when Jesus sent the apostles out two by two.

– St. Augustine was inspired by Rom 13:12-14: “Throw off the works of darkness … make no provisions for the desires of flesh.”

– Albert Schweitzer was inspired by Luk 16:19-31: Parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

– What passage or story of scripture inspires you?

• Saints are Witnesses of what we are called to be.

People we have met in our course book who rediscovered their faith

• Dorothy Day (p 11) John Egan (p 174)• Linda Marshall (p 135) Tommy (p 9)• Thomas Merton (p 54) Piri Thomas (p 221)• Margaret Mehren (p 23) Terry Anderson (p

24)• Eugene O’Neill (p 240) Chuck Colson (p

170)

• Whose story inspired you the most?

Two Kinds of Saints• Canonized Saints

– First process set up by Pope John XV ~1000. Before this, anyone who say the person martyred or had witnessed their holy life could declare them a saint. Current process was designed by Pope Sixtus V, 1588: 1st step is beatification (1st step to sainthood) and final step is canonization.

• Communion of Saints– 1. refers to all who make up the Church: on earth(pilgrims), in

purgatory (purifying), in heaven (reached perfection)– 2. the ‘spiritual gifts” the members of the Church share in

common:• Love for God and one another• Sacraments, especially the Eucharist• Readiness to share with the needy• Praying for one another

Queen of All Saints: Mary• Mother of God

– Not from all eternity, but that Jesus is God according to the flesh

• Immaculate Conception– Tradition teaches that Mary was conceived and born without

the stain of original sin, and she remained sinless throughout her life

• Assumption of Mary– Tradition teaches that at the moment of death, Mary was

assumed into heaven, body and soul

• Apparitions of Mary– Many reports over the centuries of apparitions or visitations of

Mary. Church carefully investigates each case – sometimes for many year, before declaring it worthy of credibility.

Model Saint

• Spirit of Service– Ex: :My life turned around when I stopped asking God to

do things for me and asked God what I could do for him.”– When Mary said yes to be Jesus mother– When Mary went to help Elizabeth– When she asked Jesus to help at the wedding feast in Cana

• Spirit of Prayer– Mary pondered these things in her heart– Anticipation of Pentecost – she and disciples gathered

frequently to prayWhat is the biggest obstacle that keeps me from making daily prayer part of my life?

Chapter TestMatching1 – e2 – f 3 – h4 – b5 – a6 – i7 – g8 – j9 – c10 – d

True/False1 – F2 – T 3 – F4 – T5 – T6 – T7 – F8 – F9 – T10 – T11 – T12 – F13 – T14 – T15 – T

Rejoicing in Love

Chapter 23

End of the World

• Return of Jesus in Majesty– Matthew 24:30-31

• Resurrection from the Dead– Wernher von Braun: ”Not even the smallest particle can

disappear without a trace.” “If God applied this principle to the most minute an insignificant parts of his universe, doesn’t it make sense to assume that applied it also to the human soul? I think it does.”

– John 5:28

Judgment After Death

• Particular Judgment – our life– Each person will experience a particular judgment

immediately after death (CCC 1020-22)– “God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and

successes, but on how well we have loved.” St. John of the Cross (1542-91)

• Last Judgment – world– Matthew 25:31-32, 34-36, 41, 45– Entire human race will face a last judgment

Three Destinies After Death

• Hell (CCC 1033-37)– Matthew 13:24-30 – parable of the weeds among the

wheat– Exists; is eternal; involves separation

• Purgatory (CCC 1023-29)– 2 Maccabees 12:45– Exists; is temporary; involves purification

• Heaven (CCC 1030-32)

“Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”Joe Louis (1914-81)

A God-given “instinct” makes us value and hold onto life. Life is a gift from God. What we do with it is our gift back to God. There is, also, a fear of death that compete with our faith, especially if it is weak and still maturing.

Entry into Glory• Life in God

– 1 John 2:24-25– (From an old Baptist preacher:) “if a single sparrow hoped form the

Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, one hop a day, with a single drop of water in its bill, and then hopped back at the same speed and kept it up until all the water in the Atlantic Ocean was in the Pacific, it would only be a breakday (brief interlude) in eternity.”

• Vision of God– 1 John 3:2 – we will see God and the vision will transform us into

God’s likeness. That vision will inaugurate our new life – eternal life.

• Union with God– Colossians 3:3-4– Confucius (550 b.c. – 478 b.c) defined heaven in 5 words: “to be

one with God.”

Chapter TestMatching1 – e2 – d 3 – b4 – a5 – c

Fill in the Blanks1 a. Heaven: entry into glory; vision of God; union with God b. Hell: eternal separation from God c. Purgatory: temporary period of purification2 a. Real fire: physical burning b. Metaphysical burning: burning with shame and remorse

True/False1 – T2 – F 3 – F4 – F5 – T6 – T7 – F8 – F9 – T10 – T11 – F12 – T