CHRISTIAN MORALITY: The Faith Lived
Our Catholic faith draws forth a vocation to life in the Spirit. That life is grounded in the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God. It is also grounded in the communal character of the human vocation. Christ calls us to a life of ‘beatitude’ – holiness and happiness. We are able to achieve this life with the help of God’s law (his commandments) and with his grace. Right conduct, freely chosen, fulfils the two commandments of charity – love of God and of neighbour.
Various aspects of CHRISTIAN MORALITY, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) can be explored below.
Life in Christ – Part One (CCC 1691–2082)
The Foundations of the Christian Moral Life To be human is to be faced with moral choices: ‘to do what is good and avoid evil.’ The Sacraments of Initiation, Healing and Service strengthen us with the wisdom and capacity to choose what is good and avoid evil. Our free will and intellect are ...
Life in Christ – Part Two (CCC 1691–2082)
The Principles of the Christian Moral Life Respect for the dignity of each human person involves respect for the rights that flow from that dignity. Created in the image and likeness of God (Gn 1:26), all human beings are endowed with rational souls; all have the same human nature and same origin ...
The First Commandment: Believe in the True God (CCC 2083–2141)
‘I, the Lord, am Your God You shall not have other Gods besides me’ (EX 20:2-3) God has first loved the world; the first of the Ten Commandments speaks of our response to God’s love. To believe in the One Triune God with our whole heart, mind, body and soul is our human response to God’s ...
The Second Commandment: Reverence God’s Name (CCC 2142–2167)
‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in Vain’ God has first loved the world; the first of the Ten Commandments speaks of our response to God’s love. To believe in the One Triune God with our whole heart, mind, body and soul is our human response to God’s unconditional love. The First ...
The Third Commandment: Love the Lord’s Day (CCC 2168–2195)
Remember to keep Holy the Lord’s Day In Genesis, God rests on the seventh day after his work of creating the world. God builds into human nature a balanced rhythm of work and rest, whereby we are refreshed from our work and return our hearts and minds to worship God. ...
The Fourth Commandment: Strengthen Your Family (CCC 2196–2257)
Honour Your Father and your Mother The Fourth Commandment, ‘Honour your father and your mother’, focuses on family life in all its dimensions – the duties and responsibilities of parents and children. The Sacrament of Marriage creates and sustains the Christian family so that it truly reflects the ...
The Fifth Commandment: Promote the Culture of Life (CCC 2258–2330)
You Shall Not Kill The Catholic Church defends the sanctity of human life as a gift from God. Human life is sacred because it originates in God’s creative love. God alone is the Creator of Life from its beginning to its end; to claim the right to destroy human life is to contradict the sacred ...
The Sixth Commandment: Marital Fidelity (CCC 2331–2400)
You Shall Not Commit Adultery The Sixth Commandment calls spouses to permanent and exclusive fidelity to one another, a countercultural value in contemporary society. Fidelity in marriage flows from the sacramental graces of the covenant of marriage. As spouses vow to be faithful to one another ...
The Seventh Commandment: Do Not Steal – Act Justly (CCC 2401–2463)
You Shall Not Steal The Seventh Commandment prohibits theft – the taking of another’s goods against the reasonable will of the owner. Every form of theft is contrary to God’s will and constitutes an injustice against others. The injustice of theft requires recompense and restitution of stolen goods ...
The Eighth Commandment: Tell the Truth (CCC 2401–2463)
You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbour God is the source of all truth. Christ Jesus not only taught truth, he spoke of himself, saying, ‘I am Truth’ (Jn 14:6). The Eighth Commandment urges the telling of truth and the avoidance of lies in all its forms. ...
The Ninth Commandment: Practise Purity of Heart (CCC 2514–2533)
You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbours’s Wife The Ninth Commandment teaches us to guard ourselves against impurity of heart. The heart is the seat of moral acts, and the grace of the sacraments strengthens and preserves us from impurities of heart, mind and body. In the midst of a society that ...
The Tenth Commandment: Embrace Poverty of Spirit (CCC 2534–2557)
You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbour’s Goods The Tenth Commandment extends the meaning of the Seventh and Ninth Commandments as it urges poverty of spirit and generosity of heart. These virtues free us from envy, greed and excessive materialism. This commandment is yet another means by which ...