HOW WE ARE TO HAVE LIFE IN CHRIST
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...