Come Follow Me Student Resource Year 10
Come Follow Me Student Resource Year 10
Come Follow Me Student Resource Year 10
ISBN 1 921072 13 X
Scripture quotations are taken from the New Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1985 by
Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing
Group, Inc. Used by permission.
Quotations from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Australia 1994
copyright St Pauls, Strathfield, Australia/Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used by permission.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal copyright 1973, International Committee
on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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have occurred, the publishers tender their apologies and invite copyright owners to contact them.
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Foreword
Come Follow Me
The challenge to follow Jesus is as relevant today as it was when Jesus explained to the
rich man in the Gospel what was required.
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you
own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then
come, follow me.” Mark 10:21
The purpose of this Religious Education Resource is to help students understand what
Catholics know and do as they follow Jesus in their daily lives.
This resource is structured in such a way that students can develop an understanding of
how Jesus through his Church teaches all that is needed for people to live as God wants.
It is the guide schools will use in order to fulfil their Religious Education role of promoting
knowledge and understanding of the Gospel, and of how those who follow Christ are called
to live the Gospel in the world of today.
Religious Education in Catholic schools needs to draw students into a systematic study of the
Christian message as it is presented, explained and justified through the Catholic Church.
These materials will be an important means by which Catholic schools assist the Church in
fulfilling its mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They hold a special place in
helping to form young people by enabling them to engage with the deepest questions of life
and find reasons for the hope that is within them.
In mandating these materials I would like to stress the importance of teachers of Religious
Education. Theirs is a difficult and challenging task, I appreciate the work and generosity
with which they fulfill their vocation and express my encouragement to them.
Wishing God’s blessing on all those involved in the task of Religious Education in
Catholic schools.
1 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The basic human vocation
Discovering personal vocation
The Christian vocation
Marriage is a vocation
Ministerial priesthood is a vocation
5
21
31
51
63
6. Religious life is a vocation 79
7. Life Everlasting 85
2 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Freedom to make responsible moral choices
How can people know if their choices are morally good?
God begins to restore human freedom
God revealed the Old Law
Jesus gave the New Law of freedom
95
105
113
119
129
6. The New Law of true freedom 141
7. The sacraments of true freedom 151
3 a. Conscience
1.
2.
3.
4.
Alone with God
Making judgements of conscience
The four principles of conscience
Challenges to recognising the voice of conscience
163
171
181
193
5. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to guide conscience 199
b. The Church
1. The characteristics of the Church 207
2. The growth of the Church 217
3. The renewal of the Church through the Holy Spirit 245
4 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
God created in people a concern for justice
Human injustice in the world
Jesus – the realisation of God’s justice
Jesus restores justice in people’s hearts
Jesus calls Christians to promote social justice
261
269
273
281
297
6. The Church promotes social justice 307
Appendices
‘What will I do
with my life?’
Reflect on each of the symbols and why they were and are
important to you at the different times in your life.
How did your family and your relationship with God help you to
accommodate and adapt to these changes?
Vocation as a life-calling is a much broader reality than just a job. Over a lifetime one’s
vocation may involve many jobs or may involve no job at all.
To understand where each person’s vocation comes from, it is necessary to recall the two
creation stories that open the Book of Genesis. In the stories God teaches that men and
women have been created in the ‘image’ of God (Genesis 1:27).
God is the creator of the universe and continues to sustain and to develop this creation
today. This extends to the earth and the environment, people and what is required to
sustain them. All people are called to contribute to this ongoing work of creation and
bring it to fulfillment.
Men and women reflect God’s image and likeness by contributing to the Creator’s
continuing activity. They do this by using their God-given gifts in following their
vocations. In the creation stories, they are told:
The word ‘subdue’ here means developing the goodness in creation. However, because
of selfishness, greed and other weaknesses caused by original sin, human beings have
often tried to ‘subdue’ the earth in harsh and self-serving ways.
Rather than dominate the earth, exploit its resources or damage and pollute the
environment, the creation stories call on people to:
God’s original intention was for people to see the good in every created thing, as God
does. According to the first (Priestly) creation story:
God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)
In your journal, write about any concern you have for the future
of the planet and the people on it. Do you have a role model
who is working to make the world a better place? Why is this
person significant to you and how might you be able to follow
their example in the future?
God has given people the gifts needed for their vocation
Each person is unique and has a God-given vocation to contribute in a particular way to
God’s creative activity in the world today. Ultimately, everyone’s true and lasting
happiness will depend upon whether or not they use their particular gifts to follow this
vocation.
God has given each person the gifts needed to follow their vocation in whatever role
they pursue. Many people have the gifts needed for marriage. Some have the gifts to be
good parents as well as being married. Some have the gifts needed to live singly and
even to devote their lives entirely to the service of others.
God provides the gifts needed by those who are called to follow people-orientated
careers such as nursing, teaching, social work, the priesthood and Religious Life or
follow environmentally-orientated careers, such as landscaping, environmental science,
farming and gardening.
God also provides the gifts for other careers, such as those related to commerce,
administration, politics, community leadership, law and order, the arts and
entertainment or scientific exploration.
In Class Work
Identify at least one career that would probably suit a person who has the
following ‘passions’ and orientations:
In Class Work
Instructions:
1. Put each heading on a notice board.
2. In groups, list practical examples of ways that people participate
in God’s creative activity.
3. Write the examples on cards or ‘post-it’ notes and cluster
them around the relevant heading.
In Class Work
In your journal:
4. Write down any thoughts and ideas that have come from
your reflection. Pray for God’s guidance that in the future you
will do what God is calling you to do.
WORK + REST
Man ought to imitate God both in working and also in resting since God himself
wished to present his own creative activity under the form of work and rest.
(On Human Work 25)
Paid employment or ‘having a job’ means ‘working for an income’. Most people have to
seek paid employment. They will need to study and skill themselves so that they will be
capable of working and earning a living.
It
may be interesting to ask someone who is employed:
• What is it that you do? What does it involve?
• Who do you work with?
• What kinds of people are they?
• Are there people whose needs you can help meet (for example, an elderly
person who is lonely or a fellow student who needs special attention)?
• What talents and other gifts are you using to go about your employment
(manual, intellectual, relational, personal qualities such as ‘being a good
listener’, justice and compassion)?
• What aspects of your work do you find most fulfilling?
When thinking about future employment, What path do I need to follow in life?
people need to consider their vocation,
asking ‘What path do I need to follow in
life?’ They need to seek ways that help
them to fulfil their vocation as much as
possible and also provide opportunities
for the development of their personal
gifts.
Other people may find that their employment is not very satisfying but that it provides
the stable income they need to live a fulfilling life in other ways. For example, their
income may make it possible for them to ‘work’ better in their families, to contribute to
society in voluntary ways or to contribute to the environment.
In Class Work
Some people cannot participate in paid employment. Nevertheless those without paid
employment can find other ways to share in God’s creative activity using their gifts.
There are also people who decide that their families have sufficient income, and so do
not seek employment. Their motivation is either that the job they could have had is then
available to others in greater need or they want to live a simpler life.
‘The question of vocations is vital to the Church. Everyone has a vocation: parents,
teachers, students, workers, professional people who are retired. Everyone has something
to do for God.’
Pope John Paul II, Homily at Giants Stadium, New York, October 5, 1995, #5
For everyone, there is at least one period in life when they are single. Perhaps they are
too young for marriage or the right person to marry has not come along. For many
people, there is more than one such period (e.g. pre-marriage, death of a spouse,
separation or divorce).
As for all lifestyles, the single lifestyle calls for chaste love.
Parenthood
Most people who marry have children,
though not all couples are able to do so. The
quality of a marriage is no less if the couple
does not have children.
In Class Work
Choosing lifestyles
People should not choose a lifestyle for the wrong reasons. Social trends and material
gain for example, should not be key considerations. The key question when making
lifestyle choices is: ‘Which lifestyle is the most appropriate to my talents and other gifts?’
In Class Work
Use the information from Chapter 1 to help choose the best answer for each
of the following questions:
1. A vocation is:
a) a job b) a career c) a calling d) a holiday
2. Human beings are co-creators with God. This means human beings:
a) create things as God does b) help bring creation to fulfilment
c) create children d) dominate the earth
God wants people to use and develop their personal gifts and I NEED
talents in order to find fulfilment and satisfaction in their lives. HELP!
People can receive the guidance they seek through prayer and
worship and by being attentive to the promptings of the Holy
Spirit.
Self-centredness
Some people are too self-centred to easily discover
their vocation. They see no value in serving others,
and cannot see the point of doing something if there
is nothing in it for them.
Low self-esteem
Since God gives a person all the gifts they need to fulfil their vocation, a person’s gifts
provide a vital clue to their life vocation. Some people with low self-esteem cannot
appreciate their personal gifts, and so cannot see possibilities for their future.
There can be many reasons for low self-esteem. Australia’s competitive society leads
many people to compare themselves to others rather than get to know themselves better.
They are inclined to think ‘I am not as good as such and such a person’, ‘I am too shy to
make friends as so and so does’ or ‘I tend to be embarrassed easily.’
God wants people to see the total truth about themselves – their strengths as well as
their weaknesses.
Some people today see the earth and its creatures only as something to be exploited.
Failing to respect creation, they fail to respect its balances and needs.
Others see society only in terms of how it can provide for their individual needs. They
have no interest in voluntary organisations or exploring how they can contribute to
society and the lives of others.
People need to value the family. When they see the family only in terms of their own
needs, and not in terms of the needs of others, they fail to appreciate their vocation as
members of a family.
People who fail to discover and follow their vocation can end up feeling lost and lacking
direction – though this may not become obvious to them until later in life. Eventually,
many find themselves wondering: ‘What is the meaning and purpose of my life?’
Spiritual discernment is a process by which a person in faith and love tries to discover
God’s will in a situation. It is a process of continually choosing the values of Jesus and
living by his Spirit. Christians are called to spiritually discern God’s will in all life’s
important decisions, particularly their vocation.
The most important question to begin and end a process of spiritual discernment is:
‘What does God want me to do?’ In order to discover the answer, a person must be
sensitive to their own motivations and feelings that might pull them in different
directions. It is very important for people to be aware of all that is influencing their
decision making process.
In Class Work
Using the Lenten calendar provided as your guide create your own Lenten
calendar beginning on Ash Wednesday and finishing on Holy Saturday. Use it
to reflect on the gifts, talents and skills that you have which need to be
recognised and developed in order for you to discover your vocation in life.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with a call to come back to God. During the Ash
Wednesday liturgy people come forward to receive ashes and hear the words:
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel. (Roman Missal)
People accept the power of God’s saving grace in their lives – Christian salvation – by
fulfilling two conditions:
• repentance
• belief in the Gospel.
A Lenten Calendar
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
First Sunday Reach out to Pray for sinners. Thank God for Refer back to Visit an elderly Offer your
Read the help someone. your family and your Lenten list. or sick person. support to
Gospel: friends. What have you someone in
___________ done so far? special need.
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
Second Sunday Spend some time Offer to do a Show special Examine your Make the Pray to be
Read the meditating on job around the concern for journey for signs stations of the faithful as
Gospel: God’s love and house. someone you of things that Cross and reflect Mary was
___________ guidance in your know who is could be going on Jesus doing faithful and
life. struggling to better. what he was that you can,
find their called to by like her, find
direction in his Father. your role in life.
life.
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
Third Sunday Pray for peace. Do something Take on some Find out about a Pray for someone Receive the
Read the Reflect on how difficult from responsibility at Catholic youth you think has Sacrament of
Gospel: God’s peace can your Lenten list. home or school. organisation in wronged you. Penance.
___________ be promoted in your area that
the world. provides for the
needs of others.
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
Fourth Sunday Comfort Thank God for Pray for enemies. List your gifts Ask for grace to Give a message
Read the someone who is helping you on Read Matthew that can be used forgive others. of hope to
Gospel: grieving or your journey so 6:43–48. in the service of someone today.
___________ unhappy. far this Lent. others.
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
Fifth Sunday Have you been Accept yourself ‘Let go’ of Is there someone What can you do Take a ‘risk’ of
Read the avoiding as you are today something you who needs your to support your faith today.
Gospel: something hard? – God loves you treasure: give it concern today? family today?
___________ Bite the bullet. so much. up or give it
away!
Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________ Date: _________
Sixth Sunday Think of the Share a skill with Pray for hope for Holy Thursday. Good Friday. Holy Saturday.
Read the presence of God someone today. all as you travel Read the Gospel: Reflect on the Wait prayerfully
Gospel: in your life the road of Holy _____________ example of for the light of
___________ frequently today. Week. courage and the world.
love that Jesus
gives us.
These were achieved with the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent,
and believe the gospel.’ (Mark 1:15)
Triduum
The four days of Easter services
The Resurrection
The greatest demonstration of the power of the kingdom was the Resurrection of Jesus.
The Resurrection showed that, since it is greater than death, there is no human failing or
weakness that can resist God’s saving power.
The climax of Lent is the Feast of Easter, the high point of the liturgical year. Easter
begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Good Friday is a
day of solemn reflection with the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. The Easter Vigil
takes place at night on Holy Saturday and begins with the Service of Light to proclaim
Christ’s Resurrection. On Easter Sunday Christians joyfully celebrate the Resurrection of
Jesus, the ‘crowning truth’ of their faith in Christ.
God’s saving power heals people by destroying original sin within them. It heals them
also of all other sins that they may have committed and contributes to the gradual
healing of the effects of sin in their lives.
Jesus is the source of Christian salvation. Christians from earliest times have worshipped
him as their Lord and Saviour.
God’s most basic desire is that human beings accept a close relationship with Him. The
mission of Jesus Christ is to make this possible. He commanded his followers:
‘I give you a new commandment: you must love another; you must love one another
just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will
recognise you as my disciples.’ (John 13:34–35)
This is a restatement of the most basic Christian vocation – to share in the mission of
Jesus.
Jesus left his Church seven sacraments as important ways for Christians to draw on the
power of God.
Through Baptism, the Holy Spirit guides people to find their specific vocation or calling.
This basic vocation calls each Christian to teach others about God’s basic desire that
they love him and one another.
In Class Work
1. Many people lack direction and drift through life because they
a) fail to use proper discernment
b) won’t look beyond their own needs and wants
c) ignore the truth about themselves
d) all of the above
5. Jesus rose from the dead by the power of the Kingdom of God. Y/N
6. ‘Salvation’ and ‘Repentance’ are different terms for the same thing. Y/N
God first instituted the Old Testament priesthood around 1250BC by commanding
Moses to set aside his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons as priests (Exodus 28:1). In this
way, God instituted two levels of priestly service: the general priesthood of the Jews
as a priestly people and a special priesthood of service to the priestly people.
The basic responsibility of Old Testament priests was to act on behalf of the Jewish
people to help reconcile the people to God. They offered God sacrifices.
Over the centuries from the time of Moses to the coming of Jesus, God led the Jewish
people to a deeper understanding of sacrifice. This in turn led to a deeper understanding
of the meaning of priesthood.
2. Spiritual sacrifice
Before long, the Jewish people were performing the ritual of sacrifice, but not everyone
was sincerely offering their lives to God. They stopped keeping the commandments and
often lived like pagans.
God condemned insincere sacrificial rituals through several of the Prophets and revealed
that sincere efforts to live God’s laws and to give up wrong-doing were in themselves
forms of spiritual sacrifice:
After their conquest by the Babylonians in the early sixth century BC the Jews were
forced into exile and they could no longer offer ritual blood sacrifices. In this situation,
God accepted purely spiritual sacrifices which did not involve a priest. This did not
mean that blood sacrifices should no longer be performed – only that spiritual sacrifices
could be offered as well. Knowing this, the Jews realised that they could offer
themselves personally to God in prayer:
Isaiah wrote about a Suffering Servant who wins God’s favour for others by offering his
sufferings to God:
Jesus saw himself as fulfilling the prophecy of the Suffering Servant. He gave his life
through his sufferings and death for the whole human race – past, present and future.
He made this clear on a number of occasions (Matthew 20:28; Luke 10:22).
Christians today recognise that Jesus died for their personal sins and each sees him as
their personal Saviour. The death of Jesus was for the sins of the human race so all who
sin have some responsibility for his death.
… I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of him
who sent me. (John 6:38)
This spiritual sacrifice included his friendships, care of the sick and those in need. It
included his teaching, his miracles, and every aspect of his life.
Jesus recognised that, by his suffering and death, he would fulfil the prophecy of the
Suffering Servant. He taught that:
[He] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:28)
The night before he was killed, Jesus feared his death. He could have avoided this by
running away. If he had done this he would not have fulfilled his mission – and would
have disobeyed God the Father. Using the biblical image of the ‘cup of suffering’, Jesus
prayed:
‘Father,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless,
let your will be done, not mine.’ (Luke 22:42)
The next day, Jesus died on a cross at Calvary. This was his perfect sacrifice to God the
Father. He was the blood victim – but, as the one making the offering, he was also the priest.
Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to
them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ He
did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in
my blood poured out for you.’ (Luke 22:19–20)
By telling his Apostles to ‘do this in remembrance of me’, Jesus instituted them as a new
priesthood. The Apostles passed on this priesthood to others as Jesus intended, through
the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Since the time of the Apostles, his Church has celebrated the Eucharist as Jesus
commanded. Each time the priest repeats the action of Jesus during Mass he calls on the
power of the Holy Spirit to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus.
Jesus offers himself as sacrificial victim to God the Father. He is both priest and victim.
Jesus fulfilled in himself the Old Testament priesthood, becoming the “supreme High
Priest.” (Hebrews 4:14) He was also the one, perfect and eternal sacrifice that redeemed
the sins of the world “once and for all by offering himself.” (Hebrews 7:27). The
Eucharist is the perfect sacrifice because, unlike the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, the
body and blood offered at each Eucharistic celebration do not merely ‘represent’ the one
doing the offering they are the body and blood of the one doing the offering.
There are also the more difficult experiences people have that can be offered to God.
These include:
• illness and physical sufferings
• failures and disappointments
• worries and anxieties
• emotional stresses
• severe temptations to break one of God’s Commandments such as:
– to steal or to deceive someone in a business deal
– to give in to sexual desires.
It is by offering these daily life moments to God the Father as spiritual sacrifices, just as
Jesus did, that a Christian becomes a means or an ‘instrument’ through which other
people can experience the transforming power of God’s love in their lives.
Morning Offering
In Class Work
• Find different Morning Offerings from Catholic resources e.g. The Morning
Offering of St Therese of Lisieux.
• Write your own Morning Offerings to suit different occasions that you will
encounter as a Year Ten student, for example making decisions about what
you will study in Year Eleven and Year Twelve that will enable you to fulfill
your vocation.
• Create prayer cards that can be displayed and used by your class each
morning.
In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving
bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your
presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ
be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. (Roman Missal)
Jesus calls all present during Mass to offer their lives, together with his, to God the
Father. This includes their prayers, works, joys, hardships, sufferings, difficulties,
temptations and successes.
Because of the suffering of Jesus, the Mass is the greatest of all the prayers people can
offer to God.
Jesus also joins the prayers of those who offer their lives with him to his prayer. This
includes the needs they pray for during the Mass – their own needs and the needs of
others.
The power of the Resurrection of Jesus is greater than death. It is stronger than any
human weakness. Jesus shares this power with all who offer their lives in the Eucharist.
This power:
• consoles where there is suffering
• strengthens against temptations and weaknesses
• empowers efforts in areas of daily life
• guides through personal problems and questions.
Jesus challenged social trends and practices that conflicted with the teachings and
commandments of God. This led him to be rejected, ridiculed and eventually killed.
During Jesus’ ministry many people recognised him as a prophet (Matthew 21:11;
Luke 24:19).
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and taught much about it. He also demonstrated
its power through actions.
Jesus always pointed to a future beyond suffering and death (Mark 10:33–34).
He taught about his own Resurrection. He taught his followers about heaven, hell
and their own future resurrection from the dead.
Christians share in the prophetic role of Jesus through the various works they do which
teach others that he is the source of the Kingdom of God whose power they can draw on by:
• repenting and resolving to change all wrongdoing in their lives
• believing in all that Jesus taught.
Christians share in Christ’s prophetic role by sharing the good news of the Gospel and
encouraging everyone in society to live as Jesus taught, helping them to see ways in
which they are not living according to Christ’s law of love.
Old Testament kings were meant to be servants of God who was the real king of Israel.
This was their calling and their work. Perhaps the best remembered kings are Saul,
David and Solomon.
Jesus’ mission as king was to establish the rule (or ‘reign’) of God in the world. He came
to promote a society that reflected God and the values of God. This would be a society
of love, goodness, faithfulness, forgiveness and care for those with special needs.
One way that Jesus exercised his mission as king differently from other kings was
through his service rather than his dominance of others. He told his Apostles:
‘... the Son of man came not to be served but to serve ...’ (Matthew 20:28)
As king, Jesus sought to promote the rule of God in the world – the rule of love and
goodness that destroys evil. To share in this mission of Jesus, Christians need to begin
with themselves. They need to repent (Mark 1:15) and draw on God’s power in their
lives by praying daily, worshipping in the liturgical assembly (especially through the
Eucharist) and living every day as Jesus taught.
The value of justice is particularly important. This value brings peace, which Christians
are called to promote at every level – in families, among friends, between neighbours
and different groups in society, as well as among nations.
Justice includes social justice – the recognition of the equal dignity and rights of every
human being and the promoting of just distribution of the earth’s resources.
In Class Work
You are working for an advertising firm contracted to supply posters for large,
road-side billboards. Design a poster that has one of the following themes:
• Today’s Christian youth – called to share in Jesus’ priestly mission
• In every age, Christians are called to share in Jesus’ prophetic mission
• ‘Being Christian’ means sharing in Jesus’ mission to build the Kingdom of
God in the world.
Choose a title and include a short, snappy “mission statement”. This statement
will seek to express, clearly and concisely, what it means to be a young
Christian who shares in Jesus’ mission as priest or prophet or king in today’s
society.
The poster should include at least three practical examples of how this
mission can be practised in everyday life. This might be expressed most
effectively with illustrations or short phrases.
There are many examples of people living in a way that God wants and fulfilling their
Christian vocation.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati – “We must never just simply exist”
From an early age, Pier Giorgio’s concern for others was evident. When he was only
four, he gave away his shoes to the son of a poor woman who came begging at the door
of the family home. Throughout his school years, he used his pocket money and tram
fare to buy food and necessities for the needy. While living in the embassy in Germany,
he continued to serve the poor, even giving away his winter overcoat to an old man
shivering with cold. Often he was so caught up in serving the poor after school that he
had to run home in order to be on time for dinner and to avoid his father’s displeasure.
Although he was an intelligent young man, Pier Giorgio often struggled to keep up with
his studies. He was involved in many extracurricular activities such as political
organisations, sporting clubs, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and the Lay Dominicans.
These activities, his attendance at daily Mass and the Rosary, Eucharistic adoration, his
involvement in other religious activities, and his weekend outings to the mountains for
skiing or hiking, limited his time for schoolwork.
His expeditions to the mountains were more than adventures. Pier Giorgio and his
friends used the solitude and peace to pray the Rosary and to appreciate the wonders of
God’s creation. He wrote: ‘Every day I love the mountains more and more, and if my
studies permitted, I would spend whole days in the mountains contemplating the
greatness of the Creator in that pure air.’
Pier Giorgio was beloved by his schoolmates and teachers alike. He gained a reputation
for pranks like short-sheeting the Jesuit teachers’ beds and was known as the first to
start laughing at a joke and the last to stop. His sense of humour and his sporting
prowess meant that Pier Giorgio developed a strong group of friends both boys and girls
who called themselves ‘I Sinistri’ or ‘The Shady Characters’.
Pier Giorgio managed to achieve excellent results at the end of his secondary education
and qualified for the Royal Polytechnic. He planned to study mining engineering. He
thought that working with miners who laboured in dangerous conditions for poor pay
would allow him to witness to his faith as a lay missionary. While a student at the
Polytechnic, Pier Giorgio became involved in Catholic student movements. In 1921, he
was involved in organising the first congress of the Pax Romana. This organisation
aimed to unify all Catholic students across the world to work towards global peace.
When the family went to their country estate or the seashore for holidays, Pier Giorgio
often stayed behind in Turin to help ‘his poor’. He said: “If I leave who will help
them?” He not only gave people material help, he spent time with them. He ran
errands, cleaned houses, bathed and tended the sick, read to the blind and entertained
the children. He never left a home without giving a short religious instruction and
saying a prayer.
While still at university, Pier Giorgio’s father offered him a car or an equivalent gift of
money for his twenty-first birthday. The young man chose the money. He gave half to
the St Vincent de Paul Society and the other half to help an old woman who had been
evicted from her slum home, an invalid suffering from tuberculosis, and a widow with
three small children.
Pier Giorgio attended Mass and received Holy Communion early every morning. He saw
this aspect of his life as a gift that he needed to repay, saying: ‘Jesus comes to me every
morning in Holy Communion and I repay him in my very small way by visiting the
poor.’ He saw Christ in them and said: ‘All around the sick and all around the poor I see
a special light which we do not have… God gives us health so that we may serve the
sick.” He influenced a number of his friends to join him in his visits to the slums and the
charity hospitals.
Pier Giorgio and his friends were politically active. They opposed the power of the
dictator Mussolini and participated in public demonstrations against Fascism. During
one of these marches, Pier Giorgio and some of his friends were detained by the army.
He rescued a young demonstrator who was being threatened with a soldier’s bayonet
and led the group in prayer for themselves and their attackers. He was considered a
hero, but Pier Giorgio understood that his courage came from God: “It is not those who
suffer violence who should fear, but those who practise it. When God is with us, we do
not need to be afraid.”
Pier Giorgio joined the Italian People’s Party, which supported democratic principles and
Catholic social teachings. He believed that it was his Christian responsibility to do more
than just ‘patch up’ the wounds and sufferings which resulted from injustice. He would
say, “Charity is not enough: we need social reform.”
In 1925, while in the midst of final exams before attaining his engineering degree,
Pier Giorgio contracted polio. He had never been sick before and ignored the early
symptoms and said nothing to his family until it was too late for him to receive effective
treatment. On July 4 1925 after being bedridden for only two days he died. He was only
twenty-four. On his deathbed, he remembered that he had a prescription for one of his
poor people in his jacket pocket and asked his sister Luciana to have one of his friends
take care of the matter. To the end, his concern was for the poor and the sick.
Involved as they were in state politics and high society, Pier Giorgio’s family knew little
of his activities among the poor and even less of his deep spirituality. They were
astounded to discover the depth of both when dozens of clergy and thousands of poor
people came to join the family for Pier Giorgio’s funeral. Over the coming months and
years his family received many visits and letters from people who testified to his
influence in their lives. Pier Giorgio had been a young man who lived life to the full.
His life could be summed up in this line from one of his letters:
“To live without faith, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for the
sake of truth – that is not living, but simply existing. We must never simply exist.”
Danusia Does It
Kate Molony
‘I felt such a strong, stirring calling ‘I meet more and more young people
within me and I really knew that God who are involved in these areas. It’s
was talking to me. I was really being a very inspiring.’
witness to my faith.’
At the age of 28, Danusia had This is crucial, for Danusia believes
developed an impressive portfolio with young people have a vital role to play
her personal ministry. She was still as full participants in the Society and
stunned, however, by her appointment older people have a lot of wisdom to
to the position of national co-Vice share.
President.
When she met the International Society
Ironically, the gap that Danusia saw in President and the International Society
her first St Vincent de Paul meeting ten Youth Representative in Seoul in 2001,
years ago will be her main focal point Danusia admired the respect and
as Vice President. support they gave to each other.
‘I’m 28. I’m not a Young Vinnie ‘That’s something I want to see
anymore—a lot of Young Vinnies are in emulated here’, she explains. ‘Young
college, or their early twenties. It Vinnies should be more than the
would be nice if we could find more Vinnies of tomorrow. They are the
ways for people who have less time Vinnies of today.’
available, such as those in their late
twenties, or thirties and forties, to
participate.’
In Class Work
1. Research the lives of two other people who through their vocation,
shared in the mission of Jesus as priest, prophet and king.
4. How can you draw on the lives of these people to help you continue
to fulfill your basic Christian vocation?
Jesus revealed that the basic reason for every human being’s existence is to be loved by
God and to return that love in the service of God and others. In the context of love for
others, Jesus restored God’s original plan for marriage.
In ancient times, when some men had multiple wives and concubines, marriage was not
thought of as a relationship of love. In the course of time, God revealed that marriage
was meant to be a loving and life-giving relationship between one man and one woman
for the rest of their lives. Marriage and love should go together. This was the foundation
of the marriage as God intended it between the first parents of the human race. The
second creation story of the Bible states:
This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife,
and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
Original sin destroyed God’s original plan. A weakened will and other human limitations
made it hard for people to love in marriage as God had planned. Women were often
promised to men through arranged marriages for political, business and financial
reasons.
God’s teaching went firmly against the accepted ideas in the ancient world.
The world into which Jesus was born accepted divorce. Under the law of Moses, all that
a man had to do to divorce his wife was to present her with a written statement:
‘... he has therefore made out a writ of divorce and handed it to her and then
dismissed her from his house ...’ (Deuteronomy 24:1)
This was not what God wanted for those who marry. God wants the hopes of couples
entering into marriage to be fulfilled. The Church today continues to uphold what God
has revealed about love and marriage and cannot give in to some of the present
commonly-held ideas about marriage.
God also wants children to have the foundation of a secure relationship between their
parents. Then their own relationships with their parents can be completely secure.
… from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. This is
why a man leaves his father and mother, and the two become one flesh.
They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has
united, human beings must not divide. (Mark 10:6–8)
God, the Creator of human nature, began revealing the meaning of marriage so
that married couples could have their love completely fulfilled.
Through Jesus’ teachings people have come to understand that there are two
purposes for marriage:
• the sexual expression of married love for one another
• the procreation of children.
God intended sexual intercourse to be used exclusively to express married love between
husband and wife. The sixth and ninth commandments summarise God’s laws intended
to preserve the dignity of marriage.
Procreation includes parents’ responsibility for the care and development of children
until they reach adulthood. It requires the stable emotional environment that is not
possible without marital stability, trust and reliability.
In God’s plan, therefore, couples need to work at developing their married love so that
it is strong enough to provide the stability needed by their children.
Tony’s working day begins with He aims to affirm people and to get
prayer and then his ward rounds at them to work at understanding their
St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. situation even though that may
His title of Pastoral Care Worker often involve such diverse experiences as
causes confusion amongst older pain, fear, mystery and wonder.
patients and clients at the hospital
who wonder what a man who looks So how did someone who was running
after grazing animals and who mends a successful landscape business make
fences is doing in a hospital. Tony such a vastly different career change?
says that younger patients have often Tony puts it down to “marrying the
had the experience of pastoral care at right woman” - his wife, Anne.
school and they recognise what he Although he was not actually looking
does and how he can assist them. for a career change, Anne encouraged
Tony to apply for the position as
The average stay for patients in Pastoral Care Worker. In some ways,
St John’s is four to seven days. During his present work has similarities to
their stay, Tony and others offer a landscaping as it involves building
range of support to the patients. The and creating. Instead of gardens Tony
hospital has a multi-disciplinary builds relationships with people.
approach where the Pastoral Care
Worker is part of a team with He feels that people trust him in his
physiotherapists, nursing staff and work and that barriers come down,
other health professionals who particularly at times of great trauma.
provide the range of support that the When asked how he gains people’s
patients need. trust, Tony says he sits, listens and
takes the cues from the people with
Tony says that the Pastoral whom he is working. ‘It is spiritual. If
Care Workers consider the mind and spirit are free, the body
the level of family and heals.’ At times of crisis in their lives,
other support for he finds that people look for inner
patients when peace, acceptance, resolution, God, or
prioritising their all of those things.
tasks for the day.
Whether someone When asked about the most important
is from the country things in his life Tony says: “My
or local, the level family is my life. Work is not
of treatment or dominant. We had our children and
surgery that that was the big thing in my life.”
they are to Getting married and becoming a
undergo, their parent meant learning new ways of
age and marital looking at the world and adapting to a
status are all marriage relationship. He says that
taken into he and Anne try to work together in
an area of changing roles as they care
for their family of seven children and achieved a sense of peace and
pursue their own careers. Early on as harmony that he tries to bring to the
a parent, Tony felt that he had to lives of those in his care.
unlearn things he thought he knew
about parenting. He learned not to be He has a strong sense of the need for
threatened by his children being and re-creation in people’s lives and feels
acting differently from his that he came to appreciate this partly
expectations. Children ‘not toeing the through working with nature in his
line’ was something that he and Anne landscaping business. As a child Tony
came to accept. In dealing with it they enjoyed the activities offered in his
tried not to crush the child’s spirit. He parish and in particular, the support
hopes that when life as a parent is and interest of the parish priest. His
difficult, he responds with an mother also figures as an important
openness that allows his children to person who encouraged and
grow as people even though he and supported him in his faith.
Anne may not necessarily agree with
the choices the children make. He For Tony, his work as a landscaper
says that he has tried to encourage gave him an appreciation of nature
his children to be servant-leaders and beauty. Working outside, often by
when they have held positions of himself, gave him time to reflect, to
responsibility in their lives. see the role of creativeness in his life.
He says that it taught him that life is
What sustains Tony and nurtures him not just about knowledge and work.
so that he can follow his vocation of This has given him an awareness of
working with people at some of the the role of grief in people’s lives and
most difficult times in their lives? At appreciation of the depths to which
the centre of Tony’s life are his family people can feel pain, shock and an
and the love and support that Anne inability to cope. These life
and the children give him. This keeps experiences and his family support
him focussed and motivated. him in his work and sustain him in a
job focussed very much on the care of
From his own religious experience people in crisis.
and upbringing, Tony feels that he has
In Class Work
The purpose of this sacrament is to help restore the relationship God originally intended
between husband and wife. Husbands and wives relate with God in this Sacrament, the
married love that is needed to deepen the communion of their special life-long love, grows.
God seeks to strengthen and guide a married couple in their life together
When two baptised people commit themselves publicly to married love within the
Church community, Jesus consecrates their love. This means that:
‘… (Jesus) himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension
of the Reign of God.’ (Catechism 1615)
Through the Sacrament of Marriage, Jesus strengthens married people so that, for
example, they can:
• face the daily problems that arise in marriage
• reopen communication when there is tension
• renew their marriage commitment
• forgive each other
• support each other
• overcome temptations to be unfaithful, such as a sexual attraction to someone else.
Jesus also guides them when, for example, they need to:
• work out any problems they may be facing
• make decisions about their home and family life
• address issues related to parenting
• make decisions about finance, moving house, the necessity for both to
work outside the home
• what to do if their marriage seems unhappy.
To receive the Sacrament of Marriage, people firstly need to accept Christian faith and
Baptism. All who have done so can receive the gifts of this sacrament.
A man or a woman may feel close before they marry, and deeply in love: however,
married love is fulfilled in them when they commit themselves to each other by
exchanging the vows of marriage.
Most people have been present at – or at least have seen on TV – a marriage ceremony.
There are different forms of ceremonies across the world, but what is common to all is
the statement of consent by each spouse. A baptised couple marrying in the Catholic
Church celebrates the Sacrament of Marriage as they exchange the following vows:
OR
I … take you … for my lawful husband/wife to have and to hold from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until
death do us part.
This consent is completed and the marriage bond sealed by God when the couple
express their total self-giving love for each other through sexual intercourse.
The Sacrament of Marriage involves a three-way relationship between the two marriage
partners and between each marriage partner and Jesus. To experience what is offered
through this Sacrament, the couple individually and together needs to keep developing
their personal relationship with Jesus. They do so by:
• praying daily
• worshipping together
• receiving Jesus personally in Holy Communion
• getting to know Jesus and striving to live as he taught, especially the commandments.
To help married couples, Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. Like other
sacraments, the special spiritual gifts that baptised husbands and wives receive, need to
be developed to achieve their purpose. Married couples develop these gifts through their
mutual love for one another. They also develop the spiritual gifts of sacramental
marriage through their daily prayer and worship, and by striving to live each day as
Jesus taught.
In their daily prayer couples need to bring before Jesus their real life challenges,
questions and difficulties such as:
• relationship and communication issues
• concerns about their children
• financial and other pressures
• fears
• temptations to be unfaithful
• employment problems.
Those sharing the Sacrament of Marriage have been bonded together by God. Their
prayer needs to reflect the openness of those who approached Jesus in the Gospel.
Christian married couples have found that they need to develop their special
relationship further.
Marriage is a commitment to the one you love. It is a covenant rather than a contract. It is
unconditional, the greatest gift of self to another person.
You have to work at it. Love is a decision it is not just about ‘falling in love’. You make a
decision to love and to do the hard things and die to self. It means going out of your comfort
zone to do things you do not want to do, so as to be present for the other, but this should not
be one sided. Both partners need to do this.
When we were first married we had expectations influenced by our parents, friends and what
we saw around us. We thought that we were smart enough to avoid the hurts and
disillusionment we saw in other marriages. There were times when we had to learn to modify
our expectations, to try to heal hurts and see things in a positive light.
It all comes down to attitude. Take bringing in the washing for example. When Peter brings in
the washing, the majority of the time I (Jan), would see it as a positive and helpful thing. But
during periods of disillusionment, I would think that instead of being helpful, he had created
more work – I now had more ironing to do because he had just thrown everything into the
basket.
All marriages have periods of disillusionment. That is normal but it seems to be almost
unheard of in society to recognise this. It is at these times that ‘opting out’ seems more
attractive than working at it. Marriages are cyclical – they have periods of disillusionment,
romance and joy and couples have to be creative about recovering and nurturing the romance
that leads to joy.
The Church calls us to be romantic. It is part of our spirituality. It is God’s plan for us
to be romantic and make the effects of our romance visible to others. Romance in our
lives does not just happen. It is a result of making an effort to do something out of the
ordinary to spark a feeling in the other that brings about a loving response. It is a
discipline and we have to continually work at it.
Each partner has to make a decision to expend energy and effort daily in order to
benefit the relationship with the other, knowing that the other person will feel loved
and their life will be enriched by the love and attention. We get less stressed about daily
hassles when we focus on each other. The challenges that we face during the day, (often
with teenage children), do not always seem so tough. The greatest gift a couple can give
their children is to love one another unconditionally.
Marriage is not an outdated institution. Many people who have made other choices –
living together and having children without being married, eventually want the deep
sense of commitment that marriage brings. Unfortunately many people, including
teenagers, are put off marriage by what they see around them. They need to look
beyond their personal pain and media representations of marriage and relationships.
If they live the experience of a marriage breakdown it is understandable that they
develop such attitudes, but the reality is that most Australian marriages are successful
and couples stay together. Teenagers need opportunities to see the richness that a
committed and loving marriage can bring to the lives of a couple and their children.
As the closeness of our marriage relationship has grown, it has had a very positive effect
on our spiritual growth. As our relationship with each other has deepened, so too has
the desire to deepen our relationship with God. Each of us is more aware of God in our
lives and the graces God gives us.
To be married is a truly wonderful vocation and a way of life that allows us to know
God everyday through our love for each other. There are things that happen to us on
most days that bring us joy and a special look at how God loves us.
People who marry need to be prepared to put themselves out for each other. They need
also to be willing to talk with each other about their feelings, their hopes, their
disappointments, their worries and their fears. They need to share what happens during
the day, their work and any problems that they are facing.
As parents, the couple needs to provide for their children in many ways. However, as
wives and husbands, they need also to support each other in their efforts to provide for
their children. It is maturing married love that enables them to give this mutual support.
At times, the husband and wife may become stressed or exhausted by the demands of
family and work obligations. Clashes may occur about the roles each has in caring for
children, the household, or about pursuing a career. One spouse may have personality
clashes with one or more of the children, and the other may make mistakes in handling
discipline in the family.
Not all married people have children. Their marriage is no less wonderful or complete
than those marriages with children and they too must continually work at their
relationship together.
These are a few examples of why married couples need to keep supporting each other
continually, serving and helping each other. Many find it hard to live the demands of
marriage. They can succeed in doing so provided they continue to work at their
marriage relationship together.
Some who marry find it difficult to remain committed to their marriages. They have not
reached sufficient maturity to relate deeply enough or to accept the ‘give and take’ that
marriage requires. There are those who allow their employment, their careers and their
ambitions to take over their lives so that they find it hard to give sufficient time and
energy to their marriages. Others again fail to respect the rights of their spouses and
enter into sexual relationships with people to whom they are not married.
In Class Work
In Class Work
1. Catholics believe that at Mass the bread and wine are changed into
Jesus’ body and blood through the action of the ______ and by the
power of the ______
2. What is a simple way a Christian can offer their life to God as a spiritual
sacrifice each day?
3. A prophet is one who:
a) offers sacrifice to God b) foretells the future
c) speaks on behalf of the powerless d) is a sacrificial victim
4. Catholics believe the greatest of all prayers that people can offer
to God is ______
5. The Christian vocation is to ______ ______ over all creation as Jesus did
when he fulfilled his mission as king.
6. What are the two main purposes God has for marriage?
7. Who confers the Sacrament of Marriage?
8. Name two ways married couples can develop their relationship with Jesus.
9. Explain the symbolism of the rib in the Yahwist Creation Story.
10. Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a:
a) Sacrifice b) Sacrament
c) Celebration d) Union
A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute
you too ... (John 15:20)
You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake ... (Matthew 10:18)
Jesus taught his followers whenever the Apostles exercised the special spiritual gifts he
gave them as they went about their work of teaching in his name.
Jesus wanted to ‘sanctify’ or help his followers to grow in holiness and close relationship
with God. The sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick are
three examples of the special spiritual gifts Jesus gave the Apostles to develop the
holiness of the people they were called to serve.
Through the special spiritual leadership or governing gifts he gave the Apostles, Jesus
led his Church in an orderly way.
The spiritual gifts and responsibilities bishops receive, through which Jesus personally
leads the Church, have been passed down the generations over the past two thousand
years. This is called the apostolic succession.
Priests
The Apostles and the earliest bishops found that, as the early Church expanded, they
could not fulfil all their responsibilities. For example, they could not celebrate Mass
sufficiently in all the growing communities. They realised that they needed to share with
others some of the spiritual gifts Jesus first gave the Apostles. This involved appointing
ordained ministers to serve the spiritual needs of the people in each new Christian
community. These leaders, who became known as priests, served their communities in
three main ways, by:
• being with others in a personal, loving way that gave witness to Jesus’ presence
• leading the believing community
• celebrating Christ’s presence in the sacraments
• celebrating the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass
• preaching the word of God.
This is how the order of priests started in the Church. Through the Sacrament of Holy
Orders, priests today receive sufficient of the spiritual gifts Jesus first gave the Apostles
to assist the bishops with their responsibilities as successors of the Apostles.
Of the three grades or degrees of the Sacrament of Orders, the one most frequently
encountered by people today is that of priests. Tens of thousands are called to work as
priests throughout the world. This is the specific purpose of their lives.
At some stage in their life every person is faced with the question ‘What is the meaning
and purpose of my life?’ Some may feel called to be a priest or deacon.
People called to the vocations of priest or deacon find happiness, fulfilment and other
spiritual rewards from Christ by performing the work these vocations involve.
Deacons
Jesus proclaimed his message through actions of
service as well as through words. As the numbers of For your information…
poor and needy people in the early Church grew, the
‘Deacon’ comes from the Greek word
Apostles found that they needed to use their
diakonia meaning ‘service’.
governing gifts so much that they could not fulfil
some of their roles of service satisfactorily. They
needed more helpers (Acts 6:1–12).
This led the Apostles to appoint a special group who would help them in their roles of
service. They shared the spiritual gifts for service that Jesus first gave them with this
special group, called Deacons.
Deacons can perform the same teaching functions as priests. In this ministry, Jesus works
through them just as he does through priests exercising their teaching function.
Their duties also include: to preside over public prayer, to baptise, to assist at marriages
and bless them, to give Viaticum to the dying, and to lead funeral rites.
Bishops and priests govern by serving the Church community for which they are
responsible. The deacon’s role is particularly concerned with works of charity.
There are two kinds of deacon. Those who are deacons because they are going to be
ordained later to the priesthood (transitional deacons) and those permanently ordained
to this ministry for life (permanent deacons).
God also called Old Testament leaders personally. The activities or work their calling
involved only became clearer as their lives went on.
Abraham
Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your kindred and your father’s house for
a country which I shall show you; and I shall make you a great nation, I shall bless
you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing! (Genesis 12:1–2)
Abram, the ancestor of the chosen people, hears the command of God to leave behind
the life he knows and God will one day bless the entire world through him. How this
will happen, and why, is a mystery to him. Nevertheless, he has faith in God and obeys.
God later changes his name to Abraham. The Church still refers to him as ‘Abraham, our
father in faith’ in the words of the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.
Samuel
Samuel is just a young boy when he hears the call from Yahweh. Recognised as a holy
man, he becomes a judge of the Hebrew tribes. Samuel is the last judge; when he is old
the people ask him to appoint a king to lead them. God tells Samuel to appoint Saul and
later to anoint David as Saul’s replacement.
Now, the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh in the presence of Eli; in those days it was
rare for Yahweh to speak; visions were uncommon. One day, it happened that Eli was
lying down in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see.
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in Yahweh’s sanctuary,
where the ark of God was, when Yahweh called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He answered,
‘Here I am’, and, running to Eli, he said, ‘Here I am, as you called me.’ Eli said, ‘I
did not call. Go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. And again Yahweh
called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, as you
called me.’ He replied, ‘I did not call, my son; go back and lie down.’ As yet, Samuel
had no knowledge of Yahweh and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to
him. Again Yahweh called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I
am, as you called me.’ Eli then understood that Yahweh was calling the child, and he
said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down and, if someone calls say, “Speak, Yahweh; for your
servant is listening.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Yahweh then came
and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered,
‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening.’ (1 Samuel 3:1–10)
Jeremiah
God reveals to Jeremiah that he was chosen and appointed as a prophet long before his
birth. As a prophet of Israel his ministry is marked by increasing hardship as he calls his
people back to God. His dire predictions come true with the destruction of Jerusalem by
the Babylonian army and the taking of the people into exile.
Sistine Chapel Ceiling: The Prophet Jeremiah (pre resoration) by Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475–1564)
Young men today may be called to a vocation to the ordained ministry, but if they fail to
recognise the Spirit’s action they may never recognise their calling so may never find
their true vocations.
Jesus never calls someone to follow a call to ordained ministry without giving them the
basic gifts needed to follow it, even though these may not be very developed. A person
called to become a priest will have the basic gifts needed for this vocation. These include
a desire to dedicate their life to God and the mission of Jesus and a love of people
shown by a desire to help people find genuine inner happiness. A priest, therefore, has a
concern that others find God as well as a concern for their social welfare.
Fr Joseph Tran
‘Seek in your heart to know yourself and the gifts that God has given you.’
Fr Joseph says that even as a young child he had an interest in the priesthood. He used
to tell his sisters that he was going to become a priest and then they would not be able
to boss him around! The Tran family history was rich in experiences of faith. Faith was
however, far from easy to keep and nurture in the poverty and rigidly controlled society
of Vietnam in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Communist government imprisoned
many people including Fr Joseph’s father who was a doctor. His mother struggled to
support the family.
Fr Joseph recalls that things such as the television began to disappear from the family
home as his mother sold their possessions to feed them. For the Trans the ‘Our Father’
was a source of comfort and a way of asking for God’s help. Fr Joseph says: ‘Give us
this day our daily bread had real significance for us’ in the daily struggle for survival.
Eventually Dr Tran was released from prison and sent to work in the country. Although
the family was separated, both parents worked hard to reunite the family every Sunday.
Fr Joseph describes this period as ‘a rough time and a tough time’ not only for his family
but for most Vietnamese people. Catholic priests were the ones who in Fr Joseph’s
words ‘reached out and helped the poor’ and were a source of comfort and inspiration.
They ministered to the people despite great personal risk. Many priests were imprisoned
by the communists. People had to learn about their faith in secret. Fr Joseph recalls that
he did not make his first communion until he was about 12 years old. The catechists
who taught the children waited until it was safe for the priest and the people.
During this time two special priests inspired the young Joseph: Jesuit Fr Tam Nguyen
Thanh and Redemptorist Fr Thanh Nguyen. They gave people hope by teaching that
God walked with them and loved and cared for them even in the most desperate of
times. This message had a lasting impact on Joseph.
Fr Thanh Nguyen used music extensively in liturgy and often as many as 2,000 young
people attended Masses that he celebrated. The strength of his appeal to young people
upset the communists and they imprisoned him. For Fr Joseph he was a role model of
courage and his involvement of young people through music was to influence Fr Joseph
in his own priestly ministry. Eventually Fr Nguyen was released from prison. In 2006
Fr Joseph and students from Sacred Heart College, Sorrento visited him in Vietnam.
Fr Joseph says that even though Fr Nguyen is well into his 60s young people attend his
Masses in large numbers because they enjoy the music and respect his wisdom.
The Communists also felt threatened by Fr Joseph’s father because he was a skilled
doctor and highly valued by those he treated. The communists accused him of working
for the CIA. He realised that if he was to survive he would have to escape from
Vietnam. His second attempt was successful but terrifying. Their boat was attacked by
pirates who took everything of value including the fuel tank. One woman’s finger was
cut off when she could not remove a diamond ring. Dr Tran lost his wedding ring which
had great sentimental value. Dr Tran described the experience as ‘very cruel and very
sad’. Some of the young women were abducted by the pirates and taken to Thailand to
an unknown and no doubt horrific fate while the rest of the passengers were left to drift
for five days with no food and water. Some people died and those left alive prayed hard
for rescue. Eventually their prayers were answered with what they saw as a miracle.
They were rescued by an oil tanker and taken to a refugee camp in Malaysia.
Dr Tran firmly believes that prayer saved his life and it helped to reunite him with his
family later in Australia. After his father escaped from Vietnam, young Joseph prayed
that if he could see his father again he would do something for God. For Fr Joseph
prayer continues to be an important part of his life. He says of talking with God; ‘He
doesn’t talk to me in a human voice. I feel peace and joy in my heart.’ Prayer is one way
that Fr Joseph gets the energy and strength to deal with the emotional rollercoaster ride
that is often involved in a priest’s work.
Fr Joseph said; ‘I am a human being, a man before I am a priest but I am still part of a
family. I spend most Mondays with my parents and talk by phone with my sister in
Melbourne everyday.’ For Fr Joseph friends are also very important; ‘They keep me
down to earth and even swear at me when I play soccer with them.’ He says that it is
important for young people to maintain their links with close friends who accept them
for who they are rather than making comparisons. In the face of peer pressure and the
materialism,
Fr Joseph says that one of the greatest challenges facing young people today is to be
happy with who they are and what they have, to find joy in being themselves and the
gifts that God has given them.
In Class Work
In his role as a priest, Fr Joseph finds that dealing with people’s grief takes
considerable energy and is one of the most important aspects of his role of
a priest. He will ’be still with people, listen to them and their pain and help
them surrender the experience to God.’
• How can being ‘still with people’ help them? What types of strengths
do you think a priest could bring to this type of situation?
• Fr Joseph comments that his job is ‘24/7’. As a priest his vocation would
not only be hard but unfair on a wife and family. List some of the
situations that a priest might face that are relevant to this.
• Who are the people in your life who can help you to
discern a vocation?
It is Jesus acting in the person of Christ who says through the priest:
• ‘This is my body’ ‘This is my blood’ during celebrations of the Eucharist
• ‘Now I absolve you from your sins’ during the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
• ‘I baptise you ...’ during the public celebration of Baptism.
Discuss the variety of the tasks that a parish priest might typically be
expected to carry out. If possible, interview a priest beforehand. Compose an
imaginary diary of a week in the life of a priest. When the entries are
complete, go through them and note a ‘T’ for those tasks that involve
teaching, ‘S’ for those involving sanctifying (helping people grow in
holiness) and ‘G’ for guiding.
Return to Return to
CONTENTS CHAPTER
5. MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD IS A VOCATION
Jesus did not marry, but lived a single life that enabled him to respond to the needs of
all people at any time they needed his love. This inclusive love of a single person is
called ‘celibate love’. It is not a call for everyone, but there have always been those
people whom Jesus called to love in this special way:
Jesus said, ‘In truth I tell you, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters,
mother, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will
not receive a hundred times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and
land – and persecutions too – now in this present time and, in the world to come,
eternal life.’ (Mark 10:29–30)
Those called to the priesthood are called by Jesus to be available to respond to the needs
of all people at all times by living a life of celibate love.
Apart from the example of Jesus, there are many cultural and spiritual reasons for a
celibate priesthood. From time to time, the Church reviews this requirement of celibacy
for its priests. The requirement is a Church discipline that the Church has the power to
change if it is proved to be in the interests of its mission to the world.
Throughout the history of the Church to the present time, there have been priests who
married. Since the eleventh century the Church has required of most priests that they do
not marry and that they live a celibate life. There are married Catholic priests in the
Catholic Churches of Eastern origin (e.g. Ukranian, Melkite or Maronite rites). These
priests must marry before they are ordained and married priests are not eligible to
become bishops. In the Catholic Church of the West (i.e. the Latin or Roman rite), there
are situations where married clergy of other Christian denominations decide to join the
Catholic Church. In these cases, they are allowed to continue their married vocation
while being ordained to the Catholic priesthood.
For a priest to think of celibacy simply as self-denial would not be sufficient to live this
calling. Just as a couple who are getting married are not thinking about ‘giving up’ all
the other people they might have married, those responding to celibate love are not
thinking in terms of ‘giving up’ anything. Like married love, as celibate love grows
stronger, the priest is able to resist temptations to be unfaithful to his calling.
Like married love, celibate love needs to be developed. Like married love, celibate love
can weaken through neglect, especially the celibate’s personal relationship with Jesus or
service of the community he is called to serve. As with marriage, those called to celibate
love can succumb to temptations to be unfaithful to their calling.
They can also be tempted to become more concerned with their own selfish interests,
comforts, relaxation and enjoyment rather than the needs of those they are called to
love.
The history of the development of the religious life within the Church is rich and varied.
The common characteristic of the religious life is the calling to imitate Jesus himself by
following certain principles Jesus demonstrated in his life called ‘the evangelical
counsels’ (Gospel advice):
• chastity, imitating Christ who loved God the Father and people in a celibate way that
is totally available to everyone
Then Peter answered and said, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What
are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to them, ‘In truth I tell you … everyone who has left
houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will
receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life.’ (Matthew 19:27, 29)
One of the scribes then came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever
you go.’ Jesus said, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son
of man has nowhere to lay his head.’ (Matthew 8:18b–19)
Jesus said (to the rich young man), ‘... Go and sell what you own and give the money
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ (Mark 10:21)
• obedience, imitating Christ who gave his entire life to obeying God the Father, by
placing one’s talents, and even one’s choice of how best to use those talents, at the
complete disposal of the Church.
Jesus said, ‘I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of
him who sent me.’ (John 6:38)
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I
commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last ... (John 15:16)
Women and men who follow these evangelical counsels are referred to as ‘consecrated
religious.’ They publicly promise, or make a profession of vows, to live a life of gospel
chastity, poverty and obedience in the service of God’s people. These consecrated
religious include sisters, nuns, brothers and priests.
About one third of priests are consecrated religious. They are the ‘religious’ or ‘order’
priests who belong to a religious community and serve the Church as that community
directs. They take the three vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the community
provides for their needs. The rest of the world’s priests are ‘diocesan’ or ‘secular’ priests
who serve in a variety of ways in a diocese. They promise obedience to the local bishop
and live a life of celibacy, but do not make a vow of poverty; they earn a salary or
receive a stipend which provides for their needs.
Monastic life
Some religious live in community in a monastery.
They withdraw from society in order to live For your information…
ascetical lives of community prayer and work.
Not all religious sisters are
The men in a monastery are called ‘monks’ (from
‘nuns’. Those who live in
the Greek word monos, ‘alone’), while women
enclosed communities, such as
who live the monastic life are called ‘nuns’ (from
the Carmelites in Nedlands, are
the Latin word nonna, ‘elderly woman’).
‘nuns’. Those women who
Monasteries are also sometimes called ‘convents’
belong to non-enclosed orders
(from the Latin conventus, ‘coming together’).
e.g. Mercy or Loreto Sisters are
not nuns, even though many
The monastic life revolves around the regular
people refer to them by that
celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours. This
name, rather they are religious
daily liturgy is celebrated in community several
sisters.
times a day, from early morning until night. It
includes hymns, psalms, readings and prayers
offered on behalf of the entire Church.
Monks and nuns also devote time each day to reading spiritual material and meditation
in silence. This systematic reading which leads to personal prayer is called lectio divina,
(Latin for ‘divine reading’).
The monastic life includes work for the service of the Church. This work may range
from normal household tasks and gardening to conducting retreats and offering spiritual
direction for visitors to the monastery. Sometimes the monastic community will be
involved in the wider work of education or parish ministry. However, the ideal of
monastic life is ‘life alone with God’. To this end, many monasteries are ‘enclosed’ or
‘cloistered’, and their religious members are called ‘contemplatives’. The members rarely
leave the monastery and its grounds, except for medical needs or some special reason.
Likewise, visitors are not allowed access to the entire monastery, but only the church
and some ‘visiting parlours’. In this way, the quiet and regular life of the monastery is
preserved and prayer is continually offered on behalf of the Church and the world.
Western Australians can find Benedictine monks at New Norcia, and Carmelite nuns in
Nedlands and Bunbury. These monks and nuns are happy for people to join in their
liturgical services. The monks also offer spiritual guidance upon request.
In Western Australia, there are apostolic consecrated religious Orders and Congregations
in many areas of the Church’s work. For example:
• various works among Aboriginal people (e.g. Pallottine Fathers, Christian Brothers,
Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Presentation Sisters, St John of God Sisters)
• schools (e.g. Sisters of Mercy, Josephite and Presentation Sisters, Marist Brothers,
Oblate Fathers, Norbertine Canons, Christian Brothers)
• medical care (e.g. Camillans, St John of God Sisters, Little Sisters of the Poor,
Daughters of Charity)
• services to migrants (e.g. Scalabrinian Fathers, Sisters of St Joseph
of the Sacred Heart, Salvatorian Fathers, Sisters of Our Lady of
the Missions)
• outreach to those in society with special needs (e.g. Little Sisters
of the Poor – aged, poor; Good Shepherd Sisters – family
and community support; Daughters of Charity – emergency
accommodation for women and children; Marist Brothers –
summer camps for disadvantaged children; Christian
Brothers – legal advocacy service for youth)
• tertiary students (e.g. Jesuit Fathers, Redemptorist
Fathers, Oblate Fathers)
• people with disabilities (e.g. Sisters of Mercy, Servite Sisters,
Brigidine Sisters)
• adult education (e.g. Carmelite Brothers, Servite Sisters,
Jesuit Fathers, Marist Brothers)
• parish life (e.g. Franciscan Fathers, Redemptorist Fathers,
Dominican Sisters, Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart).
In Class Work
Using the internet and any other resources available to you, research one of
the religious orders/institutes working in Western Australia to answer the
following questions:
1. Who founded the Order or Congregation?
2. In what year was it founded?
3. In what country was it founded?
4. What was the pressing need in society that motivated the founder to
start the work of the order/institute?
5. What is the full (official) name of the order/institute?
6. By what name are they commonly known?
7. When did this order/institute first arrive in Australia?
In Western Australia?
8. What was the first work they went into on their arrival?
9. What apostolate is the order/institute involved in today?
In Class Work
Use the information from Chapters 5 and 6 to answer the following questions:
1. Define ‘Apostle’.
2. Name two of the specific spiritual gifts Jesus gave his Apostles.
3. What is the name of the first pope – John, Paul, Peter or Benedict?
4. What are the three roles of a deacon in assisting a priest or a bishop?
5. Name three ways in which a priest exercises his role as a teacher.
6. People called to religious life seek to imitate Jesus by taking vows of
_______ and _______
7. Chastity means giving money to the poor – true or false?
8. Name two orders of religious women active in Western Australia.
9. Name two orders of religious men active in Western Australia.
10. To which religious order did the first group of monks to arrive in
Western Australia belong?
Jesus cautioned people against turning material things into their ‘gods’
instead of putting a loving relationship with God first in their lives:
Humans exist to have a loving relationship with their creator. The call to relationship is
ultimately a call to an eternal relationship in which the deepest human longings will be
fulfilled.
Jesus consistently taught that there was to be a life after death. On one occasion he said:
In Class Work
Read the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) and the account
of the good thief (Luke 23:39–43). Identify how the rich man and the good
thief respond to God’s invitation to eternal relationship.
Those who repent before death are welcomed into heaven as well and no-one can judge
whether someone has or has not entered heaven.
Sometimes people think it is unfair that someone who repents on their deathbed can
experience heaven in the same way as someone who has lived a saintly life. God’s love
for human beings is always merciful and is greater than human mercy or understanding.
Before people with unforgiven venial sins can enjoy eternal happiness with God they
must be ‘purged’ or ‘purified’ by the experience Catholics refer to as ‘purgatory’.
The Church prays for all those undergoing this experience so that they might be freed
quickly of all that keeps them from God’s presence. It does so in:
• Masses for the dead
• Funeral Masses (Requiem Masses)
• during the Eucharistic prayer of every Mass
• daily prayer for the dead
• the month of November, which is dedicated to prayer for those in purgatory
• the feast of ‘All Souls’ (2nd November).
Heaven
Heaven is the happiness experienced by all who accept God’s call to personal
relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the destiny God
wishes, but does not force upon, every human being.
For the ancient Israelites, heaven was in the sky above. It was the dwelling place of God
and closed to creatures of the earth. Jesus made heaven accessible to mankind promising
his followers,
Scripture describes heaven using images such as life, light, peace and wedding feast.
Jesus often spoke of heaven as being in the presence of God. At the Last Supper he told
his disciples they were not to be afraid because,
‘In my Father’s house there are many places to live in ...’ (John 14:2).
On the cross Jesus promised the good thief he would be with him in paradise that very
day (Luke 23:43). ‘Paradise’ brings to mind a beautiful garden.
The writer of the Book of Revelation refers to the heavenly Jerusalem as a holy city
where there will be no more pain or sorrow and where people will see God ‘face to face’.
Nevertheless, no one can say exactly what heaven is like. St Paul reminded the
Christians of Corinth of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
... no eye has seen and no ear has heard, what the mind of man cannot visualise;
all that God has prepared for those who love him ... (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Hell
People cannot be united to God unless they freely
choose to love him. When people knowingly do
wrong and sin gravely against God, against others or
against themselves they are choosing to be separated
from God. If people die in mortal sin without
repenting they will remain separated from God
forever. This state of separation from God and all
those who choose him is called “hell”. No-one can
make a judgement that any particular person has
been condemned to hell.
This picture of hell as a place of fiery torment is echoed in the New Testament in the
story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31).
Jesus spoke of Gehenna, the unquenchable fire reserved for those who refuse to believe
and be converted (cf CCC 1034). He was using an image understandable to his listeners.
Gehenna was a valley south of Jerusalem associated with a pagan fire rite which, in
Jesus’ day, was a stinking, smouldering rubbish tip where refuse was burnt.
Although no one on earth can know for sure what hell is like, eternal separation from
God is to be avoided at all costs. Certainly God does not desire that any person be
condemned rather:
... [God is] being patient ... wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought
to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
In Class Work
Use the information from this chapter to decide whether or not each of the
following is an accurate statement of Catholic teaching. Answer Yes or No
1. Humans exist to have a loving relationship with God, their creator. Y/N
6. At the end of the world Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Y/N
In Class Work
What do you think it means to be a ‘responsible person’? (You may find there
are several different ways in which the expression can be used). As a group,
write down a number of characteristics you would expect to find in a person
of your own age who ’behaves responsibly’. As a class, try to create a profile of
such a person.
Check the dictionary definition for ‘responsible’ and note the various
ways it can be used.
List choices that you have made or know that you will have to
make this year, for example, choosing subjects for next year.
?
Young people can begin to make responsible
decisions by first asking themselves two
questions:
• Have I sufficient relevant knowledge?
• Have I sufficient personal freedom?
Relevant knowledge
The first skill needed to make a responsible choice is the ability to work out
whether or not what seems to be a good thing to say or do is in fact a good thing
to say or do. This is the skill of weighing up the pros and cons, the arguments or
reasons for and against.
Often there are at least two alternative possible courses of action. To make a
responsible choice, it is necessary to work out which is the correct alternative.
To do this, the person making the decision needs to learn all that they can about
each alternative. Before making their choice, therefore, they need to ask:
CHO •
•
discover if any pressures are affecting their choices
appropriately control any emotions, habits or temptations
• prevent themselves from becoming dominated by external
pressures and do everything possible to avoid them.
RISK
For example, where a person chooses
to take an unprescribed or an illicit
drug, or to drink alcohol to excess,
then he or she is responsible for any
consequences that follow. People who
knowingly take drugs, or drive under
NEXT EXIT
the influence of alcohol, are
responsible for any road accident,
damage to property or injury they
cause.
Responsible choices, therefore, take time. No one should rush into making decisions, or
take them without due care.
People have discovered that there is one key requirement if a choice is to lead to long-
term happiness – it must be a morally good choice. A morally good choice is one
directed to what is truly good and conducive to long-term happiness.
Choices that are not morally good are called ‘immoral choices’. Sometimes, the harm
and unhappiness that an immoral choice leads to cannot be foreseen at the time. Many
people today carry emotional hurts and may find it difficult to relate fully with others
because of choices they or others may have made a long time ago.
This is not to say that all unhappiness is the result of immoral choices. There are other
causes as well.
People make immoral choices because they are tempted by some short term benefit.
Rather than focussing on their true happiness, they give in to some internal or external
pressure.
Lack of knowledge is most obvious when people make decisions that lead to damage,
harm or other unforeseen consequences that they did not intend. These kinds of
decisions leave people feeling regretful, embarrassed or even guilty.
The same is true for other wrong-doing, such as stealing, thinking of others as ‘sex
objects’, speaking rudely or behaving selfishly. All can become habits that diminish a
person’s inner freedom and weaken their will to do what is good.
Many of the negative things in society today began with the first wrong action of an
individual or group of people. For instance, unrestrained anger may lead to violence or
even murder. Using pornographic material and the lustful thoughts it stirs may lead to
rape. Name calling and bullying may lead to racial discrimination and social injustices.
To grow in freedom, people need to keep striving to do what is good. Doing what is
good grows easier with practice.
Strong emotions
Strong emotions and feelings can arise in daily life situations. If not properly directed,
strong emotions can lead to the kind of thinking that makes responsible choices difficult.
Strong emotions can also cause people to be misled about which is the good or the best
option. People can think that what is wrong is in fact the right thing to do. Many people
make the mistake of thinking that something is right just because ‘it feels right’.
In Class Work
Recall and retell the details of the situation including the steps they took
in making their decision.
What other factors should have been taken into account rather than the
character’s feelings?
b) A common saying is, ‘If it feels good, do it.’ Give examples to illustrate why
this is a dangerous principle on which to base good decision making.
Responsible people are honest with themselves about the inner and external pressures
that make it hard for them to behave responsibly. They do everything that they can to
avoid occasions of risk.
Such inner pressures can make it harder for people to give due thought to a situation
before acting. Responsible people strive to understand the inner pressures they
experience and try to avoid or overcome negative ones. They do not imagine themselves
to be perfectly in control of their lives, but are honest about their personal weaknesses.
Social pressures
Everyone likes to feel accepted by others. This can leave them vulnerable to pressures to
conform to the expectations of others, rather than to make their own independent
choices.
There are many social pressures on people today. These can discourage the kind of
thinking needed to work out what really is the good or right thing to do.
There are a variety of factors that are so much a part of ordinary daily life that people
can overlook their influence on them, such as:
• the media and other influences that promote certain social values, attitudes and
expectations that are not necessarily life-giving. These may vary from fashion in
clothes and hairstyles, to ways of speaking and behaving. People can accept the
standards of these influences without thinking about them.
• famous people in entertainment, sport and other areas. People often wish that they
could be more like these celebrities, especially in the ways they dress, speak or
behave so as to be more popular and accepted by others. It is this desire to be
accepted that is exploited by advertisers in using famous people to sell their product.
• negative peer pressures discouraging people from making responsible choices, and
encouraging teenagers and older people to ‘go with the trend’.
Moral choices are about right and wrong. To work out right and wrong, people need to
learn moral principles. They then need to learn to apply these moral principles to the
decisions they are going to make.
Original sin damaged human nature in many ways. One way was to make it difficult for
people to recognise all the moral principles God gave.
As a result, people can see the most obvious principles but became confused about less
obvious ones. People make mistakes about right and wrong and are unsure about how
the moral principles they recognise apply to decisions they have to make in daily life.
People also become confused by emotions and other influences. Sometimes what is
morally wrong, ‘feels right’.
To rediscover the moral principles that are part of human nature it is necessary to recall
that human nature was originally created by God.
‘... in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves ...’ (Genesis 1:26)
God was establishing the first of all moral principles – that human beings should always
behave in God-like ways.
All other moral principles are based upon this principle. For example, it is because they
are created to reflect God, a Trinity of persons existing in perfect love, unity and
goodness that human beings should always strive to:
• relate closely to God, for God always wants to relate more closely to them
• behave in loving ways, because God behaves only in loving ways
• do good, because God does only what is good
• care for themselves properly, for God always cares about them
• avoid doing wrong, because God never does wrong
• treat every human being with respect, because God loves all human beings equally,
regardless of race, ability, age or any other consideration
• be just always, because God is always just
• be merciful and forgiving, because God is merciful and forgiving
• treat human life as sacred, because God created life as sacred
• respect the goodness of creation, because God sees all of creation as good (Genesis 1:31).
Every human being is obliged to live by these principles. Behind them is the authority of
the Creator. To live by these principles leads to a genuinely happy life and brings long-
term happiness to oneself as well as to others.
These principles are not clear to everyone because of original sin. They are made
clear by God’s moral commandments and laws. The most important are the
Ten Commandments and the commandments of Jesus.
Social trends may lead people to ignore different aspects of natural law, but this can
eventually lead to social divisions and unhappiness. No institution in society, be it a
parliament or even the Church, has the authority to change or to permit people to
disobey natural law.
There are many examples of social institutions claiming the right to permit people to do
what God has revealed to be wrong.
Examples of laws made by parliaments in different countries that have violated God’s
laws include statutes permitting:
• abortion
• racial or religious segregation
• slavery
• the separation of Aboriginal children from their families
• capital punishment.
As the creator of the human race God’s authority is always greater than any human
authority. This is because every human society is made up of individuals, each of whom
depends upon God for their every breath and movement.
In Class Work
Natural law is knowable to humans through the power of reason. For instance,
it is natural for each person to desire to preserve their own life. To destroy
one’s own life or the life of anyone else would be in direct contradiction to
this natural instinct. It follows that no one has the right to do anything that
would destroy a human life, that is, human life is sacred.
Moral relativism
In a democracy, every
person of voting age has
a say in electing the
government. The elected
government makes the
decisions that affect the
whole nation. One of the
misconceptions that may
arise from the democratic
process is that every
person’s opinion is of
equal value. To hold that
what is right or wrong
depends entirely on an
individual’s point of view
is called ‘moral relativism’.
Moral relativism ignores absolute ethical standards and maintains that moral principles
can change according to culture, circumstances or personal choice. Moral relativism is
contrary to the fact that there are universal principles of natural law that govern what is
right and wrong.
Freedom of choice cannot impose decisions which are against natural law. A demand for
individual freedom does not make right or excuse morally wrong decisions made by the
majority. The common good is not served by changing fashions and opinions.
The history of the twentieth century demonstrates the dangers of moral relativism, one
example is the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Another example was seen in the
case of apartheid in South Africa where whites were treated more preferentially than
blacks. In both cases universal principles of natural law were ignored and the fates of
many depended instead on the opinions of certain powerful people.
In Class Work
‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second resembles it:
You must love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37–39 cf Deuteronomy 6:5
and Leviticus 19:18)
The first great commandment helps people to understand the first, second and third
commandments of the Decalogue. The second great commandment helps people to
understand the other seven commandments.
‘... always treat others as you would like them to treat you ...’ (Matthew 7:12)
In Class Work
Use the information in Chapters 1 and 2 to select the best answer for each of
the following.
4. Humans are created in God’s image, nevertheless, moral principles can be:
a) confused by original sin b) damaged by human nature
c) impossible to know d) naturally obvious to all
10. Jesus taught that Divine Law is based on love of God and:
a) love of yourself b) love with all your heart
c) love of your friends d) love of your neighbour
‘The harmony in which they had found themselves ... is now destroyed: the control of
the soul’s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered ...’ (Catechism 400)
Their descendants would now experience weakness in the face of temptations and
conflict between what they know to be right, and what they really want to do.
They would discover in themselves a range of other failings and weaknesses such as
selfishness, jealousy, difficulty in resisting peer and social pressures, difficulty in letting
go of grudges, confusion about themselves and negative self-images.
Finally, they would discover a range of sufferings in their experience that God never
intended such as illness and distress that results from the greed, injustice and wrong-
doing of others.
They would then be able once again to draw on their Creator’s limitless spiritual power
and strength. This grace would empower them to grow stronger so that gradually their
freedom and ability to make responsible choices would return.
Close relationships can only be accepted freely, not imposed. For this reason, God
sought new ways to invite human beings into closer relationship with Him.
Human beings grow in awareness of God as they wonder: ‘How did all of this come to
be?’ ‘Who created it all?’ And as they continue to grow in awareness of God, they begin
to question: ‘How should I relate with the all-powerful God who is always near to us?’
The call of God through creation seeks a response from human beings. They learn that
two things are required for a relationship with God. These are:
• to acknowledge God’s presence
• to communicate with God.
Many people’s lives today are too busy to appreciate the creation that surrounds them.
They fail to recognise God in creation and to accept God’s call to relationship. They do
not look beyond what they see to recognise the meaning or basic purpose of all creation.
Others do become aware of God’s presence through their experiences of creation. Some
go the further step of communicating with God.
God wants a much deeper and more personal relationship with human beings than
creation alone makes possible. This led God to take the step of revealing to Abraham,
ways to live this relationship more deeply. God made a covenant with Abraham. God’s
revelation continued with Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob and Jacob’s
descendants, the Israelites.
The story of God calling Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery is well known.
When God first spoke to Moses, it was as:
‘… the God of your ancestors … the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God
of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6)
A critical moment in the relationship between the people of Israel and the God of their
ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was reached when the divine name, ‘Yahweh’, was
revealed by God to Moses:
Eventually, with the necessary help of God’s intervention, the Israelites fled Egypt.
God led the people of Israel through the Sinai desert to Mount Sinai. There God said
to Moses,
‘Say this to the House of Jacob! Tell the Israelites ... “if you are really prepared to
obey me and keep my covenant ... you shall be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”’
(Exodus 19:3, 5)
‘... God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and
constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands, forgiving fault, crime
and sin ...’ (Exodus 34:6)
Noah receiving the White Dove, Moses receiving the Tables of the
Law, the sacrifice of Abraham, Moses and the Brazen Serpent,
late 13th century (vellum) by French School, (13th century)
From these experiences the Israelites learned that, to relate closely with God, they needed:
• to worship and pray personally to God who listens
• to be open to the guidance of God
• to seek God’s blessings
• to put their trust in God
• to have faith in God’s promises.
Reflect on and write about the times when you have experienced:
• the freedom that comes from the grace of God who frees from
the dominance of emotions and fear of peer pressures
The people of Israel learned much in the early centuries of their history about how to
relate with God, the source of true freedom. For this relationship to grow they needed
to learn more about God and what is required for an even deeper relationship.
Holy people behave in God-like ways. As they do so, they realise their true nature as
created in the image and likeness of God. They do not behave deliberately in unholy
ways. Holy ways are moral ways. They lead to true and lasting freedom.
To help them avoid behaving in unholy ways, God gave the people of Israel a series of
commandments and laws as part of the Sinai Covenant. These made clear to them what
was and what was not holy. God told the people:
‘You will keep my commands and put them into practice. I am Yahweh …
who make you holy.’ (Leviticus 22:31–32)
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COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10
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119
‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come
not to abolish but to complete them.’ (Matthew 5:17)
Today, the Torah is called ‘the Old Law’ to distinguish it from the ‘New Law’ completed
by Jesus.
All who keep these laws draw closer to God, who is holy. As they relate more closely
with God, they also grow in real freedom.
The most significant laws given by God at Mount Sinai were originally called the
‘Ten Words’ – or, in Greek, the Decalogue (Exodus 34:28). All who kept these Words
would be freed from sin, just as the Israelites were freed by God from slavery in Egypt.
The Ten Words are preserved in the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy (Exodus 20:1–17
and Deuteronomy 5:6–22). Though written differently – the Deuteronomy version gives
more detail than the Exodus version – both versions come from the same oral tradition.
Both were recorded by authors inspired by God.
1 I am the Lord your God... you shall not have strange gods
before me.
2 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
‘Listen, Israel: Yahweh our God is the one, the only Yahweh. You must love Yahweh
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let the
words I enjoin on you today stay in your heart.’ (Deuteronomy 6:4–5)
‘You must love Yahweh your God and always keep his observances, his laws, his
customs, his commandments.’ (Deuteronomy 11:1)
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1 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10 123
Return to Return to
CONTENTS CHAPTER
4. GOD REVEALED THE OLD LAW
I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me
‘Do not turn to idols and do not cast metal gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your
God.’ (Leviticus 19:4)
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
‘You will not swear by my name with intent to deceive and thus profane the name of
your God. I am Yahweh.’ (Leviticus 19:12)
‘If a man makes a vow to Yahweh or a formal pledge under oath, he must not break
his word: whatever he promises by word of mouth he must do.’ (Numbers 30:3)
‘Anyone who curses his God will bear the consequences of his sin ...’ (Leviticus 24:16)
‘You will keep my Sabbaths properly, for this is a sign between myself and you
for all your generations to come, so that you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who
sanctify you. You will keep the Sabbath, then; you will regard it as holy ...’
(Exodus 31:13–14)
‘Work must be done for six days, but the seventh day will be a day of complete rest,
consecrated to Yahweh.’ (Exodus 31:15)
‘Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that
Yahweh your God is giving you.’ (Exodus 20:12)
‘If someone beats his slave, male or female, and the slave dies at his hands, he must
pay the penalty.’ (Exodus 21:20)
‘You will not oppress the alien; you know how an alien feels, for you yourselves were
once aliens in Egypt.’ (Exodus 23:9)
‘You will not exact vengeance on, or bear any sort of grudge against, the members of
your race, but you will love your neighbour as yourself. I am Yahweh.’ (Leviticus 19:18)
‘None of you will approach a woman who is closely related to him, to have
intercourse with her. I am Yahweh.’ (Leviticus 18:6)
‘Furthermore, you will not have intercourse with your fellow-citizen’s wife; you
would become unclean by doing so.’ (Leviticus 18:20)
‘You will not have intercourse with a man as you would with a woman. This is a
hateful thing.’ (Leviticus 18:22)
‘If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he will pay back five
beasts from the herd for the ox, and four animals from the flock for the sheep.’
(Exodus 21:37)
‘If a fire breaks out, setting light to thorn bushes and burning stacks, standing corn or
the field as a result, the person who started the fire will make full restitution.’
(Exodus 22:5)
‘You will not be unjust in administering justice as regards measures of length, weight
or capacity.’ (Leviticus 19:35)
‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you will not reap to the very edges of the
field, nor will you gather the gleanings of the harvest; nor will you strip your vineyard
bare, nor pick up the fallen grapes. You will leave them for the poor and the stranger.
I am Yahweh your God.
‘You will not steal, nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your fellow-citizen.’
(Leviticus 19:9–11)
‘You will not spread false rumours. You will not lend support to the wicked by giving
untrue evidence.’ (Exodus 23:1)
In Class Work
Research some other laws of the Torah. The Book of Leviticus contains
lists of these laws, for example dietary laws (Leviticus 11).
They made decisions that often led to defeat in wars. The nation divided into two
kingdoms at odds with each other and both were eventually overrun. Around 587BC
Jerusalem was captured and the inhabitants deported to Babylon. The Israelites were
totally subjugated once more.
God wanted to help the people of Israel overcome the obstacles that prevented them
relating with God, the one who loved them. This led God to promise to change the
situation by renewing their hearts. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised:
‘I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed ... I shall give you a new
heart ... I shall put my spirit in you ... You will be my people and I shall be your
God.’ (Ezekiel 36:25–29)
To fulfil this promise, God would send a Messiah. This Messiah would be filled with
God’s Holy Spirit, and share this Spirit with all who believed in him.
In Class Work
5. The covenant given on Mount Sinai was the first covenant. Y/N
8. There is more than one list of the Ten Commandments in the Bible. Y/N
9. The Torah does not contain just ten laws but hundreds. Y/N
11. The Israelites discovered that it is right to take God for granted. Y/N
as they experienced the Holy Spirit inspiring, guiding, challenging and strengthening them.
They were able to leave behind the ‘old life’ of selfishness, resentments, and temptation
to do wrong and grow in love and God-like goodness.
As they drew on the guidance and power of the Spirit they found it easier to keep God’s
commandments and laws and to experience the kind of freedom that would bring them
lasting happiness. They saw that not to draw on the Spirit’s guidance and power, would
make it more difficult to keep God’s laws. People would lack the necessary freedom that
brings lasting happiness.
‘ … the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has
been given to us.’ (Romans 5:5)
Charity is divine love. It empowers Christians to love God and others as Jesus does.
Christians develop the gift of charity by praying daily, by worshipping God, and
receiving Holy Communion and by trying to live daily as Jesus taught. As this divine
power grows within them, Christians find themselves empowered:
• to love God above all else
• to love others for God’s sake.
In Class Work
People change as charity grows within them. St Paul describes many of these changes:
Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or
conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence
or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the
truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever
comes. Love never comes to an end. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)
St Paul was describing the love (charity) that the Holy Spirit gives as a share in God’s
very own love which our human love in some ways reflects. People often choose these
words for their wedding ceremonies.
Charity has empowered Christians since the earliest times to follow their call to love as
Jesus did. Many live lovingly as husband and wife and are good parents to their
children. Others are empowered to live as unmarried people. Some respond to the call
to give their lives to serve as priests and religious. At various times, many of these
people are able to work for others in need through organisations such as the St Vincent
de Paul Society, Young Vinnies, the Catholic Women’s League and the Legion of Mary.
Many Christians today do not grow in charity as much as they could because they do
not receive the Eucharist regularly enough. Though they received the gift of charity
through Baptism, it remains underdeveloped because they suffer ‘spiritual malnutrition’.
In Class Work
Divide the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) amongst groups in the class.
Each group is to summarise their section for the rest of the class.
The Beatitudes identify attitudes of Jesus. As baptised people develop these attitudes,
they become more alert to the guidance of the Holy Spirit within them. Without these
attitudes, it is hard for people to be alert to the Spirit.
One thing many people do not realise is that the Holy Spirit works normally in gentle
and peaceful ways in people. The Spirit is never dominating or violent.
To recognise the Holy Spirit’s inward guidance and strengthening it is necessary to deal
appropriately with emotions, attitudes and ways of thinking that can otherwise take over
our lives.
The key to living the Sermon on the Mount is to develop the attitudes of Jesus. These
are the attitudes which change a Christian’s heart so that the inspiration, guidance,
correction and strengthening of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism and
further developed in Confirmation grow within them.
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.’ (Matthew 5:3)
Behaving in ways that are ‘poor in spirit’ means people accepting their dependence on
God for all their needs and for their every breath. This is easiest to develop for those
who are defenceless, oppressed, lonely or who are materially poor.
The opposite behaviour involves the desire to acquire wealth, possessions or power, and
to make them, not God, the basis of one’s life, or the tendency to associate only with
the popular, the powerful or ‘those who have made it’ in life.
‘Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.’ (Matthew 5:4)
This calls people to be unassuming and undemanding. It is the opposite from people
being suspicious and impatient, or becoming angry when things fail to go their way.
‘Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.’ (Matthew 5:5)
In this context, to ‘mourn’ is to be sad about life’s tragedies, sin and death. This
Beatitude encourages people to yearn for God as the basic value of their lives, and to
accept the closeness with God that Jesus offers. As they do so, ‘they shall be comforted’.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill.’
(Matthew 5:6)
This Beatitude calls people to accept God’s personal guidance, especially through prayer
and worship. It also calls for a searching attitude to understand more fully all that God
has taught, and a sincere effort to put into practice all that God commands.
For young people, this Beatitude is particularly relevant when considering questions
relating to identity, career and other future decisions, for true answers to these questions
require taking into account all God has taught.
‘Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.’ (Matthew 5:7)
People who are merciful are those who forgive readily and love others in need – even if
they are enemies (Matthew 6:12, 14–15; 9:13; 25:31–46; 5:44–47). Their hearts
develop in ways that make it possible to truly experience God’s mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.’ (Matthew 5:8)
This Beatitude calls Christians to make God’s will, and the fulfilment of that will, the
primary purpose of their life and to try as sincerely as they can to live as Jesus taught. It
also calls them to repent when they fail, and to ask God’s help for their renewed efforts.
Their reward will be direct and personal experiences of God.
In this Beatitude, Jesus wants his followers to love and to do what they can to provide
for the needs of others. They should try to heal tensions between others, to resolve
differences and to restore relationships. It is the opposite of stirring tensions and discord
within the family, among friends or in the wider community.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of
Heaven is theirs.’ (Matthew 5:10)
‘Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of
calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will
be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’
(Matthew 5:11–12)
These Beatitudes highlight how, when people remain faithful to God, they receive all the
spiritual guidance and power needed to live as God wants – even if they have to endure
suffering in order to follow God’s will.
The key to living the Sermon on the Mount is to develop the attitudes of Jesus. These
are the attitudes which change a Christian’s heart so that the inspiration, guidance,
correction and strengthening of the Holy Spirit grows within them.
These attitudes lead to true and long lasting happiness – or ‘beatitude’. This is why they
are referred to as ‘the Beatitudes’.
The Spiritual gift of Right Judgement has been linked to the beatitude of mercy. This
gift can be applied to the spiritual works of mercy which consist of instructing, advising,
consoling, comforting, forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently.
‘Be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy ...’ (Leviticus 19:2)
Jesus revealed two commandments which he called the greatest. These commandments
are:
‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all
your strength and with all your mind ...’ (Luke 10:27)
To deepen his followers’ understanding of how to apply the two great commandments to
daily life, Jesus also gave specific ways in which he wanted his followers to live them.
The following relate to the first great commandment:
• to pray (Luke 11:1–4)
• to celebrate the Eucharist (Luke 22:19–20)
• to teach his message to the whole world by word and example (Matthew 28:19–20)
• to baptise all who believe (Matthew 28:19)
• to pray that more will work to spread the message (Matthew 9:37)
• to love enemies (Matthew 5:38–48).
Jesus also helped his followers to understand better the second great commandment by
forbidding behaviours that disobey it:
• the deliberate harbouring of anger and grudges (Matthew 5:21–26; Luke 12:57–59)
• false oaths or perjury (Matthew 5:33–37)
• retaliation and vengeance against others (Matthew 5:38–42)
• showing generosity for the wrong motives (Matthew 6:1–4)
• prayer for the wrong motives (Matthew 6:5–6)
• the accumulation of too many possessions (Matthew 6: 19–34)
• the judgement of people (not actions) (Matthew 7:1–5)
• the neglect of personal talents (Matthew 25:14–30)
• the failure to respond to those in need (Matthew 25:31–46; Luke 16:19–31).
Jesus also reinforced Old Testament laws against sexual immorality. He forbade:
• lustful behaviour (Matthew 5:28)
• adultery (Matthew 5:32)
• remarriage after divorce (Mark 10:1–12)
• sex outside marriage (or fornication) (Matthew 15:19).
As people live the Beatitudes and the ‘greatest and first’ commandment, people have
experiences of God’s closeness. They experience God’s closeness and guidance in their
daily decisions and problems. They grow in inner spiritual strength – and become freer
to love others and to keep the laws of Jesus.
If all people were to live the second commandment of Jesus and his laws,
society would become more peaceful. Many of the sufferings people take
for granted today such as family break-up, exploitation in its various forms
and neglect of the needy, would be avoided.
In Class Work
Your class has just formed a new political party based on the commandments
and Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5:3–10). Decide on a name for your party
and prepare a speech outlining the election promises and policies with
which you will go to the next election.
Charity can free a baptised Christian to live the Ten Commandments. As people grow in
this freedom, they grow closer to God. Charity helps to overcome human weaknesses
and leads to freedom.
Charity frees us from ... Charity frees us by developing the desire to ...
doubts and disbelief about God and what grow in faith, the spiritual virtue given by
God has revealed the Holy Spirit to empower people to
believe
despair and the sense of hopelessness grow in hope, the spiritual virtue given
by the Holy Spirit to empower people to
trust in God’s promises
feelings of indifference towards God and grow in charity, the spiritual virtue given
ingratitude for all that God gives by the Holy Spirit to empower people to
love God and others for God’s sake alone
having no interest in responding to God grow in the virtue of religion, which is the
in ways that God wants virtue of respecting the rights of God to:
• adoration (acknowledging God as
Creator of all that exists, and the
Saviour of the world)
• prayer (lifting the mind to God to
express, thanks, sorrow, requests and
the needs of others)
• sacrifice (especially by trying to live
each day as God wants)
negative attitudes towards others who respect the religious freedom and
have a religious commitment commitment of others.
‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength and with all your mind ...’ (Luke 10:27)
Those who understand this first great commandment open their hearts to the
grace which enables them to keep the first three commandments:
• I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
• Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
As a result of charity, people will be freed from using the names God or Jesus
Christ as swear words or curses. Misusing God’s name in making an oath,
whether true or untrue, can be avoided. People are able to avoid destructive
behaviours such as blasphemy (expressing irreverence towards God or sacred
things) and perjury (lying under oath in a court of law).
Charity frees people to bless, praise and glorify God’s holy name. This includes
always speaking of God and the saints with respect. Those giving evidence in a
court of law will have the courage to state the truth.
Charity frees people to give time to God and to those in need such as the sick, the
frail and the elderly. It allows them to follow pursuits other than work such as
culture and social life.
This commandment frees people’s hearts so that they can observe the remaining
seven of the Ten Commandments:
• Honour your father and your mother.
• You shall not kill.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
• You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
• You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
As a result of charity, children, both young and adult, are freed from neglect of
parents and temptations to deliberate disobedience. Able members of society are
freed from resentment or indifference towards those in need, especially, the
elderly and the sick.
Charity frees parents and others in authority from neglecting their responsibilities
towards those in their care. These responsibilities extend to the religious, moral,
physical and vocational needs of children.
Charity frees children to love, respect and obey their parents. Parents and
guardians are also able to respect and provide for the total development of the
children in their care. All society’s members can respect and obey legitimate
authority and fulfil social responsibilities.
Charity frees people from giving in to the desire to harm others, physically or
emotionally, to the extent of torture, murder, euthanasia and abortion or
supporting suicide. It also frees from such forms of self harm as drug and alcohol
abuse, risk taking on the road and putting health and safety at risk in other situations.
Charity frees people to overcome emotions such as anger, hatred and vengeance
which can lead to bullying and other forms of violence.
Charity frees people to be merciful, to respect human life as sacred and so defend
and care for the wellbeing of themselves and others. It assists people to become
agents of peace and forgiveness.
Charity frees people to hunger and thirst for uprightness and to respect God’s
plan that the resources of creation provide for the basic needs of every human
being. It frees people to respect the property of others and exercise stewardship
of their own resources.
Charity frees people to develop the spiritual gift of purity of heart. They do this
through building habits of chastity, prayer and personal modesty.
The tenth commandment: You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods
Temptations against the commandment ‘You shall not steal’ also start within a
person. This commandment is concerned with making it easier to grow closer to
God by resisting inner weaknesses that make it harder to respect God’s purposes
for creation.
Charity frees people from being consumed by the desire for amassing earthly goods
and excessive riches and power and from being envious.
The first great commandment of Jesus is to love God with one’s whole heart, soul, mind
and strength. Many wonder ‘Why is this the first?’ The reason is that it is the
empowering commandment enabling people to keep all the others.
To draw upon God’s power requires closeness to God. Only with this power can people
overcome serious barriers to love others such as resentments, jealousy, deep emotional
hurts and prejudices.
Only then can true personal freedom grow. The first great commandment provides the
foundation answer to the question: ‘How can I achieve true inner freedom?’
What are some of the barriers in your life to loving others? What
resentments, jealousies, emotional hurts and prejudices prevent
you from attaining true inner freedom?
In Class Work
There are f _ _ _ elements to the New Law. Firstly there is the promise of
the H _ _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ who is the love of God pers _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
This promise was fulfilled at P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . Secondly, Christians are
infused at B _ _ _ _ _ _ with divine love called C _ _ _ _ _ _ which
empowers them to love G _ _ and o _ _ _ _ _ and to develop strong
friendships, self-g _ _ _ _ _ and forg _ _ _ _ _ . This divine love is
nourished by the E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . Thirdly, in the S _ _ _ _ _ on the
M _ _ _ _ which begins with the Beatitudes, Jesus taught a new standard of
behaviour. One Beatitude reads, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
up _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ; they shall have their f _ _ _ .’ From the teaching of
Jesus, the Church was able to develop a list of charitable actions including the
c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (bodily) works of mercy such as f _ _ _ _ _ _ the hungry.
Fourthly, Jesus emphasised t _ _ great commandments. In order to follow the
first great commandment, that is to love G _ _ , it is important that Christians
p_ _ _.
The New Law does not dispense with the requirements of the
Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment, for instance, commands
respect for the s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of human life. The eighth
commandment respects everyone's right to a good r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
Obeying the commandments is made easier by the gift of C _ _ _ _ _ _
which helps to overcome human w _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and leads to
f_ _ _ _ _ _.
The New Law is for everyone. When Jesus said, ‘make disciples of _ _ _
nations’, he was promoting true f _ _ _ _ _ _ for _ _ _ people.
Jesus Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, 2005 (w/c on paper)
Some of the graces of the sacraments are
by Wang, Elizabeth (Contemporary Artist)
general and can apply to any human
failing or weakness. Others relate to being
freed from specific human weaknesses.
The Spirit gives spiritual gifts that can help complete the human personality. Charity,
for example, can help the baptised person to overcome selfishness and resentments.
Their personality gradually becomes more loving.
A baptised person becomes a ‘new creature’ and more like Christ in how they think,
speak and behave. They are progressively transformed into Christ’s image.
‘And all of us, with our unveiled faces like mirrors reflecting the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the image that we reflect in brighter and brighter glory: this is
the working of the Lord who is the Spirit.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
Baptism destroys all sin prudence, justice, fo
Baptism by freeing people from original sin enables them to relate closely with God temperance, pruden
through the practice of the virtues of faith, hope and charity. It enables people to relate fortitude and tempe
with each other through the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Faith frees people to believe in a loving God and in all that Jesus has taught. fortitude and tempe
prudence, justice, fo
Hope frees people to overcome undue anxiety and trust in the promises Christ gave temperance, pruden
concerning the happiness of heaven and the guidance and strength the Spirit would fortitude and tempe
bring in dealing with daily questions and challenges. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Charity is the virtue whereby people are freed to love God for God’s own sake rather fortitude and tempe
than for any personal benefit. It enables people to love God in times of trial, difficulty prudence, justice, fo
and tragedy. Through charity, God empowers people to love all others, even enemies. temperance, pruden
God is totally good and is deserving of people’s love without any expectation of fortitude and tempe
personal gain. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Jesus modelled perfectly how human beings should live to relate closely with God. He fortitude and tempe
modelled all the human virtues and how to live in complete inner freedom. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Jesus was guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit throughout his life on earth. fortitude and tempe
Through Baptism, the Spirit gives Christians the spiritual gifts of guidance and strength prudence, justice, fo
throughout their lives. temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
Through Baptism the Spirit empowers people to behave like Christ prudence, justice, fo
Through Baptism a person receives the four basic moral virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, pruden
fortitude and temperance. fortitude and tempe
prudence, justice, fo
Prudence frees a person to see the true good in every situation and the right way to temperance, pruden
achieve it. fortitude and tempe
prudence, justice, fo
Justice frees a person to recognise and respect the rights of God and of others and temperance, pruden
overcome temptations to violate these. fortitude and tempe
prudence, justice, fo
Fortitude frees a person to be spiritually strong in times of challenge, difficulty, temperance, pruden
temptation and pressures from others. It frees people from weakness and ensures fortitude and tempe
constancy in the pursuit of what is good. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Temperance frees people to be spiritually strong enough to harmonise emotions and fortitude and tempe
desires with reason and one’s personal conscience. prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
For your information… prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
Faith, Hope and Charity are called the Theological Virtues because they relate to God. fortitude and tempe
Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance are called the Cardinal Virtues because they prudence, justice, fo
are pivotal to a life of uprightness. temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
prudence, justice, fo
temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10 153
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prudence, justice, fo
CONTENTS CHAPTER temperance, pruden
fortitude and tempe
7. THE SACRAMENTS OF TRUE FREEDOM
From earliest times, the Church has been referred to as the Body of Christ. Through
each of its members, Christ is present in the suburbs, towns and countries of the world.
Through Baptism, the Spirit gives the essential graces (spiritual gifts) to come to know
Christ personally through the Church. These are the gifts needed also to share in the
work of Jesus in the world today.
The Spirit makes a baptised person a member of the Body of Christ and enables the
person to share in all the spiritual gifts that Jesus gave his Church. This is done in
sharing in the activities of Christ as priest, prophet and king.
Sharing in the activities of Christ as priest frees a person to join in the prayer and
worship of Jesus through liturgies and to offer personal sufferings and trials to God,
for the good of oneself and others, as Jesus did.
Sharing in the activities of Christ as prophet frees people to behave and speak in ways
that lead others to understand and appreciate the life and teachings of Jesus. It can
enable them to live Christ’s teachings in the face of fear and despite societal pressures
to do the opposite.
God’s saving power, exercised through the kingship of Christ, frees people to draw on
this power to develop self-mastery. They are then empowered to try to change aspects of
society that are contrary to the Gospel, and to serve others, especially those they find it
difficult to serve.
Knowledge
Reverence Courage
Understanding
Wisdom
COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10 155
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7. THE SACRAMENTS OF TRUE FREEDOM
People may receive Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage, but the special gifts they have
received remain spiritually undernourished without regularly receiving the Eucharist.
The Eucharist nourishes the graces that bring people into closer personal relationship
with Christ. Other effects of the Eucharist are that it nourishes spiritually, cleanses from
venial sin, preserves from mortal sin, unites people within the Church, commits people
to the poor and promotes Christian unity.
The Eucharist frees people to develop a deeper relationship with Christ, and through
him, with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This strengthens them to:
• grow in the influence of Christ over their lives, and in the power of the Holy Spirit
• grow stronger in the spiritual gifts received through other sacraments (Baptism,
Confirmation, Marriage)
• grow in love, goodness, mercy and justice and so overcome the spiritual weaknesses
caused by venial sin, to grow closer to God and to become spiritually stronger
• resist temptations to break grave laws of God deliberately
• develop closer personal relationships with other baptised people
• become more like Christ in sensitivity and concern for the poor and others in need
• develop the same concern as Christ for Christian unity, as expressed in his prayer
‘May they all be one’
In Class Work
People find that saying ‘sorry’ after behaving in a way that causes offence to a close
friend can bring forgiveness. This does not necessarily mean that the earlier closeness in
the relationship is fully restored. For this, further reconciliation is needed.
In Class Work
This sacrament empowers married people to fulfil the commandments: ‘Honour your
father and your mother’, and ‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife’ (Catechism of
the Catholic Church 1641–1642).
The Sacrament of Marriage deepens the love of husband and wife and gives graces to
perfect the couple’s love, to strengthen their unity and make them aware of Christ’s
support throughout all their married life in good times and bad.
The Eucharist gives this spiritual nourishment. This is why Jesus commanded his followers:
It is the reason also why the Church calls Catholics to join in celebrations of the
Eucharist on Sundays.
Many today have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage, but
do not nourish the gifts of these sacraments with the Eucharist. As a result, they do not
gain the help God intends them to receive through these sacraments.
In Class Work
Column A Column B
The New Law is the gift that provides the answers to the human heart question:
In Class Work
Write a review of the unit that shows your understanding of how Catholics
can find answers to the question: “How can I find true inner freedom?”
In Class Work
In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which … holds him in
obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil … For man
has in his heart a law written by God. To obey it is the very dignity of man;
according to it he will be judged.
Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man, There he is alone
with God, whose voice echoes in his depths. In a wonderful manner conscience
reveals that law which is fulfilled by the love of God and neighbour …
Taken from the Vatican II document on the Church in the Modern World –
Gaudium et Spes (The Joys and the Hopes) para. 16
Goodness is a common human characteristic. People can forget this because the news
media and other influences tend to focus more upon negative aspects of human
behaviour. Frequently television and print media are more inclined to report bad,
rather than good news.
For example, while the majority of marriages are successful, the media tends to focus
more on the divorce rate. While most parents love and provide for their children there
are parents who neglect and mistreat them. And most young people live good and
law-abiding lives but there are examples of violence and law breaking among youth.
In Class Work
Do a media search of events occurring over the last week which focus
on the goodness of young people.
Why do you think the media are more likely to report bad rather
than good news?
People experience this call to goodness in a number of ways. Examples are the personal
experiences of:
• ideals
• being inspired by others
• feelings of guilt
• the desire for truth
• the call to love.
Ideals
An ideal is a standard or
moral principle to which
people aspire. Loyalty to
friends, being honest, and
being courageous are three
examples. These ideals
reflect the faithfulness,
justice and spiritual power
of God.
The desire to behave like someone else because of the qualities that are highly regarded
in others is another experience of the call of conscience. People can become inspired by
the qualities of others in a range of situations.
They may have shown heroic behaviour in times of adversity or in situations of great
challenge or they may show consistent goodness in their lives.
Feelings of guilt
If a person does wrong, instead of behaving as God wants them to behave, they can be
left feeling guilty. They may ‘feel bad’ or afraid that someone else might discover what
they have done.
Usually guilt is the result of saying or doing something that represses a person’s deep
human need to reflect the love and goodness of God. For example, people can feel
guilty if they:
• neglect someone in need instead of showing love
• steal the property of another instead of being honest
• turn their back on a friend because of fear of ridicule instead of showing loyalty
• lie instead of being truthful
• kill or harm someone instead of showing respect for human life
• behave in sexually immoral ways instead of being chaste.
People who feel guilty can discover their likeness to God by asking themselves: ‘Why did
I say or do that?’
In most people, these feelings are examples of the voice of God calling a person to
behave as God created them to behave. For some people, however, guilty feelings can
have psychological causes and not be stirred by conscience.
Conscience can suddenly arouse fear, to warn the person that they have fallen short of
their best self if they give in to the temptation. This can surface suddenly and strongly
and cause the person to stop in their tracks.
Questions that keep coming back are sometimes referred to as ‘questions of the human
heart’. Common examples are:
• ‘What is the purpose of my life?’
• ‘Who am I?’
• ‘Why do people suffer?’
• ‘What happens after people die?’
• ‘How do we really know right and wrong?’
Human heart questions begin in the conscience. God is calling everyone to seek the
truth. People can never fully answer a genuine human heart question. People may find
an answer that temporarily satisfies them, but then find that this answer is inadequate
when the situation next arises.
A teenager’s answer to the first question about the purpose of life, for example, is
unlikely to satisfy an older person who may face this question again at later crucial times
in life. True answers to questions of the human heart will satisfy people in all stages and
life situations. These unfold gradually for those who seek God.
Questions of the human heart, therefore, can only be answered completely by the
Creator of the human heart. God created the human conscience to stir these questions
so as to lead people to God.
??? ????? ? ?? ? ?
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CONTENTS
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CHAPTER
COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10
1. ALONE WITH GOD
These questions are stirred by someone’s conscience when that person genuinely wants
to find answers. They are calls by God through conscience to search for answers that
will lead the searcher to God.
They are being called to join with others who are searching for God. This is one way
that conscience calls those who are open to the call to become part of a formal religious
community. In such communities those who choose to be guided by correct conscience
can support each other in the search for answers to human heart questions.
It is within conscience that people recognise the echoes of God’s voice, calling them to
love. Through conscience God stirs in young people the desire for genuine friendship
which can grow into the desire for deeper relationships such as marriage.
Write a list of the questions that arise for you about, God,
religion and the need for deeper human relationships.
Remind yourself that all people have questions like these that
can draw them closer to God.
In Class Work
1. Conscience is at the core or heart of every person. ’What does this mean?
It stirs the person to make moral judgements about how they intend to behave or how
they have already behaved. Deep within conscience, every human person hears God
calling them to love.
These questions stir people to make what are called moral judgements or judgements of
moral conscience.
In Class Work
The words of Psalm 34, Turn away from evil and do good, are used directly by
St Peter (1 Peter 3:11) and paraphrased by St Paul (Romans 12:9) and St John
(3 John 1:11). Read Romans 12:9–21 and list St Paul’s practical suggestions for
putting these words into action. Add your own examples to the list.
Action
Actions that obey God’s laws are morally good and actions that disobey God’s laws are
morally wrong. God’s laws are the criteria for deciding whether an action is right or
wrong. God’s laws are summarised in the Ten Commandments and fulfilled by Jesus as
the Gospels reveal.
Any action that disobeys God’s laws is always morally wrong by its very nature. For
example, there is never an occasion when it is right to murder, steal or sexually abuse
another.
Intention
For a judgement to be morally good, the person’s intention must be right as well. It is
always morally wrong to perform an action for the wrong intention even if the action
itself is morally good.
For example, telling the truth is morally good. However if the intention of telling the
truth is to unnecessarily cause another person serious embarrassment or harm it would
be morally wrong to give out this information.
For example, it is morally acceptable for an adult to have a glass of wine. If, however,
a person drives whilst knowing that their driving ability has been impaired, to drink
before driving becomes morally wrong. The consequence of this is that the person or
others is placed in danger.
intention
action circumstances
172 COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10
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2. MAKING JUDGEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE
intention
circumstances
action
In Class Work
Some actions are always wrong and cannot be justified even if the intention is
good. It is not lawful to do evil so that good may result from it, that is, the end
does not justify the means. On the other hand, an evil intention undoes the
good of an action that is good in itself.
Circumstances may spoil an action that is good in itself. On the other hand,
circumstances never make good an act which is in itself evil.
Although circumstances cannot change the moral quality of bad acts they can
increase or decrease the responsibility of the person doing the action. For
example, a person’s responsibility for injuring another person by carelessly
throwing a baseball bat, may be diminished if they had been distracted at
the time by, say, a bee sting.
However, this sense was damaged by sin. As a result people can be:
• mistaken about what is right and wrong
• confused by feelings, which can mislead by suggesting that a certain action
‘feels right’ or ‘feels wrong’.
The laws they discover from this reasoning are collectively called natural law. For example:
• the moral principle that human life must be respected as sacred leads to laws, such as:
– it is wrong to murder another human being
– people are obliged to ensure that the poor and the needy have the necessities of life
• the moral principle that every human person should be treated equally, leads societies
to make laws that recognise and prohibit injustices, such as:
– racism
– all forms of unjust discrimination.
Natural law comes from human nature as created by God. The moral teaching of the
Catholic Church is based upon a second theory of natural law. History shows that,
because of sin, people can be very confused about natural law. For example, good people
in different societies can permit:
• abortion, instead of respect for human life
• forms of unjust discrimination, instead of respect for human equality
• human sacrifice and death penalties, instead of respect for human life.
Revealed divine law includes the Ten Commandments as understood in the light of the
teachings of Jesus and his two great commandments.
Good and bad, right and wrong, are taught by God. What is right for one is right for
all; what is wrong for one is wrong for all. Right and wrong do not vary in different
situations.
It is always wrong to break a law of God. However, a person must know that their
behaviour will break God’s law for the behaviour to be a sin. Let us take two examples.
1. Many pagan religions over past centuries thought that human sacrifice was right, and
the best way to honour their gods. However, human sacrifice involves the deliberate
killing of human life, and so breaks the fifth commandment. It is always wrong.
Those who did the sacrificing did not know this, and so, though they did wrong,
they did not sin.
2. Many nations, and even a number of religious traditions in the past, believed that
slavery was acceptable. Good people owned and sold slaves. Yet, slavery is wrong,
also breaking the fifth commandment. Those who did not know this and owned
slaves, did not sin.
Even today, there are laws that break God’s law. Examples include civil laws on
abortion, euthanasia and remarriage after divorce. Such laws break the fifth and sixth
commandments. Those people who are ignorant of the fifth and sixth commandments
and who carry out these behaviours do not sin.
Consent
Consent means on purpose. There can be many reasons why people have broken a law
of God but, because they did not give personal consent, they did not sin.
One example is of a person who has been taking prescribed drugs not being fully aware
of their actions and as a consequence do something wrong. They do not sin because they
did not do wrong on purpose.
Sometimes, emotions can be so powerful that a person may break God’s law before they
realise it. For example, panic may stop someone helping another person who needs
immediate assistance. Serious depression or fear of torture can lead someone to commit
suicide.
People can be forced by others to do wrong when they wish to do the opposite. For
example, a person may be forced to engage in a robbery because a gun is being held
against their head or the head of someone else. Again, though they are breaking the
seventh commandment, they do not sin.
In situations like these, if the person genuinely lacked the freedom to choose, they did
not sin.
Addictions are usually attempts to escape deeper, unpleasant feelings such as low self
esteem, fear of failure, stress, tension or difficulty in making real friends.
Sometimes, addictions can start for other reasons as well, such as curiosity that leads to
experimentation or wanting acceptance from others.
The seriousness of strong sinful habits is lessened if the following three conditions
are applied:
• The person genuinely tries to resist the habit
• The person avoids the situation in which they know that the habit is likely to arise
• The person makes a concerted effort to understand and to address the causes
of the habit.
In Class Work
As a class, brainstorm some of the seriously bad habits that year ten students
might develop.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven’.
Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ‘How can this
man talk like that? ... Who but God can forgive sins?’ And at once, Jesus … said to
them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which of these is easier to say
to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher
and walk?” But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on
earth’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go
off home.’ And the man got up, and at once picked up his stretcher, and walked out in
front of everyone … (Mark 2:5–12)
Catholic Tradition also recognises other means of reconciliation with God, especially the
Eucharist. For example, in the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass, in which, on
occasion, the celebrant sprinkles the people with water, the following prayer is made:
Think about what it is in your life that needs forgiving and healing
and place these things before the Lord.
In Class Work
4. The three ways the seriousness of sinful habits may be lessened are:
R___________, A___________ and Efforts to understand and address the
causes.
The skill needed to develop a moral conscience is the ability to learn right from wrong.
The first requirement for the formation of moral conscience is to learn the
commandments of God as taught by Jesus.
What ‘feels right’ is just a feeling; it is not formed conscience and needs to be
given no more weight than any other feeling. Feelings can be misleading such as a
groundless fear of the dark or irrational hatred in reaction to an imagined hurt.
People with formed moral consciences are able to do two things. They can:
• understand the moral principles behind a moral choice
• relate the principles to the actual situation in which the choice is being made.
It should be noted that society does not always accept ‘conscience’ as suitable grounds
for a person to deliberately violate the laws of the community. One such example is the
treatment of a conscientious objector who refuses to fight in a time of war. Similarly, in
a situation where a person refuses to obey a lawful command or where a genuine protest
may result in property damage, society will not accept that the person is following their
conscience. Whether through their own fault or not, and no matter how sincere they
may think that they are, a person acting on formed conscience may well be seen as
behaving in a way that conflicts with society’s generally accepted principles.
In Class Work
People are obliged to do all they can to ‘form’ their conscience. They are also obliged to
avoid, as far as possible, situations in which their emotions are likely to cloud their
better judgement and their conscience. They are also obliged to recognise and to try to
change bad habits and attitudes.
In Class Work
Name situations that illustrate where people might do the wrong thing
whilst believing they are acting in good conscience.
Right and wrong, therefore, are not determined by conscience. The role of an individual’s
conscience is to answer the questions:
• ‘Which moral principles apply to this situation?’
• ‘How do they apply?’
• ‘What should I do?’
No human person has the right to disobey God. Nor does anyone have the right to tell
others that they may disobey God.
Sometimes a society or parliament makes laws which disobey God’s laws. In such cases,
the Church finds it necessary to defend those who are harmed by such laws. For
example, the Church has spoken out strongly in favour of:
• respect for international law, especially for the resolution of conflicts between nations,
a fairer distribution of the world’s resources, and the humane treatment of refugees
• the rights of the unborn
• religious and other freedoms.
Even so, with the best intentions in the world, people can
make honest mistakes in discerning what is right and wrong.
When they do, they are in ‘good conscience’, because it is an
honest mistake, but they will still do wrong unintentionally.
The fact that they are following a mistaken conscience does
not make their action right.
Moral conscience, therefore, does not determine what is right or what is wrong.
Conscience can only tell people whether they are intending to do what they believe
to be right or wrong.
In Class Work
Research situations where people have not accepted society’s commonly held
moral principles but instead, have heroically followed their conscience, e.g.
Otto Schindler and Chiune Sugihara. Stories about today’s conscientious
objectors may be found online at sites belonging to social justice groups such
as Caritas, Ozspirit and UNIYA or in magazines such as ‘Eureka Street’ and
‘Australian Catholic’.
It cannot be right for me, for example, to do wrong by deliberately causing harm to
myself or to someone else, whether I can foresee or intend it or not. So there is no such
thing as something being ‘right for me’ and wrong for others. Right and wrong do not
depend upon the ideas of individuals or upon their consciences.
People can only say that: ‘As far as I can see, this word or action is the right thing for me
to say or do’; or ‘As far as I can see, this is right in this situation’; or ‘My intention is
good’.
Conscience, therefore, does not decide what is right or what is wrong for anyone. It can
only help people to work out whether something they want to do is right or wrong. This
highlights the importance of people doing all that is possible to educate or to ‘form’
their consciences.
In every case that requires a moral judgement, a person needs to consider not just the
good end, but also the means or the way people go about achieving the good end.
Another example of a good end is to live simply and not waste the earth’s resources
through over-consumption. If the means chosen to achieve this end involved destroying
others’ property because the owners were seen to be wasteful – or worse, harming the
owners themselves – a morally wrong choice will have been made.
People examine their conscience as they review past thoughts, words and actions.
They try to:
• discover examples of when they have done what is right, such as acts
of kindness, cooperation or forgiveness
• find examples of improvement in their lives where they are trying to
change for the better
• identify deliberate thoughts, words or actions that were wrong
• recognise guilty feelings and work out whether or not they are justified.
AN EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE
1. Place yourself in God’s presence and ask for help to be truthful and
kind to yourself in this process.
Pray for God’s forgiveness for any faults committed today and
for the strength and courage to be a better person in at least
one way tomorrow.
In Class Work
6. As long as your intentions are good you are justified in not Y/N
considering the facts
Social trends
In every society, there are accepted ways of behaving. It is easy for individuals to think
and do the same as everyone else. It is common for people to follow social trends
without questioning the values they reflect.
These trends are sometimes the result of powerful social agencies such as the media.
Advertising and television programs can often set trends. Other examples of trends that
are influenced by society are:
• buying designer label clothes
• religion being unfashionable with some groups in society.
Social trends can influence people’s ideas on right and wrong. More recent trends include:
• pre-marital sex becoming accepted
• couples living in de facto relationships
• divorce being accepted as the way to deal with problems in marriage
• cloning and destruction of human embryos for research
• euthanasia
• recreational drug use.
Social trends bring consequences which can be negative or positive. Unfortunately, some
of the negative consequences can include a rise in the rate of:
• suicide among young people
• home violence and abuse
• crime in the community
• scepticism about permanence in marriage.
Peer pressure
Peer pressure can be positive and life-giving, such as encouraging friends not to act in a
dangerous manner or encouraging members of a group to strive to do their best.
However, peer pressure can also violate the freedom of the individual. Peers can
pressure individuals to speak, dress and behave in ways that conform to a group. Peer
pressure can reflect the attitude: ‘We do not care about you, your personal gifts or
opinions – we expect you to behave as we think’.
Similar to social trends, peer pressure can be difficult to resist for fear of being rejected
by the group. Peer pressure can incline individuals to accept peer expectations without
question. In this case, people forget to listen to their conscience.
Strong emotions
Strong emotions have an important place in human life. They can motivate people to act
with great courage or heroism on behalf of others. On the other hand, emotions can
dominate people to such an extent that they are unable to make good moral judgements.
As a result, they act in an inappropriate or immoral way.
In Class Work
2. Research the story of another person you admire for their ability to direct
their strong emotions in a positive way, to show great courage or heroism
on behalf of others.
3. Design a book-jacket for a biography about the person that covers the
following points:
Examples of bad habits are lying, stealing, gossiping, putting others down, thinking
about people in sexual ways and masturbation. Other examples include tendencies that
grow unconsciously, such as those of:
• arguing
• criticising
• looking at situations negatively
• ‘looking down’ on people who are different
• resenting authority.
These bad habits tend to be performed without thinking. Unless a person becomes
conscious of these and tries to break them, they can make it difficult to listen to
conscience.
Conscience always calls a person to love and to do what is good. If people are confused
about these, they can confuse temptations from other external and internal influences
with what is truly loving and good.
Often people who feel guilty fail to realise that their behaviour is the result of an
emotional habit. Hence, they do not ask themselves how they might change the habit.
Guilty feelings incline people to ignore their consciences. They do not want to hear the
call of God within because of the challenging and sometimes painful feelings it stirs.
Many baptised people neglect the means for developing charity – particularly daily
prayer and Sunday Mass. Charity then cannot empower them in the ways God planned.
In Class Work
Use the information from Chapter 4 to correctly align the two sides of the
following table (the first match is indicated):
Peer pressure “That’s just the way things are these days.”
The Holy Spirit guided Jesus and he promised the same guidance to his followers:
‘… you know him because he is with you, he is in you … the Holy Spirit whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have
said to you.’ (John 14:17, 26)
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would conquer the devil’s power, influence and
temptations in people’s lives. This means that the Holy Spirit will strengthen those who
develop the spiritual gifts they have been given in order to resist temptations.
During his life, Jesus was tempted by the devil. He demonstrated how to draw upon the
Spirit’s power to resist temptations by the devil (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13;
Luke 4:1–3).
‘… the Spirit drove him [Jesus] into the desert and he remained there for forty days,
and was put to the test by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels
looked after him.’ (Mark 1:12–13)
Jesus showed through exorcisms that he had the power to free people from the power of
the devil and of demons (e.g. Mark 1:23–28; 5:1–20). He told the disbelieving Pharisees
‘… if it is through the Spirit of God that I drive out devils, then be sure that the
kingdom of God has caught you unawares.’ (Matthew 12:28)
Through his Church Jesus supports those who follow their conscience.
Jesus knew that his followers would remain vulnerable to the social trends and peer
pressures of their time and that these would make it hard for them at times to hear and
to follow their conscience. There would also be different cultural beliefs and attitudes in
different parts of the world. This meant that there would be moral confusion because
what some people thought was good, others would think was wrong.
One reason Jesus instituted the special community of his Church was to help his
followers guide the formation of conscience. He promised that his Church would never
be conquered by evil forces because he would remain with it always
‘And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.’ (Matthew 16:18)
‘… I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’ (Matthew 28:20)
These ‘Gates’ contrast with Peter receiving the keys of the kingdom from Jesus
(Matthew 16:19).
Jesus made the promise that evil powers will never overcome the Church nor draw it
into the underworld, that is, hell.
So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community.
And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the keys of
the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven;
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18–19)
The teaching authority Jesus gave the Church is unparalleled in other institutions.
It provides stability in changing times and ensures the truths of Christ are taught
consistently. Thus the deposit of faith handed down from the Apostles is preserved
intact and not subject to relativism.
Yet there are people today who reject Jesus’ teachings as handed on by the Pope and
Bishops, and criticise them for affirming these teachings. This was also true of the
people in Jesus’ time who rejected his teachings because they went against the ideas that
prevailed in their society. Many people found it so difficult to accept his teaching that it
eventually led to his being crucified.
Opposite: Fol. 64r A young man asks Christ how one can attain eternal life
(vellum) by Italian School, (15th century)
Christians must always remember that the Magisterium is endowed with the authority of
Jesus to teach people things that will lead them to God, just as Jesus did with the young
man in the Gospel. Replying to the question:
Jesus referred the young man to God and reminded him of the moral commandments in
the Old Testament, and he invited the young man to follow him in humility and love:
In Class Work
Make sure that you link conscience to the arrival of the Kingdom.
In Class Work
2. Jesus said, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community’
(Matthew 16:18). How is this ‘rock’ of Peter in evidence in the modern
Church?
3. The teaching of the Magisterium guides the Church. Where does the
authority of the Magisterium come from? Explain.
Our churches are holy places consecrated for prayer and worship,
2006 (w/c on paper) by Wang, Elizabeth (Contemporary Artist)
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208 the Holy
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Return to
COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10
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Jesus who shares the Holy Spirit who, in turn, guides and strengthens its members. It is Je
1. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH
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COME FOLLOW ME – YEAR 10 209
Return to Return to
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1. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH
The Nicene Creed is even more specific as to the characteristics of the Church. It
concludes: We believe in one, holy, catholic and Apostolic Church. The Nicene Creed
was formulated by the first Council of Nicaea in 325, affirming that Jesus was True God
and True Man.
The foundation of the Church’s unity derives from all its members sharing the one
fellowship in the Holy Spirit through Baptism (2 Corinthians 13:13).
There are divisions in the Church due to human confusion and disbelief among its
members. These will be overcome to the extent that all baptised people open themselves
fully to the Holy Spirit.
Because the Church is made up of human beings there are examples of Church bodies
and members breaking God’s laws. It is important to remember that these situations are
a result of human weakness. The holiness of Christ and the Spirit will always prevent
the Church from collapsing. It is Christ and the Spirit who have stirred the renewal of
the Church after periods of corruption.
Even in dark periods in the Church’s history, individual members have always been able
to draw on the strength and holiness of Jesus and the Spirit. They have always been able
to draw on the gifts of the sacraments.
Jesus and the Spirit empower believers to grow in holiness. They empower those who
develop the spiritual gifts each has received through the sacraments, to keep God’s laws.
Love, justice, compassion and other qualities that reflect their likeness to God are
strengthened. They become ‘holy’ as God is holy.
Through his Church, Jesus gives each of his followers the means of salvation. Catholics
are called to form their consciences in order to always do what is good in the world.
They are called to deepen their spiritual gifts by participating in all aspects of the
Church, especially the sacraments.
Secondly, the Church is catholic because the mission of the Church is to the whole of
the human race. Christ gave the members of the Church the task of spreading his Gospel
‘universally’. He commanded:
The Church has spread throughout the world today because the Apostles and others
worked to fulfil this command of Christ.
In Class Work
Divide the class into small groups. Each group is allocated one of the
following characteristics of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
OR
Use the information from the mid-map to create a ‘recipe’ for how the Church
can demonstrate this characteristic in the contemporary world. What
ingredients would be needed (e.g. people who are ‘givers’)? What needs to
happen to the ingredients to develop this characteristic (e.g. people to gather
together)?
Sin destroyed this plan. As people stopped listening to their consciences and obeying the
commandments they drew away from God. As a result conflict and tensions spread
among people. This remains the case today. There are conflicts between individuals, and
conflicts between and within nations.
From the moment the parents of the human race sinned, God resolved to restore
harmony. To do this, God first had to restore the relationship that leads to peace
between human beings and God. God therefore planned the Church from the time when
sin first occurred in the human race.
A sacrament is a visible sign of the invisible presence and action of God. In Baptism,
through the visible sign of immersion or the pouring of water, Jesus frees the person
from original sin and shares the Holy Spirit with them. The Church is like a sacrament
for it, too is a visible sign and expression of the invisible actions of God.
In Class Work
Jesus made clear God’s plan for the Church to be a sign and instrument of the union
between God and people, and between people across all nations. He commanded his
Apostles:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.’ (Mark 16:15)
‘… you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then
you will be my witnesses … to earth’s remotest end.’ (Acts 1:8)
In Class Work
In Class Work
The Catholic Church has spread across the world and is truly universal.
Research the College of Cardinals and the countries from which the members
of the College of Cardinals originate. How many Cardinals does each region
have? What are the names of the Australian Cardinals?
The growth of the Church can be studied in five geographical and historical contexts:
• in Jerusalem
• beyond Jerusalem to Israel and Palestine
• across the Roman Empire
• during the period of ‘Christendom’
• expansion beyond Europe.
• attracted many, by a sound like a violent wind, to where the Apostles were gathered:
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when suddenly there came
from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they
were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire, these separated and came
to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express
themselves.
Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and
at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men
speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:1–6)
They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely,’ they said, ‘all these men speaking are
Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native
language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya
round Cyrene; residents of Rome-Jews and proselytes alike-Cretans and Arabs, we
hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’ Everyone was
amazed and perplexed; they asked one another what it all meant. Some, however,
laughed it off. ‘They have been drinking too much new wine,’ they said. (Acts 2:5–12)
They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand
were added to their number.’ (Acts 2:41)
So that people would listen to them, the Spirit gave the Apostles the power to work
miracles, like those of Jesus. One example is the cure of the cripple by Peter:
Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth
hour, it happened that there was a man being carried along. He was a cripple from
birth; and they used to put him down everyday near the Temple entrance called the
Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw
Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Peter, and John
too, looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly,
hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but
I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” Then he
took him by the right hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles
became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into
the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking
and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to beg at the
Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and perplexed at what had
happened to him. (Acts 3:1–10)
Men of Israel, why are you so surprised ...? It is faith in him (Jesus) that has restored
this man to health, as you can all see. (Acts 3:12, 16)
Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were
really doing, (when Jesus was killed) … Now you must repent and turn to God, so
that your sins may be wiped out. (Acts 3:17–20)
… the total number of men had now risen to something like five thousand. (Acts 4:4)
The first to die for his Christian faith was Saint Stephen. Many Christians then escaped
from Jerusalem to other towns and regions, where they began to bring others to
Christian conversion.
In Class Work
Philip
The Spirit kept stirring Christians to invite others to receive Baptism. One example was
Philip, who went to Samaria. Philip:
And Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. (Acts 8:5)
• worked miracles:
The people unanimously welcomed the message Philip preached, because they had heard
of the miracles he worked and because they saw them for themselves … (Acts 8:6)
For unclean spirits came shrieking out of many who were possessed …. (Acts 8:7)
… and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing
in that town. (Acts 8:7)
But when they came to accept Philip’s preaching of the good news about the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men
and women ... (Acts 8:12)
The Apostles then sent Peter and John to confer on them the fullness of the Holy Spirit
through what is now called the sacrament of Confirmation:
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there and prayed for them to
receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had
only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and
they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14–17).
Later, Philip was told by an angel to go to a road on which an important man from
Ethiopia would be travelling. The Spirit then moved Philip to convert the Ethiopian to
become a Christian:
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying,’ Set out at noon and go along the road
that leads from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his
journey. Now an Ethiopian had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch
and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia; he was her chief
treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading
the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join that chariot.’ When
Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand
what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How could I, unless I have someone to guide me?’
So he urged Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was
reading was this:
The eunuch addressed Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or
someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of Scripture Philip proceeded to
explain the good news of Jesus to him:
Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here
is some water; is there anything to prevent my being baptised?’ He ordered the
chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and he
baptised him. But after they had both come up out of the water again Philip was
taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again and he
went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared in Azotus and continued his journey,
proclaiming the good news in every town as far as Caesarea. (Acts 8:36–40)
In Class Work
Trace his journeys onto maps and identify the current names of
the countries to which St Paul travelled.
Paul
One of the great persecutors of the first Christians was Saul. He approved the stoning to
death of Saint Stephen:
‘… (the members of the council), thrust him out of the city and stoned him … (Acts 7:58)
Saul approved of the killing. That day a bitter persecution started against the church
in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of
Judaea and Samaria.’ (Acts 8:1)
Opposite: The Stoning of St. Stephen, from the Triptych of St. Stephen
(oil on panel) by Rubens, Peter Paul (1577–1640)
Meanwhile Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He went
to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that
would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or
women, that he might find.
It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city,
suddenly a light from heaven shone all around him. He fell to the ground, and then
he heard a voice saying , ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you,
Lord?’ he asked and the answer came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up
and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men travelling
with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no
one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing
at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was
without his sight and took neither food nor drink.
There was a disciple in Damascus called Ananias, and he had a vision in which the
Lord said to him, ‘Ananias!’ When he replied, ‘Here I am, Lord,’ the Lord said, ‘Get
up and go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul,
who comes from Tarsus. At the moment he is praying, and has seen a man called
Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.’
But in response Ananias said, ‘Lord, I have heard from many people about this man
and all the harm he has been doing to your holy people in Jerusalem. He has come
here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your
name.’ The Lord replied, ‘Go for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name
before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how
much he must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and
laid his hands on Saul and said , ‘Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus,
who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.’ It was as though scales fell away from his eyes and
immediately he was able to see again. So he got up and was baptised, and after taking
some food he regained his strength.’ (Acts 9:1–19)
After he (Paul), had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began
preaching in the synagogues, ‘Jesus is the son of God.’ All his hearers were amazed,
and said, ‘Surely, this is the man who did such damage in Jerusalem to the people
who invoke this name, and who came here for the sole purpose of arresting them to
have them tried by the chief priests?’ Saul’s power increased steadily, and he was able
to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus into complete confusion by the way he
demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.
Some time passed, and the Jews worked out a plot to kill him, but news of it reached
Saul. They were keeping watch at the gates day and night in order to kill him, but the
disciples took him by night and let him down from the wall, lowering him in a
basket. (Acts 9:20–25)
Ruins with the Apostle Paul preaching, 1744 by Pannini or Panini, Giovanni Paolo (1691/2–1765)
There was a man sitting there who had never walked in his life, because his feet were
crippled from birth; he was listening to Paul preaching, and Paul looked at him
intently and saw that he had the faith to be cured. Paul said in a loud voice, ‘Get to
your feet-stand up,’ and the cripple jumped up and began to walk. (Acts 14:8–10)
When the crowds saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia,
‘The gods have come down to us in human form.’ They addressed Barnabas as Zeus,
and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes. The priests of Zeus-
outside-the-Gate, proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them,
brought garlanded oxen to the gates. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what
was happening they tore their clothes, and rushed into the crowd, shouting, ‘Friends,
what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings, mortal like yourselves.
We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living
God who made sky and earth and the sea and all that these hold. In the past he
allowed all the nations to go their own way; but even then he did not leave you
without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he sends you rain
from heaven and seasons of fruitfulness; he fills you with food and your hearts with
merriment.’ With this speech they just managed to prevent the crowd from offering
them sacrifice.’ (Acts 14:11–18)
Having preached the good news in that town and made a considerable number of
disciples, they went back through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. (Acts 14:21)
The Spirit stirred in many the faith needed to join the Church.
In the middle of the night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises,
while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the
prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the
prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and
was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul
shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Do yourself no harm; we are all here.’ (Acts 16:25–28)
Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his household. (Acts 16:32)
Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there
with all his household. Afterwards he took them into his house and gave them a meal,
and the whole household celebrated their conversion to belief in God. (Acts 16:33–34)
In the Greek city of Ephesus, Paul preached and taught God’s laws in the Jewish place
of worship called a ‘synagogue’. At first, many did not like what he said. However, after
two years of preaching, many became members of the Church.
In Ephesus, the Spirit worked many miracles through Paul, including the casting of
demons out of people:
So remarkable were the miracles worked by God at Paul’s hands that handkerchiefs or
aprons which had touched him were taken to the sick, and they were cured of their
illnesses, and the evil spirits came out of them. (Acts 19:11–12)
Miracles of St. Paul at Ephesus, 1693 (oil on canvas) by Restout, Jean (1663–1702)
There were other men in Ephesus who used to cast out demons during this time. They
tried doing so in the same way that Paul did. However, they saw that Paul’s way was
more powerful and tried to do what he did. The evil spirits they were trying to cast out
overcame the men, treating them violently. This happened because they were not filled
with the Holy Spirit as was St Paul.
But some itinerant Jewish exorcists too tried pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus
over people who were possessed by evil spirits; they used to say, ‘I adjure you by the
Jesus whose spokesperson is Paul.’ Among those who did this were seven sons of
Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. The evil spirit replied, ‘Jesus I recognise and Paul I know,
but who are you?’ and the man with the evil spirit hurled himself at them and
overpowered first one and then another, and handled them so violently that they fled
from that house stripped of clothing and badly mauled. Everybody in Ephesus, both
Jews and Greeks, heard about this episode; everyone was filled with awe, and the
name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in great honour.’ (Acts 19:13–17)
Paul in Rome
Paul was arrested in Jerusalem for
preaching the Gospel. The Jewish leaders
tried to assassinate him, so the Roman
authorities moved him to Caesarea.
It is also believed that all the Apostles, except John, were martyred.
The Empire enjoyed prosperity and provided citizens with a variety of entertainments.
These ranged from baths to theatres, to stadiums for sports and amphitheatres for big
events, merriment and spectacles. The people however, were seeking answers to their
human heart questions. Many religions, particularly from Greece and Asia, sought to
provide answers to what people were seeking. With all of this there were signs of people
seeking to do good and the Holy Spirit stirring people through their consciences to do
the will of God.
In Class Work
2. How did these religions seek to fill the spiritual vacuum the people
of the time were experiencing?
… perseverance develops a tested character, something that gives us hope, and a hope
which will not let us down, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.’ (Romans 5: 5–6)
The persecutions
Several Roman emperors became unhappy with the growth of Christianity. They began
persecutions of Christians that would continue on and off for over two hundred years.
The first official persecution began in 64AD during the reign of Nero. He exploited
public opinion, which at first saw Christians as atheists and immoral because they
refused to worship pagan gods.
The most severe persecutions began in the third century. The Roman government
decided to deal seriously with what they saw as the Christian menace. One of the
problems for the government was that Christians cared for those in need, which
highlighted government neglect. Christians also only accepted the authority of the
emperor and empire when their laws were consistent with the Law of God.
Then came the Emperor Trajan Decius (249–251AD), a harsh persecutor, who
condemned all suspected of being Christians, unless they also worshipped pagan gods.
Many people, including Pope Fabian, died after enduring terrible tortures. Others denied
their Christianity in the face of threats of torture.
The persecution started by Trajan Decius lead also to the martyrdom of Pope Sixtus II
and his deacon, Lawrence.
The last, and perhaps most terrible persecution of the Church, began in 303AD as a
result of a decree of the Emperor Diocletian. This affected Christians across the Empire
from all ranks of Roman society. This was followed by a second decree which singled
out bishops, priests and deacons for particularly cruel deaths. In all of this, the Spirit
was present with the Church, sustaining faithful Christians throughout their torment.
In Class Work
Read the story of the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity or the story of the
martyrdom of Pope Sixtus II and Lawrence.
In 324AD, Constantine defeated the Eastern Roman Emperor, Licinius, who had begun
another persecution of Christians in defiance of the Edict of Milan. Constantine became
sole emperor of the East and the West and moved his capital from Rome to
Constantinople, a city more geographically central in the Empire.
In Class Work
Compare the Nicene Creed with the older Apostle’s Creed given in Chapter 6.
Which phrases of the Nicene Creed specifically define the divine nature of
Jesus?
Strengthened by the Spirit, the Christian martyrs left a deep impression upon others.
Many of those who witnessed the sufferings of Christians found themselves asking
questions such as: ‘Why are they enduring such tortures?’ ‘Why are they willing to die
for their religion?’ ‘What does their religion offer that they will not give it up, even
though they will suffer for it?’
Gradually, the Western half of the Roman Empire came under pressure from the Franks,
the Alemanni, the Vandals and the Visigoths, all of whom were Germanic tribes.
Increasingly, economic resources were used for defence. In 378, the Goths massacred
Roman imperial forces, and the Emperor Valens was killed in battle.
Now the tribes could move at will within the Empire. Rome was sacked, captured,
plundered and looted in 410AD, and the Empire was divided between the Germanic tribes.
However, the Church at this time again experienced persecutions. Church assemblies
were prohibited, property seized and bishops driven from their dioceses.
Clovis
Change began in 486AD when a Frank
leader, Clovis, defeated the ruler of
northern Gaul (modern France) and
established himself as king of all Gallic
territory north of the Loire River. He
married a Christian princess, Clotilda,
and went on to be baptised in 496AD
together with three thousand of his men.
Pope St Gregory I
In 590AD, Pope Gregory I, also called Gregory the Great, was elected. He gave new
impetus to the conversion of the rulers of Europe. A monk himself, he sent out monks
to establish monasteries throughout rural Europe, as country areas were the refuge of
urban people fleeing warring tribes.
Monks also strengthened those Catholic communities that were weak in Celtic lands.
One example was Ireland where the Church had been brought to the people by
St Patrick.
Monks spread throughout Europe. They shared in the life and work of rural peasants.
More and more people joined the Church. Monasteries became centres for the Church
and for scholarship.
England
Pope Gregory sent a Benedictine monk,
St Augustine of Canterbury, to England. Gregory
was moved to do this when he saw young men
from that country, then known as Angles, being
sold in the Roman slave market. The Church
spread rapidly in England, and an English
missionary, Boniface, then went on to convert
Germany.
Charlemagne
In 771AD, a Frank King, Charles came to his
throne. He extended his rule over most of
Western Europe. He conquered present day
Austria and parts of Hungary. Eventually, he also
St. Gregory and St. Augustine,
c.1510 (tempera and gold on panel) conquered the Slavs, and virtually reconstituted
by Borgona, Juan de (fl.1495–1533) the Western Roman Empire. Known now as
‘Charlemagne’ (Charles the Great), he was
crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III
on Christmas Day, 800AD. The reconstituted
Western Roman Empire gradually converted to
Christianity and became known as ‘Christendom’.
Christendom
The story of Christendom, therefore, is about a Church suffering at the hands of
military conquerors on the one hand, while on the other, spreading the Gospel as
followers of Christ, especially monks, moved around an unstable former Roman Empire.
The Spirit moved them, especially the popes, to carry out the command of Jesus to
preach his Gospel ‘to all nations’.
The boundaries of Christendom continued to grow from the sixth to the fourteenth
centuries. Northern Germanic and Slavic tribes were converted between the ninth and
the eleventh centuries. Christianity was adopted as the official religion for Russia and
Ukraine by Czar Vladimir the Great before he died in 1015. The Baltic people became
Christians in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
The East West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern
(Greek) and Western (Latin) branches, which later became known as the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
The schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Church of Rome became
definitive in 1054. One of the first causes was the gradual separation of East and West.
To a great extent this estrangement was inevitable. The East and West grouped
themselves around different centres, used different rites and spoke different languages.
Tension between the two Churches dates back to the division of the Roman Empire into
an Eastern and a Western part, and the transferral of the capital city from Rome to
Constantinople in the 4th century. An increasingly different outlook developed within
the two churches causing a split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political and
geographic lines. One of the central questions was the authority of the Pope in Rome.
In the very early years of the Church (50AD), the Apostle Andrew preached on the hills of
what later became the capital of Ukraine – the city of Kiev. In spite of St Andrew’s efforts,
Slavic peoples such as the Russians, Poles and Ukrainians did not begin to convert to
Christianity in large numbers until at least 800 years later.
The Baltic peoples, who today live mostly in Lithuania and Latvia, were Christianised by
preachers and, in some cases, by armies of knights who forced pagans to convert at the
point of a sword. This was a fairly common method of “winning converts” during this
period. It was practised by both Christians and Muslims.
The two Churches remain unreconciled today, although a dozen or so communities that
originally were with the East eventually recognised the authority of the Pope in the
centuries following the schism, and are now called Eastern-Rite Catholic churches, such
as the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church, both of which have
communities in Perth.
There have been various attempts to heal the schism but these reunions did not last.
In recent years the dialogue between the two Churches to heal the schism has been
re-opened, increasing goodwill between them and hopeful dialogue.
The sixteenth century saw the dawn of the ‘Age of Discovery’. It was the age of Henry
the Navigator, who explored previously unknown areas of the African coast, and
Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the Americas.
As explorers opened up new areas of the world, Christian missionaries sought to travel
with them to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. Henry established missions in Africa,
and Columbus brought missionaries to the Americas.
Christianity in Africa
In 1849, David Livingstone, a Protestant missionary, penetrated Africa, demonstrating
that it was a suitable place for migration. This aroused other missionaries to become
interested in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
There were other missionary societies established as well to serve in Africa. The Holy
Ghost Fathers, now called the Spiritans, and the Mill Hill Fathers are two examples.
Christians again faced torture and martyrdom. In one incident in Uganda, twenty-two
Catholics and eleven Protestants were burned alive for following their consciences and
refusing to deny their Christian beliefs. They were canonised as the Uganda Martyrs by
Pope Paul VI during the last century. Over the years, more Ugandans converted to
Christianity so that by 1914, there were 150,000 converts. By the mid-twentieth
century, thirty six percent of all Ugandans were Catholic.
The Church in North, East and West Africa rapidly expanded with millions of new
members over the twentieth century. The Church in Africa still has the strongest growth
rate of the whole Church.
Today, the Church in African countries is led mostly by African bishops, priests and laity.
Indigenous leaders have long replaced those of European backgrounds.
In Class Work
1. Use the Annuario Pontificio to find how many Catholics there are
in the world.
The earliest missionaries in America were the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Capuchins. Their
concern was to proclaim the Gospel to Native American Indians. They suffered many
hardships, including torture and death. French missionaries moved north to the Huron
and other Indian tribes. St Isaac Jogues and St Jean Brebeuf were early martyrs in the
United States.
The influence of these missionaries extended from Florida to California in the modern
United States. It remains in names like San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San
Antonio.
Catholics and other Christians like the Puritans and Quakers went to the first thirteen
States in America, to escape persecution. Most Catholics lived in Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
In 1790, after the American War of Independence, Fr John Carroll, a Jesuit priest, was
appointed Bishop of Baltimore. He was the first bishop to be American-born. Within
fifty years, there were sixteen American dioceses in thirteen states. The Church
continued to grow in the United States, particularly with the immigration of Catholics
from other countries.
Asia
In the ‘Age of Discovery’, missionary movements were stirred by the Spirit to go to Asia,
or the ‘Far East’ as it was called. This began with the arrival of the Portuguese in India
and Goa became the missionary centre.
In 1542, one of the most famous of all missionaries, St Francis Xavier, another Jesuit,
landed in Goa. He began to preach, baptise and convert multitudes. He travelled
extensively between India and Indonesia.
Japan
In 1549, St Francis Xavier landed at Kagoshima in Japan. The mission he left flourished,
but a terrible persecution broke out in 1638. Thirty five thousand Japanese Catholics
were martyred. Before their deaths, many endured cruel torture for days.
In 1853, an American naval squadron led by Commodore Perry arrived in Edo Bay in
Japan. A treaty of friendship was signed between Perry and the Japanese ruler in 1854.
Catholic missionaries again began preaching in Japan.
In all, there were approximately ten thousand of these people. Their religious life was in
communities in which lay leaders conducted Sunday prayers, baptised and cared for the
dying.
The Japanese authorities were furious on learning of these Catholics, and renewed their
persecution. Some Catholics were killed while others fled into exile. As a result of world
opinion stirred by the media of the time, persecution ceased in 1889 and religious
freedom was granted. The growth of the Church in Japan has been slow.
In 1945, 8,500 Catholics were killed by the atomic bomb dropped over Nagasaki. Today,
the Church in Japan is led by Japanese bishops and priests. Religious brothers and sisters,
most of whom are Japanese, conduct schools, hospitals and charitable institutions.
Despite the deaths of so many Japanese Catholics in the atomic explosion over Nagasaki
on August 9, 1945, the percentage of Catholics in the city’s population today is still much
higher than in the rest of Japan (4.5% in Nagasaki).
China
St Francis Xavier died in 1552 on
his way to China. The Church did
not reach China until 1581 when a
number of Jesuits led by Fr Matteo
Ricci arrived. At the time Ricci
won prestige for his scientific
knowledge, his clocks and his
maps. Although there were
converts, the clash between
Christianity and Chinese culture
was a major deterrent to the
missionaries.
Catholics in 1922.
By the end of World War II, the Church in China included twenty archdioceses and
seventy nine dioceses. Catholics were involved in many ministries, schools, orphanages,
homes for the aged and other charitable works.
The persecution of Christians began again in 1950 with the Communist conquest of
China. Hundreds of thousands of Christians lost their lives, and others were imprisoned.
In 1958, the Communist Government set up a ‘Catholic Patriotic Church’. Ever since,
there has been little information on the situation of the Catholic Church in China.
In some countries, such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand, the Church is completely
free. In others, such as Malaysia, Burma and Vietnam, it experiences persecution in
varying degrees.
Australia
The Church in Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Of the
1,044 convicts who arrived, 316 of them were Catholics. For some years, there
were no priests or religious to lead the people. Led by the Spirit, they continued
to keep their faith alive. In 1820 priests arrived to minister to Catholics in the
colony and in 1838 the Sisters of Charity were the first religious order to set up
communities to work with the people. In the 1920’s about 1 in 5 Australians
claimed affiliation with the Catholic Church. However, after World War II, the
population was boosted significantly by migrants, with many coming from
traditionally Catholic countries. By the end of the century over one-quarter of the
population was Catholic. The Church in Australia today is made of people from
different cultures and is actively involved in many ministries.
The Church continues to spread in the world today by the Spirit stirring the consciences
of people everywhere to seek out what is good and do the will of God.
In Class Work
3. What were the three missionary works carried out by Philip in Samaria that
are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles?
4. Why were many people of Rome attracted to Christianity in the first and
second centuries AD?
5. Who promulgated the Edict of Milan in 313 and what was its effect?
6. What was the importance of the monks in the story of the Church in the
late sixth and early seventh centuries? What role do they play in the
Church today?
7. Name the religious order that was the first to set up a community in
Australia.
The Spirit stirred ‘saints’ to establish religious orders where the members could live with
a renewed spirit of Christ-like poverty.
The Franciscans
St Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan order in 1209.
The Franciscans sought to return to the life of the early
Church, following the example of Jesus and his first
disciples.
Saint Clare receiving the rules of her Order from Pope Innocent IV,
from Nuremberg or Bamberg, c.1360–70 (painted wood) by
German School, (14th century)
The Dominicans
This Order was founded in Southern
France in 1215 by a Spaniard,
St Dominic de Guzman, for the purpose
of teaching and preaching the Gospel.
The Dominican Order grew to around
twenty thousand members between 1215
and 1347.
The Cistercians
Founded in the early twelfth century, this Order also expanded and its members were
active in preaching. They also embraced a spirit of poverty and rejected wealth and the
acquisition of material things.
Avignon remained the residence for five successive popes before Pope Gregory XII
returned to Rome in 1377. Gregory died the next year and an Italian, Pope Urban VI,
was elected by the cardinals who were pressured by the Romans to return to an Italian
pope.
In September 1379, the cardinals subsequently announced that Pope Urban’s election
was invalid. In his stead they elected Pope Clement VII, who lived in Avignon. This led
to great confusion, for both popes were considered by different parties to be the
legitimate successor of St Peter.
Pope Clement and his successor in Avignon, Benedict XIII, came to be called
anti-Popes, that is, illegitimate claimants to the papacy.
Meanwhile, Pope Urban’s successor in Rome was Pope Gregory XII. In 1409, the
cardinals attempted to resolve the situation by calling the Council of Pisa. The Council
attempted to depose both Pope Benedict in Avignon and Pope Gregory in Rome and to
elect a new Pope, Pope Alexander V.
Neither Alexander V nor his successor John XXII, were recognised by either Pope
Benedict or Pope Gregory and both Benedict and Gregory resisted all efforts to have
themselves removed. This meant that there were three claimants to the succession of
St Peter when, in reality, there could be only one.
Another council was called to resolve the issue and between 1414 and 1418 the Council
of Florence was held. By 1418 anti-Pope John XXII had been removed, Pope Gregory
had resigned, and anti-Pope Benedict had fled.
A new Pope was elected, Pope Martin V. The Great Schism was over. One of the key
figures who helped to bring this about was St Catherine of Siena.
In Class Work
Research the history of the Great Schism. Create an illustrated time line.
The efforts of Pope Martin and later Popes to bring about reform were undermined by
many bishops, as well as kings and other rulers. Popular dissatisfaction was widespread
and anti-clericalism flourished.
Martin Luther
In 1517, a priest, Martin Luther, protested against Church corruption. He believed that
moral failure was due to theological failure. He then proceeded to develop his own
theology, which rejected many of the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church,
handed down since the time of the Apostles.
This led to the establishment of the Lutheran Church in Germany. By 1544, Lutheranism
had spread to Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
John Calvin
John Calvin, a French Protestant who fled to Switzerland for his own safety, established
another Church in 1541. Calvinism became more radically anti-Catholic than
Lutheranism. Calvin rejected everything that was not found explicitly in the Bible.
The Church of England became the official religion in England when Henry’s son,
Edward VI (1547–1553), became king. His half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603),
consolidated the position of the Church of England.
Around 350 Catholics who refused to give up their Catholic faith were martyred. They
were beheaded, burned at the stake or hung, drawn and quartered. Among the most
famous martyrs were Saints Thomas More, who had served Henry VIII as Chancellor of
England, John Fisher (Bishop of Rochester), Margaret Clitherow (a lay woman) and
Edmund Campion and Robert Southwell (Jesuit priests).
The greatest force for reforming the Church at this time was the Council of Trent. This
Council was called by Pope Paul III and met three times in the northern Italian city of Trent.
In Class Work
Why did the Church feel that there was need for reform?
Research one of the reforming councils or events and make a list of dot points
about the activities and the key figures involved in the reforms.
Last Judgement, from the Sistine Chapel, 1538–41 (fresco) by Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475–1564)
The Council of Trent renewed Catholic beliefs, the celebration of the Mass and the
sacraments, the training of priests and the responsibilities of Bishops. It made laws that
addressed the areas of Church corruption.
This council was so successful that its influence continued until the Second Vatican
Council (1962–1965).
The Catholic reforms to this corruption are usually collectively referred to as the
‘Counter-Reformation’. However, the more correct historical term is ‘the Catholic
Reformation’, for this reform came from within the Church.
A new era of human history began in the eighteenth century, now called ‘the
Enlightenment’. Scientific discoveries, European political changes, such as those
associated with the French Revolution, and the ideas of philosophers led to people
placing an emphasis on human reason.
Enlightenment thinkers argued that earlier traditions and authorities should be replaced
by what the human reason could work out for itself.
This led to a rejection of many religious beliefs. God’s Revelation, for example, was
rejected because it did not always conform to what people thought. Religious authority
and ideas of social responsibility were also rejected. This way of thinking led many to
leave the Church.
However, over time, some came to see the limits of personal reason and personal
opinions. For example, human reason cannot explain many ordinary realities of life
such as love and grief.
During this time atheism (belief that there is no God) and agnosticism (belief that God
cannot be known) were gaining popularity. The reasons for this included:
• the ideas of the Enlightenment and the writer, Karl Marx
• the sense of control caused by scientific and technological development
• strong anti-clericalism in some countries
• the destructive influences of the Great Depression and two World Wars.
Some people in the Church were inspired to found new religious congregations to serve
those in need. These included the educational and health needs of the poor who were
growing in number as a result of social change.
Many of these congregations are found in Western Australia today, for example, the
Mercy and St John of God Sisters founded by Catherine McAuley and Mother Visitation
Clancy respectively, and the Marist and Christian Brothers founded by St Marcellin
Champagnat and Blessed Edmund Rice respectively.
In Australia, Blessed Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph to teach young
Australians, especially those who lived in poverty. Her idea was for the sisters to move
with the people when, for example, gold mining wound up in one place and opened in
another.
Pope Leo claimed for the Church the right to promote justice at all levels of society. This
encyclical was followed by other such encyclicals and Church documents which continue
to be issued by the different Popes right down to today.
Ecumenism
The movement for Church
unity, began as Churches
entered into dialogue. Over
time, ecumenical movements
have gained momentum.
Churches recognised that they
have much in common while
there still remain important
areas of sincere disagreement
that need to be prayed about
and resolved.
For your
information…
The word ‘ecumenical’
derives from a Greek
word meaning ‘of the
whole world.’ An
ecumenical council is a
great council of the In Class Work
whole Church. An
ecumenical movement Find examples of ecumenism
aims to bring the in Australia today.
separated Christian
Churches together.
One of the areas of disagreement between Christian Churches is the role of the pope.
Unlike the Catholic Church, most other Churches function by a majority vote of
members. These Churches do not accept that the teaching authority of the Church
is something Jesus gave to Peter and the bishops.
During the twentieth century, many Catholics and other Christians resisted governments,
systems and ideas that were oppressing people, particularly Communism and Nazism.
As a result, many of these people were martyred for their beliefs and actions. Shared
sufferings in the struggle for justice and peace led to greater closeness between Catholics
and other Christians. Catholic saints included St Edith Stein and St Maximilian Kolbe.
Other Christian heroes include the Lutheran minister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Baptist
minister, Martin Luther King, Jr.
These are just some examples of changes stirred by the Spirit to renew the Church and
its efforts to spread the Gospel. The greatest of all events, however, was the Second
Vatican Council – the twenty-first general council in the two thousand year old Church.
In Class Work
The Church was surprised when the aged Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican
Council. This is an example of the constant movement of the Holy Spirit towards
renewing the Church so that it can be what God wants it to be – the chief means of
assisting the Spirit to build the kingdom of God on earth.
Pope John XXIII died eight months after opening the Council. However, he left a new
way of thinking about the role of the Church in the modern world that affected the
work of the Council. An open and engaging personality, Pope John XXIII broke through
barriers with those hostile to the Church, such as the Communist Party in Italy and
elsewhere.
Pope John XXIII recognised all the good in the world as the action of the Holy Spirit,
and refused to see only the negatives. He was deeply pastoral and people-oriented. In
2000, Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed John XXIII.
Pope Paul VI
On 21 June, 1963, Pope Paul
VI was elected. He was a man
of vast diplomatic experience,
having worked as a kind of
‘foreign minister’ to Pius XII.
It would be Pope Paul VI who
would lead the Council to a
successful conclusion.
Since the Council, the Church has grown enormously throughout the world, about
40 percent between 1978 and 2001. This is despite decline in religious practice in
European countries, and countries like Australia which, because of materialism and
individualism, are in danger of fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus that, ‘those concerned
with the love of riches and the worries of the world’ will not develop in the kind of
faith that leads to real closeness to God (Mark 4:19).
The human element will never dominate the divine element in the Church. The events
studied in this Chapter are some of the ways that the promises of Jesus for the Church
have been fulfilled, for example:
‘… the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.’ (Matthew 16:18)
In Class Work
3. Name three people who, in their efforts to reform, broke away from
the Catholic Church.
4. What were some of the areas in which the Council of Trent renewed
Catholic beliefs?
8. List three of the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council.
Another sign of maturity is that they can feel guilty if they do something they know is
unjust, especially if someone else finds out. They feel this guilt because God has created
human nature to be just. Otherwise people would have no regrets and they would not care.
They may join organisations such as those that are concerned with:
• the protection of the lives of the unborn
• the human rights of asylum seekers
• the rights of Aboriginal people
• the rehabilitation of law breakers
• the needs of single parents
• fair sharing of the world’s resources between all countries
• the release of prisoners whose only ‘crime’ is that they had different political
views from the government of their country
• care for the environment.
There are many examples in history of people’s basic rights being violated by those who
are more powerful. In some situations, people feel that they have been treated unjustly,
and they try to gain freedom to exercise their human rights through revolutions and
wars. Many wars in history have resulted from one nation violating the rights of another
and the other wanting to redress the injustices it has suffered.
Each system tries to protect the rights of at least some of its people. For a society to be
truly just, however, it needs to protect the rights of all of its citizens, and not just some.
Justice is a basic human value. It is a feature of truly human love, a love that is
concerned for the good of others. The development of such love is one sign of real
maturity.
If a person’s sense of justice matures as created by God, two other concerns will
also develop:
• concern for the rights of the Creator
• the growing ability to love others as members of the human family.
‘In our brothers and sisters, we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the
descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in
the baptised, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son
or daughter of the One who wants to be called “our Father”. In this way our
relationships with our neighbours are recognised as personal in character. The
neighbour is not a “unit” in the human collective; he [or she] is “someone” who
by his [or her] own origins deserves particular attention and respect.’ (Catechism 2212)
Recognising that people belong to the human family means recognising and accepting
each member of the human race as someone who is loved personally by God. It means
seeing others as individuals who love and are, in turn, loved by others.
In Class Work
Using the format of a family tree, show the relationships between the groups
of people described in the Catechism quote and how they constitute the
human family.
What does this suggest about how people should live if they are to recognise
their responsibilities to the human family?
Young people can learn about how to treat other members of the human family from the
experience of life within their own families. Families use the resources they have to
provide for the needs of their members. They accept that each has a right to a share of
these.
Parents provide for their children and other family members and share such things as
food, shelter, clothing and money for entertainment. Family members tend to stand by
each other if the rights of any family member are threatened by others from outside the
family, or if they are being treated unjustly in some way.
People show they have learnt that they belong to the human family when they do what
they can to ensure that the needs of other members of the human family are met and try
to stand by them when they need help.
As people mature, they grow in their awareness of the needs and rights of others beyond
their families and friends. They also become more concerned when others lack the basic
necessities of life. This is part of a person’s social development.
It is easy to see the obvious, such as people’s colour, ethnic background, age or physical
abilities. People need to learn to look beyond these things and to see that, behind these
appearances, is a person just like themselves.
As people get to know the person behind the appearance, they learn that they share
many human characteristics. For example they each enjoy the love of people special to
them, such as parents and other family members. They have experiences that leave them
feeling hurt and a determination to protect those they love. They also experience similar
hopes, disappointments and needs such as for food, shelter, medical care and protection.
The human potential to love justly develops with practice, like physical fitness and other
human gifts. This potential develops as people seek opportunities to provide for other
members of the human family. Examples including giving to appeals for:
• blankets, canned food and clothing to organisations such as the
St Vincent de Paul Society
• money to diocesan organisations such as Centacare (Broome and Geraldton),
Catholic Care (Bunbury) or Lifelink (Perth) set up to provide funding for social
service agencies.
In Class Work
People realise that there cannot be true peace without justice. They notice that injustices
lead individuals and nations into tense situations. People who feel that they are being
treated unjustly often resent those they believe to be the cause of their treatment. This is
evident in media stories of protests, strikes, demonstrations, violence and even war. Feelings
of injustice are not resolved until there is negotiation and reconciliation. Many people
today work hard to promote peace at all levels – between nations, groups and individuals.
Peace is delicate, and easily disrupted. This happens when people feel that they are being
taken advantage of, or groups and nations feel that their basic rights are being denied.
The basic cause of behaviour that disrupts peace lies within people’s hearts. It is there
that greed, jealousy, distrust, pride and other forms of selfishness lead to people treating
others unjustly.
‘For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge …’ (Mark 7:21)
Those seeking to mature by developing their inner potential to love justly continue to
reflect on their behaviour within their families, among friends, at school and wherever
they may be.
Everyone needs to do what they can to keep working for peace. This means working to
ensure that all people including themselves are treated justly. To do this, people need to:
• face and try to overcome personal feelings of selfishness
• respect the rights of all, beginning with those they know and see in everyday life
• do all that they can to correct injustices at personal, group and national levels.
They become concerned about a basic question that stirs within their hearts: ‘How can
lasting justice be promoted in the world today?’
In Class Work
Anyone who watches the news or reads the paper can see almost endless examples of
human injustices. People behave in unjust ways within their families and in wider society.
There are examples of injustices in every society and country.
Injustice within
families
Fights within families,
particularly between
brothers and sisters can
start over any number of
causes. There are other
serious examples of
injustices within families
which can have long-
lasting effects on people.
These include
consistently ‘putting
down’ a family member,
habitually pointing out
someone’s weaknesses,
regularly reminding a
family member about
past mistakes and
consistently ridiculing
and being sarcastic,
particularly towards
younger family members.
Injustice can also include
failing to forgive or
blaming others for
wrong doing.
In Class Work
The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1–16) is symbolic of how God forgives
human frailty even at its most extreme. Biblical commentaries indicate that
the Yahwist tradition moved this story back to the beginning of the record of
God’s interaction with humanity. Read the story and answer the following:
3. What moral lesson and lesson for survival does the story teach?
5. What features of the story suggest it has been moved to an earlier context?
The sources of injustices between nations can always be traced back to greed
and selfishness within individuals.
In Class Work
In Class Work
People have an obligation to relate with God. Many in Australian society ignore this
right of God and do not recognise the need to treat God justly. They take God for
granted. This weakens their relationship with God. They do not draw upon the
guidance, strengthening and other blessings that God alone can give.
This leads them to a growing awareness of the question: ‘How can lasting justice be
promoted in the world today?’
In Class Work
Originally, God created a just world. The sin of human beings disrupted God’s plan for
the world. Human sinfulness is the root cause of all injustices in the world today.
The state of “original holiness and justice” was meant to include four harmonious
relationships where people were created to be in:
• harmony with God
• harmony within themselves
• harmony with each other
• harmony with the rest of creation.
This entire harmony of original justice was lost through original sin.
God does not wish people to suffer injustices. God loves everyone and sent his Son,
Jesus Christ to bring justice to the world, offering all God’s healing power
of love and reconciliation.
‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe
the gospel.’ (Mark 1:15)
The power of the gospel offers to each person the opportunity to accept the justice of
God into their daily lives. As more individuals accept this power by praying,
worshipping and trying to live as Jesus taught God’s justice is gradually realised
throughout the world.
The parents of the human race Adam and Eve were created in complete harmony with
God. The original relationship that God created with human beings brought with it four
harmonious relationships. These were:
• harmony with God
• harmony within themselves
• harmony with each other
• harmony with the rest of creation.
People owe obedience to their Creator who is more powerful than any force on earth or
in the universe.
Complete happiness will only come when people develop a personal relationship with
God. They will grow in happiness as this relationship develops by worshipping God, by
praying and by behaving in ways that are in accordance with God’s will for them.
By drawing fully on God’s guidance people today are able to experience inner peace and
personal direction in their lives. By drawing on God’s strength people are empowered
to resist temptations.
harmony
with god
within themselves
with each other
with the rest of creation
People with inner peace, or people who are at peace with themselves, also tend to be
peaceful towards others. If, on the other hand, they are angry or upset with themselves,
they tend to be angry and upset with others. By seeing the goodness and likeness of God in
each other they are able to see each other totally as human persons and to love each other.
God saw that His creation was good and continues to care for it, 2004 (w/c on paper) by Wang, Elizabeth
The first parents, in disobeying God, destroyed their relationship with God. It is because
of this original sin that people today experience personal confusion, emotional conflicts,
guilt and inner struggles.
The same is true of the tensions and injustices that exist today between individuals,
within families and societies, and between nations. Bullying, violence, war, hunger, the
growing gap between rich and poor, marriage breakdowns and family tensions – all are
the results of human sinfulness. So are addictions, such as those to alcohol and drugs
that reveal inner conflict within people.
Pollution, environmental degradation and the decline in some of the earth’s resources
are also consequences of the breakdown of the harmony between human beings and the
rest of creation.
All of these are not how God wants human beings to live. The cause of all injustices is
human sinfulness. To restore justice to the world, therefore, God needed to save people
from their sinfulness and to restore the relationship of harmony with the human race.
This is called ‘justification’ – the destruction of the power of original sin over people
and the restoration of each human being’s relationship with God.
No matter how much God wants this relationship it cannot be forced on people. God
needs the personal consent of each individual.
God also commanded every fiftieth year to be a Jubilee Year when family land was to be
returned, debts forgiven and slaves freed. It was a year to right injustices. Since the Middle
Ages the Jubilee Year or Holy Year has been kept by the Church as a year of pilgrimage
and pardon.
Through Baptism, the Holy Spirit dwells within people and heals their relationship
with God. The Spirit does this by:
• empowering the baptised person to convert increasingly to God, that is, to relate
more closely with God, and to turn from sin
• gradually helping to overcome the human weaknesses that lead people to sin
• giving the spiritual gifts a person needs to deepen in relationship with God
– faith (the spiritual power to believe in God and all that God has revealed)
– hope (the spiritual power to trust God’s promises)
– charity (the spiritual power to love God and other human beings)
• increasingly freeing people from influences which can dominate the will or tempt
them to ignore their conscience.
Over the following week spend some time each day reflecting
on your own relationship with God. How will you continue
to try to develop your baptismal gifts?
Many baptised people do not experience the effect of God’s grace in their lives because
they neglect their baptismal gifts. For this reason, they:
• fail to draw close to God
• give in to human weaknesses that lead to sin
• have doubts about God, and what God has taught through the teachings of Jesus
• lack hope and experience a sense of hopelessness at times, and even despair
• lack charity and remain selfish and self-centred weakening their love for God and
others
• allow influences to dominate the will.
Justification is a free gift from God which humans have done nothing to deserve. It is
purely out of God’s tender mercy that humans are justified or made right with God.
But God, being rich in faithful love … even when we were dead in our sins, brought
us to life with Christ … (Ephesians 2:4, 5)
God was under no obligation to restore the relationship with people. It was love alone
that moved God the merciful Father to do this. The gift for God’s self-communication in
relationship with people and the help God gives to grow in that relationship is called ‘grace’.
State of grace
The term ‘state of grace’ means that a person has a living
relationship with God. People lose the state of grace by committing
mortal sin. People need to die in the state of grace to enter heaven.
In Class Work
Imagine a world in which the four harmonies of God’s original justice were
restored. Brainstorm what this world looks like. What does it feel like to be
part of such a world? How do people treat themselves, each other and
creation? How do they relate to God?
Use your ideas to create a poem about this world. Each line could be based
on a different aspect of this world.
• What people are like – how they treat themselves and each other
• Try to capture a sense of how the Holy Spirit empowers people to live
justly in this world.
In Class Work
5. Jesus wants all people to share in his relationship with the Father. What
sacrament makes this possible for believers? What sacrament allows the
relationship to be restored if it is later damaged due to sin?
‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them … and teach them to
observe all the commands I gave you.’ (Matthew 28:19)
Through his followers Jesus seeks to promote justice in the world as they carry out
his commands. An important way of bringing about justice is to relate each of God’s
Commandments to one of the four levels of harmony that characterised God’s original
justice.
‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with
all your strength, and with all your mind.’ (Luke 10:27)
The Holy Spirit helps people to develop greater harmony with God by keeping
the Ten Commandments.
1st
COMMANDMENT
I am the Lord your God: you shall
not have strange gods before me
To develop personal harmony with God, and the gifts of faith, hope
and love, this Commandment also calls Christians:
• to adore God as the One on whom they, and everything else in creation,
depends for its existence
• to pray, communicating thanks, praise, needs and sorrow to God
• to acknowledge God as Creator by offering sincere worship, particularly
through the Eucharist
• to keep promises to God
• to keep vows of dedication to God.
Relationships with God, just like human relationships, require faith, hope
and love in God. Therefore, this Commandment forbids:
• refusing to believe in God and all that God teaches
• failing to address religious doubts
• giving up hope in God, especially by despairing in difficult times
in life
• taking God for granted by presuming on God’s help
• ignoring or being ungrateful towards God.
Finally, this Commandment forbids atheism which denies God’s existence and
agnosticism which denies that people can know and learn about God.
2nd
COMMANDMENT
You shall not take the name of
the Lord your God in vain
3rd
COMMANDMENT
Keep holy the Lord’s Day
Human relationships deepen as people give time to each other. A person’s relationship
with God deepens as they give the Sabbath to God.
This Commandment calls people to dedicate each Sunday of the week to God by:
• worshipping – especially through the Eucharist
• taking rest and leisure to celebrate God, and all that God has done for people
• engaging in good works, such as visiting the sick and elderly especially family members.
People who do not set time aside for God weaken their relationship with God.
This Commandment forbids:
• failing to worship God
• unnecessary work on Sundays
• not taking time for good works.
Where people cannot fulfil their responsibilities to God on Sundays, they need to fulfil
their responsibilities on another day of the week.
10th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods
God wants people to enjoy harmony and peace with their Creator. This is why:
• the Holy Spirit stirs those feelings called ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22–24)
• Jesus told his followers: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit…’ (Matthew 5:3).
God can fully satisfy the yearnings and desires of the human heart. People should seek
God and live as God wants, before anything else.
In order to avoid weakening harmony with God the Tenth Commandment calls
people to overcome:
• excessive desires for material things
• excessive concerns for wealth and power.
• What are those things that weaken a close relationship with God?
• Does God call for anything that would not also be required for
a close human relationship?
Avoid weakening
harmony with God
to overcome excessive
desires for material
things and excessive
concerns for wealth
and power.
There are two parts to this Commandment: ‘love yourself ’ and ‘love your
neighbour in the same way’.
‘Love yourself ’ means loving yourself as God loves you. It does not mean
‘be selfish’ or ‘self-centred’.
In your journal list ten things that you like/love about who
you are and how you strive to model yourself on Jesus.
One way to understand what ‘love yourself ’ means is to remember that God
originally created people to be in total harmony within themselves. To love
oneself is to strive to model oneself on the model that God gave us in Jesus,
the perfect human who lived in total inner harmony.
Six of the Ten Commandments relate to people developing true love for
themselves. As they do so, they develop greater inner personal harmony.
love yourself
love your neighbour in the same way
3rd
COMMANDMENT
Keep holy the Lord’s Day
4th
COMMANDMENT
Honour your father and mother
God created the family to provide for the physical, emotional, religious, social and other
needs of its members. The wellbeing of individual members can be affected by the health
of the family to which they belong.
For this reason, the Fourth Commandment requires people to contribute to the
community life of the family.
The opposite is also true. A weak family community may weaken a person’s inner
harmony.
5th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not kill
Inner harmony weakens if people ignore the requirements of the Fifth Commandment by:
• surrendering to thoughts and feelings of anger, hatred or vengeance against other people
• neglecting their health
• eating an inadequate diet
• taking excessive risks
• abusing food
• taking drugs, except for medical reasons.
6th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not commit adultery
For inner harmony, a person needs a healthy sexuality. This affects the unity within the
whole person, conscience, emotions, thoughts, sexual feelings and love need to function
as one.
This Commandment calls people to develop chastity, the virtue that gives people the
freedom to govern their passions. Chastity strengthens against sexual feelings that may
grow so strong that people are stirred to violate God’s laws and their consciences.
Sexual feelings can begin to control people’s lives if they stir them in ways that violate
God’s law. This Commandment, therefore, forbids:
• pre-marital sex
• homosexual actions
• pornography
• deliberate masturbation.
9th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife
To develop inner harmony, people need to avoid seeing others in ways that stir
sexual desires, for these tempt behaviours that violate the Sixth Commandment.
The Ninth Commandment promotes inner harmony by calling people to behave
modestly, that is to:
• think about and to see others as persons
• dress and behave in ways that help others to see them as persons and not
as ‘sex objects’.
10th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods
Jesus ultimately commanded his followers to love others. They were to:
The love of Jesus was totally focussed on the good of others. He modelled self-
giving for others, teaching his followers:
‘No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13)
1st
COMMANDMENT
I am the Lord your God: you shall not have
strange gods before me
This commandment calls people to recognise the rights of others to religious freedom.
This includes the rights:
• to worship
• to have one’s religious beliefs respected
• to follow one’s conscience in religious matters
• to acceptance by others, regardless of religious beliefs, provided that these do not
suggest that the lives and rights of others be violated.
4th
COMMANDMENT
Honour your father and mother
This Commandment is primarily concerned with harmony and peace within family life
and society.
Harmony in society also requires governments to respect the following rights of the family.
The Fourth Commandment forbids citizens from disobeying legitimate civil authorities.
It forbids governments from passing laws that disobey God’s law or laws that violate the
just rights of people.
5th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not kill
For harmony with others, it is essential to recognise their right to life. God created
human life as sacred. This Commandment calls people, therefore:
• to respect everyone’s right to life, from conception to natural death
• to defend people from aggressors
• to do all that they can to protect human life
• to do whatever they can to see that all people have the necessities of life – food and
clothing, housing, health-care, basic education, employment and social assistance
• to support the dying
• to promote peace and the avoidance of war.
The Fifth Commandment forbids actions that kill or endanger human life unnecessarily:
• murder
• abortion
• euthanasia
• suicide
• refusing to contribute to provide for those who do not have the necessities of life
• endangering the health of others
• terrorism
• kidnapping
• expressing hatred for others
• venting anger in harmful ways.
6th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not commit adultery
When a man and woman exchange marriage vows, they are committing themselves to a
life-long partnership. Each builds their future life on the promise made to them by the other.
A stable marriage relationship provides a firm foundation for a stable family life.
Respect in marriage leads to harmony between husband and wife which is essential to
harmony within families.
The Sixth Commandment forbids behaviour that weakens the marriage relationship:
• adultery
• marrying again after divorce
• ‘trial marriages’ or de facto relationships.
7th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not steal
This Commandment is concerned with respect for what others own. Those lacking the
necessities of life have first claim to what they need. Private property is a right people
have, provided this does not conflict with the needs of someone lacking life necessities.
God gave the resources of the earth to provide for the needs of the human race. This
Commandment calls people:
• to ensure that those lacking the necessities of life are provided with what they need
• to respect private property
• to keep business contracts and promises
• to love the poor
• to pay just wages to workers.
Cheating others out of what is legitimately theirs violates the Seventh Commandment.
It forbids:
• theft
• not returning what was borrowed
• business fraud
• taking unfair business advantage over others
• breaking business contracts and promises
• excessive gambling
• reducing others to slavery, including economic slavery.
8th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbour
There cannot be real harmony with others unless there is basic trust. This in turn
requires truthfulness between people.
The Eighth Commandment calls all people to be truthful in their words and deeds. The
Commandment forbids the many ways people can be untruthful. These include:
• lying
• perjury by lying under oath
• damaging the reputation of others through calumny; saying what is untrue about
them or detraction; gossiping or repeating what is true without serious reason
• making rash judgements; forming opinions and views about others without sufficient
evidence or reflection
• flattering others
• boasting; exaggerating truth about oneself
• refusing to give information needed to protect others from harm, or to violate
their privacy
• revealing secrets
• breaking others’ confidences.
7th
COMMANDMENT
You shall not steal
The Seventh Commandment promotes harmony between human beings and the rest of
creation by calling people to respect:
• the integrity of creation
• the environment and its laws
• the needs of future, as well as the present generation, to use the mineral, vegetable
and animal resources of the earth.
People weaken this harmony by abusing creation for greedy and self-centred purposes.
The Seventh Commandment forbids:
• exploiting the resources of the earth without giving due concern to the needs of
others of present or future generations
• unnecessary cruelty to animals
• environmental degradation and pollution.
When they sin, people’s spiritual strength weakens. Human weaknesses, such as greed
and selfishness, become more influential. People find it harder to live the
Commandments and the harmonies within themselves, with others and with the rest of
creation.
Jesus gave the Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that baptised people who sin
can receive God’s forgiveness and restore their relationship with God. People can
strengthen this relationship further through daily prayer, Sunday Mass, and by trying to
live as Jesus taught.
As well as restoring a person’s relationship with God, this Sacrament restores the other
relationships needed for true justice:
… reconciliation with God leads… to other reconciliations, which repair the other
breaches caused by sin. The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost
being… reconciled with his brethren… and reconciled with all creation.
(Pope John Paul II, Reconciliatio et paenitentia cited
in Catechism of the Catholic Church 1469)
In Class Work
3. Name four basic family rights the Catholic Church identifies that
governments are bound to respect.
In your journal draw a timeline. Begin from the time before your
birth, when you were growing and developing in your mother’s
womb. Continue the timeline up until the present. On this timeline
indicate the people who have provided for you along the way and
given you the opportunities to develop as God wishes.
Pray to God asking God to bless these people who have given you
so much in your life.
Everyone, for example, has physical potential. Yet people vary in their physical gifts.
Some may become athletes, others dancers and others are skilled in crafts. However, all
share the same basic physical needs, such as food and shelter.
In the same way, human beings share intellectual and emotional potential. The gifts they
share due to these potentials may vary, but all have intellectual and emotional needs.
Emotional potential reaches fulfilment when people can love selflessly.
A person’s spiritual potential provides the inner spiritual strength needed to rise above
personal challenges and difficulties.
Human beings share the potential to recognise goodness and beauty in creation. They
also have the potential to be moral and to do what is right.
Most importantly, people share religious potential. This is the potential to respond to
God, who calls all people into personal relationship through creation and through the
yearnings in their hearts that God alone can satisfy.
I want to
be a dancer I want to
be a father I want to
I want to get married
be a doctor I want to
I want to
help others serve God
These are:
As people develop each of the areas of their personal potential, they can
develop the harmonies God intended them to experience. The human
weaknesses and failings caused by original sin work against this. This
conflict can be overcome only to the extent that people draw on the power
of the Kingdom of God, which Christ promised to all who ‘Repent and
believe’ his gospel (Mark 1:15).
God planned all these resources for the benefit of the human race. God’s
intention that the basic needs of every man, woman and child be provided from
the resources of the earth is like a moral law. Human beings are obliged to obey
this intention of the Creator.
Many rivers are polluted, as is the air in many places. Children in some countries
are dying of measles and other diseases easily cured or prevented by modern
medicine.
In Class Work
Make a bullet point summary of the information they provide about poverty
in the world and the disparity between rich and poor.
What work do these organisations do to help provide for the basic necessities
of life for people throughout the world?
These organisations do not spend large sums from the donations they receive
on self-promotion. They rely on promotion within the church and its agencies,
such as Catholic schools.
In groups develop strategies that promote these agencies and their work to
students in Catholic schools.
Where the Principle of the Universal Destination of Goods seems to be in conflict with
the God-given right to own property, the first principle must prevail. In Catholic
teaching:
The right to private property … does not do away with the original gift of the
earth to the whole of (the human race). The universal destination of goods remains
primordial … (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2403)
It is hard to see situations in which there could be conflict between this Principle and
the right to private property in Australia, a country with many social services. It is
however, an important principle to remember when discussing how to promote justice
in the world.
This principle does mean, however, that the better off are obliged to give to the needy.
They can do so through organisations such as Caritas Australia and Australian Catholic
Missions Australia.
‘… one of those gathered round the table said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will
share the meal in the kingdom of God!’ But he said to him, ‘There was a man who
gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people. When the time for the
banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, “Come
along: everything is ready now.” But all alike started to make excuses. The first said,
“I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies.”
Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out.
Please accept my apologies.” Yet another said, “I have just got married and so am
unable to come.”
‘The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage,
said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring
in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” “Sir,” said the servant, “your
orders have been carried out and there is still room.” Then the master said to his
servant, “Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people to come in, to
make sure my house is full; because I tell you, not one of those who were invited
shall have a taste of my banquet.” (Luke 14:15–24)
‘When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by the angels, then he will take his
seat on his throne of glory. All nations will assemble before him and he will separate
people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the
sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on
his right hand, “Come, you whom my father has blessed, take as your heritage the
kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and
you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you
made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in
prison and you came to see me.” Then the upright will say to him in reply, “Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did
we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you. When
did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “In
truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did it to me.” Then he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me,
with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For
I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me
anything to drink, I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes
and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me. “Then it will
be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or
lacking clothes, sick or in prison and did not come to your help?” Then he will
answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of
these, you neglected to do it to me.” And they will go away to eternal punishment
and the upright to eternal life. (Matthew 25:31–46)
So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; that is what hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you,
they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know
what your right hand is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who
sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’ (Matthew 6:2–4)
‘When all the people asked him, ‘What must we do then?’ he answered, ‘Anyone who
has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and anyone with something to
eat must do the same.’ (Luke 3:10–11)
‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say,
“My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just
arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him” and the man answers from
inside the house, “Do not bother me .... I cannot get up to give it to you.” I tell you,
if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will make
him get up and give his friend all he wants.’ (Luke 11:5–8)
‘If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough
food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm
and eat plenty,’ without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is
that?’ (James 2:15–16)
If anyone is well off in worldly possessions and sees his brother in need but closes his
heart to him, how can the love of God be remaining in him? (1 John 3:17)
These teachings apply where people have what exceeds their own life needs and what
they need to provide for their families. People are not exempt from giving to the poor
because of their financial or material ambitions. Responsibilities to the needy should be
factored into plans for funding extra luxuries.
In Class Work
Why do you think Jesus placed so much importance on caring for people’s
physical as well as spiritual needs?
Why does Matthew 6:2–4 say that almsgiving should be secret? Find a
proverb or make up your own saying that summarises the teaching of this
excerpt from the Gospel.
What does Luke 3:10–11 teach about the proper use of material possessions?
What does the passage from Luke 11: 5–8 teach about true friendship and
how to treat strangers and travellers? Who are the strangers and travellers in
Australian society today?
The extracts from the epistles of James and John indicate that in order to
follow Christ’s teachings and to achieve Salvation, Christians need to have
more than faith alone. What else must they do to live as God taught?
To develop their potential, people need others. They cannot develop socially without
communities or societies.
People need communities in a special way when they are young, sick or elderly. Without
others, how could they be educated? Or be fed with the range of foods needed for good
nutrition? Or be given adequate medical care?
In every community
there needs to be an
authority. Without this,
unity is weakened. As
the basic role of every Organisations and associations are
community is to serve
the needs of people,
impor tant because they help contributors to
legitimate authority is develop their own personal qualities, and to
meant to serve. It
should never see others
provide oppor tunities for them to develop
as its own servants. initiative and responsibility.
Sin weakens communities
The human weaknesses and failings caused by original sin also weaken communities.
Authorities can become corrupt and self-serving. There can be power struggles and
individuals may focus upon personal gain and prestige, rather than contributing to the
service of others.
Injustices can also develop in social institutions. Some people can be treated in
privileged ways, while others are treated unfairly. Some people can be forced to take an
unfair share of responsibility; others can be subjected to unfair discrimination.
A community in which individuals and groups get a fair share of the benefits available is
representative of a just society. The term ‘social justice’ refers to justice in the areas of
economic activity and social matters.
Social justice is an important part of the gospel of Jesus. It is also an important element
in the mission he gave the special community he established – his Church. The Church
fulfils this mission in two important ways. The first, through its organisations, the
second is through its teachings.
Project Compassion:
Reaching more than 40 countries in over 100 villages
and camps, the number of patients Project Compassion
has treated exceeds 250,000: including disaster relief to
those afflicted in the recent hurricanes, earthquakes and
tsunamis.
Others work within the Church as paid employees. There are many volunteers too who
do unpaid work for the welfare of others at various times. Many of today’s young
people will be among those needing assistance from tomorrow’s priests, deacons,
religious and lay people. The extent to which they can be assisted will depend upon how
many of today’s young people become involved in the Church’s social justice works as
priests, deacons, religious and lay people.
These teachings have been derived from Popes and Bishops applying the teachings of
Christ, especially those related to the Seventh Commandment, to situations in different
societies and countries around the world. In applying Christ’s teachings, the Holy Spirit
has guided the Pope and Bishops through the special spiritual gifts they have inherited
from the apostles.
The common good requires even the overwhelming majority in a society to provide for
the basic needs of a small group in society. Practical examples include:
• wheel chair access to buildings
• the provision of special carers to people with disabilities
• pensions
• unemployment benefits.
It can be difficult at times to apply the principle of the Common Good. In practice,
three questions need to be asked:
1. What fundamental rights of people need to be respected?
2. What is needed for the development of the spiritual and material resources of society?
3. Will this decision endanger the peace and security of the group and its members?
The answer to the first question is that people have the rights needed to develop all the
various elements of human potential.
The answer to the second question is based upon the obligation of a society to help
people to develop all the elements of their potential; society needs both spiritual and
material resources. Spiritual resources include churches, religious leaders, moral
expectations, art and places for people to ‘get in touch’ with their spiritual, religious and
moral potentials.
Material resources include food, shelter, medicines and the other resources needed for
people’s physical, educational and other non-spiritual potential.
The needs of society follow from its purpose, which is to provide for the needs of
individuals within it. The Common Good is one reason why governments are entitled to
tax people, and why other communities have collections or fees.
If a policy threatens the resources society needs to meet the needs of its members, the
policy threatens the Common Good.
The answer to the third question is that if the future of society or community becomes
endangered by a policy, the policy is a threat to the Common Good.
In Class Work
In many countries, people’s dignity is not respected. The poor are looked down upon
in some; women are denied the right to vote in others. In some countries, people are
imprisoned because of their political views. Some governments are dictatorships through
which the leaders enrich themselves at the cost of ordinary people.
Respect for the dignity of the human person also applies to individuals. It calls for all to
treat everyone as ‘another self ’:
In particular, it means helping others in need and even forgiving others for offences.
In the words of Jesus:
‘… in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.
… in so far as you neglected to do this to the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40; 45)
In Class Work
The right to life and human dignity is the cornerstone of Catholic social
teaching. The fact that ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity
and rights’ is also acknowledged in the first article of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration was proclaimed by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1948. Read the preamble and articles of this
document and highlight those parts that clearly reflect the principles and
teachings of the Catholic Church’s social doctrine.
For Christians, solidarity with others means sharing the spiritual resources Christ has
given for the benefit of all. The primary way Christians practise solidarity here is by
fulfilling Christ’s command to:
In Class Work
Use the information from the last two chapters to answer the following:
4. Use the words ‘community’ and ‘fair’ to explain the term ‘social justice’.
7. Read one of the encyclicals that are part of the Social Teaching of the
Catholic Church mentioned in this chapter. List three rights discussed in
the encyclical that are relevant to issues in Australian society today. Then
make a list of three responsibilities that correspond to each of these rights.
Right Responsibility
1. ___________________________ 1. __________________________
2. ___________________________ 2. __________________________
3. ___________________________ 3. __________________________
Our Prayers
OR
12. Come, Holy Spirit
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts
to whom God’s love commits me here,
of your faithful.
ever this day be at my side
R: And kindle in them the fire
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be
created.
10. Prayer for Meetings
R: And you will renew the face
We come before you, Holy Spirit, of the earth.
conscious of our sinfulness,
but aware that we gather in your name. Let us pray.
Come to us, remain with us, Lord,
and enlighten our hearts. By the light of the Holy Spirit
Give us light and strength: you have taught the hearts of your
to know your will faithful.
to make it our own, In the same Spirit
and to live it in our lives. help us to be truly wise
Guide us by your wisdom, and always rejoice in your consolation.
support us by your power, We ask this through Christ our Lord.
for you are God, R: Amen.
sharing the glory of Father and Son.
You desire justice for all: 13. A Prayer for Christian Unity
enable us to uphold the rights of
Across all our barriers of language,
others;
race and nationality,
do not allow us to be misled by
R: Unite us, Jesus.
ignorance
Across all our mutual ignorance,
or corrupted by fear or favour.
prejudice and hostility,
Unite us to yourself in the bond of love
R: Unite us, Jesus.
and keep us faithful to all that is true.
Across all our differences of thought,
As we gather in your name
outlook and religious allegiance,
may we temper justice with love,
R: Unite us, Jesus.
so that all our decisions
may be pleasing to you,
O God, for your greater glory,
and earn the reward
R: Gather together the separated
promised to good and faithful servants.
Christians.
Amen.
O God, for the triumph of goodness
and truth,
R: Amen.
Important information
for Catholics
The Ten Commandments
A Traditional Formula
1. I am the LORD your God:
you shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the
Lord’s Day.
4. Honour your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
The Beatitudes
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
The days of fasting and abstinence from meat are Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday. The Church also requires all her members to contribute, as best they can,
to the support of their priests, parishes, schools and the Church’s works of
charity, and to observe the laws of the Church about the sacrament of Marriage.
The Virtues
Cardinal Virtues Theological Virtues
Prudence, justice, temperance Faith, hope and love (charity)
and fortitude
The Vices
Capital Sins
Pride, avarice (greed), envy, anger, lust, gluttony and sloth (laziness)
The Apostles
Name Feast Day
Peter February 22
June 29
Andrew November 20
James (“the Great”) July 25
John December 27
Philip May 3
Bartholomew August 24
Matthew September 21
Thomas July 3
James (son of Alphaeus) May 3
Simon (“the Zealot”) October 28
Jude (or Thaddeus) October 28
Matthias May 14
(chosen to take the place of Judas)
Paul January 25
June 29
Advent–Christmas runs from the first Sunday of Advent until the feast of the
Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday after Epiphany).
Ordinary Time includes a few weeks between the end of the Christmas season and
Ash Wednesday, and a much longer period from Pentecost to Advent.
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Sources of images/illustrations
The ‘Journal Activity’ graphic, ‘Catechism Quote’ background and ‘bible quote’ backgrounds appearing
throughout the document: © istockphoto.com.
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of all images that appear within this book.
The Catholic Education Office of Western Australia apologises for any unintentional omissions and,
if notified, would be happy to add an acknowledgement in future editions.
Index
Abraham (Abram), 68, 114–115, 117, 126 Easter, 24, 27, 29
Adoration, 44, 48,141 Ecumenism, 253
Almsgiving, 303–304 Eucharist, 159, 165, 178–179, 208, 211,
Anointing, (Sacrament of), 64, 178 278, 283, 284, 297, 316, also see Mass
Apostles, 65–68, 84, 143, 155, 201–202, 209,
211–212, 214, 218, 219, 221–222, 227, Freedom, 41, 93, 95–104, 109, 111, 113–121,
229, 244, 248, 311 126, 129–149, 151–160, 176–177, 194
Apostles Creed, 91, 209, 211 Free will, 86, 95
Baptism, (Sacrament of), 29, 57, 67, 74, Grace, 24–25, 28, 56, 60, 113, 118, 142, 151,
129–133, 152–156, 159, 178, 207–208, 154, 156–159, 277–279
210–211, 213, 220, 235, 256, 277
Beatitudes, 133–136, 139–140, 149 Heaven, 33, 40, 63, 80, 85–87, 89, 91,
Bible, 51, 53, 111, 120, 120, 124, 126–127, 134–135, 153, 178, 201, 205, 209–210,
200, 248 217–218, 224, 227–228
Bishops, 65–67, 74, 76, 78, 81, 84, 121, 199, Hell, 40, 90–91, 201, 209
202, 212, 232, 234–235, 239–241, 245, Holy Orders, 35, 63, 65, 74, 201
248, 250, 253–256, 311
Israel, 41, 64, 69, 89, 113–117, 119,
Celibacy (Celibate love), 63, 76–81 121–122, 126–127, 137, 217–220,
Charity, 67, 83, 129, 131–133, 137–138, 224, 276
141–147, 152–153, 197–198, 211, 243,
277–278, 283 John the Baptist, 39
Chastity, 18–19, 79–81, 84, 123, 147, 288 Judgement, 86, 90, 103, 137, 139, 155, 157,
Christian Promise, 31, 43 171–177, 181, 184–185, 188–189, 195,
Commandments of Jesus, 11–12, 87, 221, 294
105–106, 110, 129, 137, 140, 282 Justice, 9, 11, 15, 40, 42, 107, 111, 125,
Commandments, 32, 36, 39, 53, 58, 87, 153, 156, 166, 211, 252, 259, 261–268,
105–106, 110–111, 119, 121–124, 272–285, 290, 296–298, 301, 305,
126–127, 129–130, 137–142, 144, 149, 307–316
151, 158, 169, 171–172, 175–176, 182, Justification, 276–279
190, 203, 213, 270, 281–282, 286, 296
Communion, Holy, 45, 58, 67, 70, 131 156, Kingdom of God, 26, 29, 40, 43, 200, 204,
179, 305, also see Eucharist 221, 254, 273, 299, 302
Confirmation, 70, 130, 133, 155–156, Kingdom of Heaven, 134–135, 201, 205
159, 221
Conscience, 39, 153, 161, 163–208, 277, Last Judgement, 91, 137, 250
288–289, 291
Conscience, Examination of, 189–190, 192 Magisterium, 202–204, 211
Creed, 86, 91, 209–211, 234 Marriage, 7–8, 12, 17–18, 23, 51–62, 74, 77,
Creation, 114, 117, 127, 142, 146–147, 157, 123, 139, 145, 156, 158–159, 169, 194,
191, 214, 263, 273–276, 279–283, 234, 248, 276, 280, 289, 291–293
295–296, 298–299 Martyrdom, Martyrs, 155, 220, 224, 229,
232–234, 239–241, 244, 248, 253
Deacons, 67, 78, 232, 310 Mary, 25, 284
Decalogue, 110–111, 121, see Commandments Mass, 27, 35, 38, 44–45, 47–48, 62, 66, 68,
Decision making, 23, 95–97, 102, 256 72, 74, 88, 178, 190, 197, 199, 213–214,
Demons (or devils), 170, 200, 228–229, 302 234, 250, 256, 277, 283, 296
Diocese, 81, 208, 266 Miracles, 19, 26, 33, 219–220, 228
Disciples, 3, 29, 35, 41, 64, 80, 89, 139, Mortal sin, 90, 156, 278
143, 149, 212, 214, 224–225, 227, 245,
281, 316 Original Justice, 273, 276, 279, 281, 297
Original sin, 7, 26, 28, 52, 56, 106, 111, 145,
152–153, 213, 273, 276, 297, 299, 308
Parents, 8, 17–18, 51–55, 59, 61, 71–72, 74, Sabbath, 13, 19, 124, 143, 276, 284
95–96, 113–114, 132, 144, 164, 169, 190, Sacrament, 56, 57–58, 65, 74, 131, 152, 158,
213, 262, 264–265, 274–276, 279, 201, 207, 213–215, 221, 279
291–292, 297 Saints, 44, 79, 87, 143, 155, 195, 209, 220,
Parish, 47, 55, 70–71, 74–75, 82–83, 222, 224, 232, 244–246, 248–249, 253,
208, 309 284, 313
Peace, 25, 28, 40, 42, 44–45, 54–55, 72, 89, Salvation, 21, 24, 26, 28–29, 207, 210,
145, 147, 165, 178, 190, 213, 230, 253, 212–214, 217, 231, 304, also see
261, 266–268, 274–275, 281, 285, 288, Promise of Salvation
290–291, 293, 312 Satan, 200, also see demons or devils
Penance, Sacrament of (Reconciliation), Sin, 24, 26, 28, 33, 88, 90, 116, 121, 124,
27, 64, 74, 157, 178–179, 281, 296 134, 138, 152–153, 157, 174–179, 192,
Pentecost, 130, 155, 218 200–201, 213, 273, 277–280, 296, 299,
Peter, 65, 80, 84, 171, 201–202, 204–205, 308, 311, also see Mortal sin, Venial sin,
211, 219, 221, 247, 249, 253, 255 Original sin
Pope, 13, 17, 65, 84, 143, 199, 202, Slavery, 108, 115–116, 121, 176, 294
212, 214, 232–239, 245–255, 257–258, Social Justice, 10, 19, 42, 187, 297–316
296, 311 Social Teaching, 311, 315–316
Poverty, 79, 80–81, 231, 245, 252, 268, 270, Soul, 32, 53, 93, 110, 122, 137, 142, 148,
300, 310, 316 251, 282
Prayer, 11, 21, 25, 28, 32, 37–38, 45, 54, 62, Suffering, 33–34, 38, 40, 45, 48, 136, 139,
65, 67–68, 72, 74, 82, 88, 96, 132, 134, 190, 224, 237, 277
139, 141, 147–148, 154–156, 165, 178, Sunday, 13, 25, 27, 71, 143, 190, 197, 199,
195, 197, 199, 207, 214, 219, 241, 246, 234, 241, 277, 284, 287, 296
257, 263, 271, 280, 296, 313
Priests, priesthood, 7–8, 23, 31–36, 38, Ten Commandments, 87, 105–106, 110, 111,
42–43, 49, 53, 55, 57, 63–81, 83–84, 116, 119, 121, 122, 124, 126–127, 137–138,
132, 154, 159, 224–225, 227, 229, 232, 141–142, 144, 149, 171–172, 175, 281,
234, 239–241, 243–244, 248–250, 256, 282, 286, also see Commandments
310, also see Holy Orders Torah, 120, 124, 126–127, 138
Promise of salvation (Christian Promise), Tradition, 121, 178, 242, 270
31, 43, 127, 130, 149, 201, 293 Trinity, 106
Promised Land, 276
Prophets, 31–33, 39–40, 42–43, 49, 62, 69, Venial sin, 156
89, 120, 127, 135, 154, 159, 210, 221–222 Viaticum, 67
Purgatory, 88 Vices, 196, 198
Virgin Mary, 284, also see Mary
Reconciliation, see Penance Virtues, 131, 153, 159, 196, 198
Religious life, 8, 17, 23, 79–84, 132, 169, Vocation, 5–19, 21–29, 31–49, 51–74, 76–86,
241, 243–244, 310 144, 292, 310
Religious Orders, 83–84, 245, 254, 258 Vows, 57, 79–81, 84, 141, 158, 249, 283, 293
Repent, repentance, 24, 26, 29, 40–41, 87,
90, 135, 138, 219, 273, 299 Worship, 11–13, 19, 21, 28, 41, 58, 87, 115,
Responsibility, 25, 31, 33, 46, 53, 55, 61, 67, 117, 122, 131, 134, 142–143, 154, 158,
95–96, 103, 173, 181, 251, 256, 291, 299, 190, 199, 207, 210–211, 214, 228, 232,
305, 308, 316 263, 274, 277, 280, 283–284, 291
Resurrection, 14, 27, 38, 40, 86, 209–210,
217, 231, 277
Revelation, 89, 91, 114, 251, 273
Ritual, 32–33
Rosary, 44, 246