Re: "Other offenses against the dignity of marriage"
"The sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage. (# 2390) Carmal union is morally legitimate only when a DEFINITIVE COMMUNITY OF LIFE between a man and woman has been established. (# 2391)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994)
Re: "The love of husband and wife"
"Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman. In marriage the physical intimacy of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION."
(# 2361)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
virtues: generosity
Re: "A lamp under a bushel basket" (Mk 4 :21-25)
v24 "And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear; the MEASURE you GIVE will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.'"
v24 "And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear; the MEASURE you GIVE will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.'"
secrecy: futility
Re: "A lamp under a bushel basket" (Mk 4:21-25)
v22 "'For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.'"
v22 "'For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.'"
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
evil: purposes: detachment
Re: Evil, Purposes; Detachment
Fr: Excerpt from Bill Donaghy* (2008 Jan 16). “New year’s resolution # 6 – Letting go.” http://missionmoment.blogspot.com/, accessed 2008 Jan 22 (highlight mine)
“Thank God another hand was there that day, when Frodo refused to let the Ring fall. But it was an unexpected hand, a gnarled and withered hand that saved the day. Gollum clutched and grasped at his master and bit the hand of Frodo, causing the Ring to plummet into fire and out of memory.
“How often does it seem that Providence puts these unwelcome hands in our way, gnarled and withered hands that take things away from us, tear at us and tease us. It should be stressed that this is not the Hand of God... directly. He wills only our good and we must believe this, we must trust this. But we must know too that God is a jealous Lover. And He may from time to time unbind and allow the hands of the Devil to act. This is the mysterium iniquitatis, the mystery of evil, and the mystery of Good as well. The puzzling Plan of Providence.
“Does this frighten us? Is this an unsettling thought for us? To consider that God would ever allow us, His children to be burned, to be hurt, to suffer like Job? It takes tremendous faith, and a laser focus on that one thing needful, that pearl of great price. It is, we find in the end, not the pearl that matters, but the Person holding it. All else must fall away. Everything must fall away and we must be stripped, just as Frodo and Samwise on their journey through Mordor, and Abraham through the countless miles to Canaan, and Moses in the wilderness, and Hannah in her tears, and David in his battles, and Anthony in his barren cave, Clare in the cutting of her hair and all the ties that bound her to comfort. Everyone must pass through Mordor, through Calvary. And there, if we are to be free, we must lay down the Precious. Cast it into the fire, let it burn upon the altar of the Cross.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Bill has a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology and teaches theology at Malvern Preparatory School. He was a lay missionary to South America.
Fr: Excerpt from Bill Donaghy* (2008 Jan 16). “New year’s resolution # 6 – Letting go.” http://missionmoment.blogspot.com/, accessed 2008 Jan 22 (highlight mine)
“Thank God another hand was there that day, when Frodo refused to let the Ring fall. But it was an unexpected hand, a gnarled and withered hand that saved the day. Gollum clutched and grasped at his master and bit the hand of Frodo, causing the Ring to plummet into fire and out of memory.
“How often does it seem that Providence puts these unwelcome hands in our way, gnarled and withered hands that take things away from us, tear at us and tease us. It should be stressed that this is not the Hand of God... directly. He wills only our good and we must believe this, we must trust this. But we must know too that God is a jealous Lover. And He may from time to time unbind and allow the hands of the Devil to act. This is the mysterium iniquitatis, the mystery of evil, and the mystery of Good as well. The puzzling Plan of Providence.
“Does this frighten us? Is this an unsettling thought for us? To consider that God would ever allow us, His children to be burned, to be hurt, to suffer like Job? It takes tremendous faith, and a laser focus on that one thing needful, that pearl of great price. It is, we find in the end, not the pearl that matters, but the Person holding it. All else must fall away. Everything must fall away and we must be stripped, just as Frodo and Samwise on their journey through Mordor, and Abraham through the countless miles to Canaan, and Moses in the wilderness, and Hannah in her tears, and David in his battles, and Anthony in his barren cave, Clare in the cutting of her hair and all the ties that bound her to comfort. Everyone must pass through Mordor, through Calvary. And there, if we are to be free, we must lay down the Precious. Cast it into the fire, let it burn upon the altar of the Cross.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Bill has a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology and teaches theology at Malvern Preparatory School. He was a lay missionary to South America.
idolatry: golden calf
"... a Golden Calf (aka, a tribute to the Egyptian cult of Apis, which is basically an obsession over sex, power, and wealth for the ancients)."
- bill donaghy (2008 jan 22). "modern idolatry". http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/69185
- bill donaghy (2008 jan 22). "modern idolatry". http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/69185
attachment: quotes
St. John of the Cross once wrote "It comes to the same thing whether a bird be held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even if it be slender, the bird will be as well held as though it were stout.... And thus the soul that has ATTACHMENT to anything, however much virtue it possess, will not attain to the liberty of divine union."
- Bill Donaghy (2008 jan 22). "Modern Idolatry." http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/69185
- Bill Donaghy (2008 jan 22). "Modern Idolatry." http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/69185
Monday, January 21, 2008
sin: definition: pope john paul ii
"If sin is the breaking off of one's filial relationship with God in order to situate one's life outside of obedience to him, then to sin is not merely to deny God. To sin is also to live as if he did not exist, to eliminate him from one's daily life."
-- Pope John Paul II (1984 Dec 2). Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today). # 18 par 9. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/ hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
-- Pope John Paul II (1984 Dec 2). Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today). # 18 par 9. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/ hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
sin: root
"the root of sin is in the HEART of man, in his FREE WILL...." (cf. mt 15:19-20)
- catechism of the catholic church (1994) # 1853
- catechism of the catholic church (1994) # 1853
sins: mortal or venial
Re: Sins, Classification: Gravity, Mortal or Venial
Fr: Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC} (1994). # 1855-1863 and Pope John Paul II (1984 Dec 2). Reconciliatio et Paenitentia {RP} [Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penitence in the Mission of the Church Today]. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
"If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one -- to those whose sin is NOT MORTAL. There is sin that is MORTAL; I do not say that you should pray about that. [17] All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal."
-- I John 5:16-17 (CCC # 1854)
“The Synod {1983, 6th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops} … reaffirmed the teaching of the Council of Trent {1545 – 1563, Trent is an Italian City} concerning the existence and nature of mortal and venial sins….” (RP # 17 § 12)
“The church has a teaching on this matter [gravity of sin] which she reaffirms in its essentials, while recognizing that it is not always easy in concrete situations to define clear and exact limits.” (RP # 17 § 1)
I. Mortal Sin
Definition:
= “is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent”. (RP # 17 § 12 as quoted in CCC # 1857)
= is a “radical rupture with God, the supreme good, of deviation from the path that leads to God or interruption in the journey towards him (which are all ways of defining mortal sin)….” (RP # 17 § 11)
= “the act by which man freely and consciously rejects God, his law, the covenant of love that God offers, preferring to turn in on himself or to some created and finite reality, something contrary to the divine will (conversion ad creaturam).” (RP # 17 § 15)
= “… when through sin, the soul commits a disorder that reaches the point of turning away from its ultimate end Got to which it is bound by charity, then the sin is mortal….” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 72, a. 5 (RP # 17 § 9)
Examples:
(1) direct and formal: idolatry, apostasy, and atheism
(2) indirect and informal: disobedience to God’s commandments (RP # 17 § 15)
“Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother” (Mt 10:19). (CCC # 1858)
Effect:
“Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” (CCC # 1855)
Mortal sin, “if unforgiven, leads to eternal punishment….” (RP # 17 § 10)
NB:
“Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man.” (CCC # 1860)
“The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders.” (CCC # 1860)
“… although we can judge that an act is itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.” (CCC # 1861)
“Considering the omnipotence and mercy of God, no one should despair of the salvation of anyone in this life….” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 14, a. 3, ad primum. (RP # 17 § 6)
“The Christian possesses the power that preserves him from falling into sin, and ‘the evil one does not touch him’ (1 John 5:18)….” (RP # 17 § 4)
II. Venial Sin
Definition:
“One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.” (CCC # 1862)
“Man knows well by experience that along the road of faith and justice which leads to the knowledge and love of God in this life and toward perfect union with him in eternity, he can cease to go forward or can go astray without abandoning the way of God; and in this case there occurs venial sin.” (RP # 17 § 13)
“… whenever the disorder does not reach the point of a turning away from God, the sin is venial.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 72, a. 5. (RP 3 17 § 9)
Examples:
“When a sinner’s will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are venial.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, 88, 2, corp. art. (CCC # 1856)
Effect:
“Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.” (CCC # 1855)
“… venial sin is the sin that merits temporal punishment (that is, a partial punishment which can be expiated on earth or in purgatory).” (RP # 17 § 10)
NB:
“Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin.” (CCC # 1863)
“While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call ‘light’; if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession….” – St. Augustine, In ep. Jo. 1, 6: PL 35, 1982. (CCC # 1863)
Fr: Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC} (1994). # 1855-1863 and Pope John Paul II (1984 Dec 2). Reconciliatio et Paenitentia {RP} [Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Reconciliation and Penitence in the Mission of the Church Today]. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
"If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one -- to those whose sin is NOT MORTAL. There is sin that is MORTAL; I do not say that you should pray about that. [17] All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal."
-- I John 5:16-17 (CCC # 1854)
“The Synod {1983, 6th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops} … reaffirmed the teaching of the Council of Trent {1545 – 1563, Trent is an Italian City} concerning the existence and nature of mortal and venial sins….” (RP # 17 § 12)
“The church has a teaching on this matter [gravity of sin] which she reaffirms in its essentials, while recognizing that it is not always easy in concrete situations to define clear and exact limits.” (RP # 17 § 1)
I. Mortal Sin
Definition:
= “is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent”. (RP # 17 § 12 as quoted in CCC # 1857)
= is a “radical rupture with God, the supreme good, of deviation from the path that leads to God or interruption in the journey towards him (which are all ways of defining mortal sin)….” (RP # 17 § 11)
= “the act by which man freely and consciously rejects God, his law, the covenant of love that God offers, preferring to turn in on himself or to some created and finite reality, something contrary to the divine will (conversion ad creaturam).” (RP # 17 § 15)
= “… when through sin, the soul commits a disorder that reaches the point of turning away from its ultimate end Got to which it is bound by charity, then the sin is mortal….” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 72, a. 5 (RP # 17 § 9)
Examples:
(1) direct and formal: idolatry, apostasy, and atheism
(2) indirect and informal: disobedience to God’s commandments (RP # 17 § 15)
“Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother” (Mt 10:19). (CCC # 1858)
Effect:
“Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” (CCC # 1855)
Mortal sin, “if unforgiven, leads to eternal punishment….” (RP # 17 § 10)
NB:
“Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man.” (CCC # 1860)
“The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders.” (CCC # 1860)
“… although we can judge that an act is itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.” (CCC # 1861)
“Considering the omnipotence and mercy of God, no one should despair of the salvation of anyone in this life….” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 14, a. 3, ad primum. (RP # 17 § 6)
“The Christian possesses the power that preserves him from falling into sin, and ‘the evil one does not touch him’ (1 John 5:18)….” (RP # 17 § 4)
II. Venial Sin
Definition:
“One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.” (CCC # 1862)
“Man knows well by experience that along the road of faith and justice which leads to the knowledge and love of God in this life and toward perfect union with him in eternity, he can cease to go forward or can go astray without abandoning the way of God; and in this case there occurs venial sin.” (RP # 17 § 13)
“… whenever the disorder does not reach the point of a turning away from God, the sin is venial.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 72, a. 5. (RP 3 17 § 9)
Examples:
“When a sinner’s will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are venial.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, 88, 2, corp. art. (CCC # 1856)
Effect:
“Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.” (CCC # 1855)
“… venial sin is the sin that merits temporal punishment (that is, a partial punishment which can be expiated on earth or in purgatory).” (RP # 17 § 10)
NB:
“Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin.” (CCC # 1863)
“While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call ‘light’; if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession….” – St. Augustine, In ep. Jo. 1, 6: PL 35, 1982. (CCC # 1863)
sins: classifications
1. their OBJECTS
2. the VIRTUES they oppose
3. by EXCESS of DEFECT
4. the COMMANDMENTS they violate
5. concern GOD, NEIGHBOR, or ONESELF
6. SPIRITUAL or CARNAL
7. in THOUGHT, WORD, DEED, or OMISSION
8. MORTAL or VENIAL
- catechism of the catholic church (1994) # 1853-1854
2. the VIRTUES they oppose
3. by EXCESS of DEFECT
4. the COMMANDMENTS they violate
5. concern GOD, NEIGHBOR, or ONESELF
6. SPIRITUAL or CARNAL
7. in THOUGHT, WORD, DEED, or OMISSION
8. MORTAL or VENIAL
- catechism of the catholic church (1994) # 1853-1854
Sunday, January 20, 2008
sin: definition: ccc
Re: Sin, Definition
Fr: Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). “The definition of sin.” # 1849-1851.
Sin =
-- “is an offense against reason, truth and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love of God and neighbor caused by a PERVERSE ATTACHMENT to certain goods”. (# 1849)
-- is “’an utterance, a deed or a desire CONTRARY TO THE ETERNAL LAW”. – St. Augustine, Contra Faustum 22: PL 42, 418; St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-Ii, 71, 6. (# 1849)
-- is “’LOVE OF ONESELF even to contempt of God”. – St. Augustine, De civitatis Dei 14, 28: PL 41, 436. (# 1850)
Fr: Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). “The definition of sin.” # 1849-1851.
Sin =
-- “is an offense against reason, truth and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love of God and neighbor caused by a PERVERSE ATTACHMENT to certain goods”. (# 1849)
-- is “’an utterance, a deed or a desire CONTRARY TO THE ETERNAL LAW”. – St. Augustine, Contra Faustum 22: PL 42, 418; St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-Ii, 71, 6. (# 1849)
-- is “’LOVE OF ONESELF even to contempt of God”. – St. Augustine, De civitatis Dei 14, 28: PL 41, 436. (# 1850)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
7 capital sins: greed: story
Re: Capital Sins, Greed; Story
Fr: fwd email by dandount@hotmail,com, 2007 Jan 17
The Obedient Wife'
There was a man who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real 'miser' when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife...'When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.'
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
'Wait just a moment!'
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away. So her friend said,
'Girl, I know you were not fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.'
The loyal wife replied, 'Listen, I'm a Christian; I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him.'
You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?'
'I sure did,' said the wife. 'I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a check.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it.'
Fr: fwd email by dandount@hotmail,com, 2007 Jan 17
The Obedient Wife'
There was a man who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real 'miser' when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife...'When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.'
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
'Wait just a moment!'
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away. So her friend said,
'Girl, I know you were not fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.'
The loyal wife replied, 'Listen, I'm a Christian; I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him.'
You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?'
'I sure did,' said the wife. 'I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a check.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it.'
Saturday, January 12, 2008
mercy: importance: ccc
re: "mercy and sin"
"the gospel is the revelation in jesus christ of god's MERCY to sinners (cf. lk 15 [parable of the lost sheep, coin, prodigal son]" (ccc 1846)
"... to receive his MERCY, we must admit our faults." (ccc 1847)
"... to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us 'righteousness to eternal life through jesus christ our lord' (rom 5:21).... (ccc 1848)
"the gospel is the revelation in jesus christ of god's MERCY to sinners (cf. lk 15 [parable of the lost sheep, coin, prodigal son]" (ccc 1846)
"... to receive his MERCY, we must admit our faults." (ccc 1847)
"... to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us 'righteousness to eternal life through jesus christ our lord' (rom 5:21).... (ccc 1848)
Sunday, January 6, 2008
abuse of power: ss
re: "the elders attempt to seduce susanna" (dan 13:15-27); "the elders testify against susanna" (dan 13:28-46)
vv19-21,41b "when the maids had gone out, the two elders got up and ran to her. [20] they said, 'look, the garden doors are shut, and no one dan see us. we are burning with desire for you; so give your consent, and lie with us. [21] if you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away.'
"[41]... because they were elders of the people and judges, the assembly beleived them and condemned her to death.'"
vv19-21,41b "when the maids had gone out, the two elders got up and ran to her. [20] they said, 'look, the garden doors are shut, and no one dan see us. we are burning with desire for you; so give your consent, and lie with us. [21] if you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away.'
"[41]... because they were elders of the people and judges, the assembly beleived them and condemned her to death.'"
moral dilemma: susanna
re: "the elders attempt to seduce susanna" (dan 13:15-27)
vv22-23 "susanna groaned and said, 'i am completely trapped. for if i do this [i.e., give in to the sexual desires of the two elders], it will mean death to me; if i do not, i cannot escape your hands. [23] i CHOOSE not to do it; i will fall into your hands, rather than sin in the sight of our lord.'"
vv22-23 "susanna groaned and said, 'i am completely trapped. for if i do this [i.e., give in to the sexual desires of the two elders], it will mean death to me; if i do not, i cannot escape your hands. [23] i CHOOSE not to do it; i will fall into your hands, rather than sin in the sight of our lord.'"
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
theological virtues: questionnaire
Re: Virtues: Theological: Questionnaire
Fr: Extracted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) # 1812-1829.
I. Questionnaire
Rate each of the statements below using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = somewhat disagree & somewhat agree
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree
A. Faith (# 1814-1816)
___ 1. Do I believe in God, in all that he has said and revealed to us, and all that
Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself?
___ 2. Do I freely commit my entire self to God in faith?
___ 3. Do I seek to know and do God’s will?
___ 4. Do I have a living faith that works through charity? (cf. Rom 1:17; Gal
5:6)
___ 5. Do I keep the faith, live on it, profess it, confidently bear witness to it
and spread it? (cf. Jas 2:26; Mt 10:32-33)
___ 6. Is my faith full of hope and love?
B. Hope (# 1817-1821)
___ 1. Do I desire the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life as my happiness,
placing my trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on my own strength,
but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit?
___ 2. Do I hold fast to the confession of my hope without wavering because he
who promised is faithful? (cf. Heb 10:23)
___ 3. Do I hope, with the grace of God, to persevere to the end and to obtain
the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works
accomplished with the grace of Christ? (cf. Rom 8:28-30; Mt 7:21)
___ 4. Does my aspiration for happiness, which God has placed in the heart of
all, inspire and purify my activities so as to order them to the Kingdom of
heaven?
___ 5. Am I easily discouraged?
___ 6. Does hope preserve me from selfishness and lead me to the happiness
that flows from charity?
___ 7. Am I able to sustain my joy and patience even under trial? (cf. Rom
12:12)
___ 8. Do I express and nourish my hope in prayer, especially the “Our Father”
which is the summary of everything that hope leads us to desire?
___ 9. Do I pray in hope that all be saved? (1 Tim 2:4)
___ 10. Do I long to be united with Christ in the glory of heaven? (cf. St. Teresa
of Avila, Excl. 15:3)
C. Charity (# 1822-1829)
___ 1. Do I love God above all things for his own sake?
___ 2. Do I love my neighbor as myself for the love of God and in imitation of
Jesus?
___ 3. Do I abide in Christ’s love by keeping his commandments? (Jn 15:9-10;
cf. Mt 22:40; Rom 13:8-10)
___ 4. Do I love even my enemies?
___ 5. Do I love children and the poor as Christ himself? (cf. Mt 5:44; Lk 10:27-
37; Mk 9:37)
6. Am I …
___ jealous?
___ boastful?
___ arrogant?
___ rude?
___ insistent on my own way?
___ irritable?
___ resentful?
___ impatient?
___ unkind?
___ rejoicing at what is wrong? (1 Cor 13:4-7)
___ 7. Do I follow God’s commands out of love for him? (cf. St. Basil)
II. Reflection
1. What theological virtue is my strength? Why?
2. How can I share this strength in the service of my family and community?
3. What theological virtue is my weakness? Why?
4. What do I need to do to develop this theological virtue?
5. Reflect on this passage:
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
“... [8] Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end…. [13] And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:1-3, 8 & 13).
6. Pray and memorize this prayer by St. Arnold Janssen, SVD which summarizes the theological virtues:
“O God, Eternal Truth, we believe in You.
O God, our strength and salvation, we trust in You,
O God, infinite goodness, we love You with all our hearts.
You sent the Word into the world as our savior, make us all one with Him.
Fill us with the Spirit of Christ, that we may proclaim Your name everywhere. Amen.”
Fr: Extracted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) # 1812-1829.
I. Questionnaire
Rate each of the statements below using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = somewhat disagree & somewhat agree
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree
A. Faith (# 1814-1816)
___ 1. Do I believe in God, in all that he has said and revealed to us, and all that
Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself?
___ 2. Do I freely commit my entire self to God in faith?
___ 3. Do I seek to know and do God’s will?
___ 4. Do I have a living faith that works through charity? (cf. Rom 1:17; Gal
5:6)
___ 5. Do I keep the faith, live on it, profess it, confidently bear witness to it
and spread it? (cf. Jas 2:26; Mt 10:32-33)
___ 6. Is my faith full of hope and love?
B. Hope (# 1817-1821)
___ 1. Do I desire the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life as my happiness,
placing my trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on my own strength,
but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit?
___ 2. Do I hold fast to the confession of my hope without wavering because he
who promised is faithful? (cf. Heb 10:23)
___ 3. Do I hope, with the grace of God, to persevere to the end and to obtain
the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works
accomplished with the grace of Christ? (cf. Rom 8:28-30; Mt 7:21)
___ 4. Does my aspiration for happiness, which God has placed in the heart of
all, inspire and purify my activities so as to order them to the Kingdom of
heaven?
___ 5. Am I easily discouraged?
___ 6. Does hope preserve me from selfishness and lead me to the happiness
that flows from charity?
___ 7. Am I able to sustain my joy and patience even under trial? (cf. Rom
12:12)
___ 8. Do I express and nourish my hope in prayer, especially the “Our Father”
which is the summary of everything that hope leads us to desire?
___ 9. Do I pray in hope that all be saved? (1 Tim 2:4)
___ 10. Do I long to be united with Christ in the glory of heaven? (cf. St. Teresa
of Avila, Excl. 15:3)
C. Charity (# 1822-1829)
___ 1. Do I love God above all things for his own sake?
___ 2. Do I love my neighbor as myself for the love of God and in imitation of
Jesus?
___ 3. Do I abide in Christ’s love by keeping his commandments? (Jn 15:9-10;
cf. Mt 22:40; Rom 13:8-10)
___ 4. Do I love even my enemies?
___ 5. Do I love children and the poor as Christ himself? (cf. Mt 5:44; Lk 10:27-
37; Mk 9:37)
6. Am I …
___ jealous?
___ boastful?
___ arrogant?
___ rude?
___ insistent on my own way?
___ irritable?
___ resentful?
___ impatient?
___ unkind?
___ rejoicing at what is wrong? (1 Cor 13:4-7)
___ 7. Do I follow God’s commands out of love for him? (cf. St. Basil)
II. Reflection
1. What theological virtue is my strength? Why?
2. How can I share this strength in the service of my family and community?
3. What theological virtue is my weakness? Why?
4. What do I need to do to develop this theological virtue?
5. Reflect on this passage:
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
“... [8] Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end…. [13] And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:1-3, 8 & 13).
6. Pray and memorize this prayer by St. Arnold Janssen, SVD which summarizes the theological virtues:
“O God, Eternal Truth, we believe in You.
O God, our strength and salvation, we trust in You,
O God, infinite goodness, we love You with all our hearts.
You sent the Word into the world as our savior, make us all one with Him.
Fill us with the Spirit of Christ, that we may proclaim Your name everywhere. Amen.”
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