CALLED TO BE ANOTHER CHRIST

Thought Experiment• When you were baptized, you became a member of the

Body of Christ. Members of Christ’s Body are called Christians. The word “Christian” implies that you are to be “another Christ.”

• Why is it impossible to “be another Christ”? Nevertheless, how can you “be another Christ”?

• Write two short paragraphs. In the first paragraph, answer the first question. In the second paragraph, answer the second question.

Sharing• Why is it impossible to “be another Christ”? • How can you “be another Christ”?

Keys to Being Another Christ• Made in Christ’s image and likeness• Christ’s redemption

• Objective redemption• Importance of Rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious)

• Subjective redemption• Baptism & Sacraments (grace)• Gifts of the Spirit (faith & love)

• Example of Christ • “Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect”

• Example of the Saints

Being Another Christ• Why is the last question “How did you treat others”?

• How we treat others reveals what we believe about God’s love for us and our faith in Him

• Where do we find the guidelines for faith and love?• What is “The Law of Christ”?• Who empowers us to fulfill the “Law of Christ”?• What does He give?

• And why we need so much grace?

Being Another Christ• Is any Christian exempt from the call to holiness?• What three “musts” must the faithful fulfill to reach the

perfection of charity?• Use their strength accordingly as they have received it, as a

gift from Christ, • Follow in Christ’s footsteps and conform themselves to his

image seeking the will of the Father in all things, and • Devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God

and the service of their neighbor. • In other words, they must cooperate with God with their own efforts to

imitate Christ in serving God and neighbor

THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS

Thought Experiment• Read carefully these words:

• The Cross reveals that we find ourselves only by giving our lives away, receiving God’s love as an unmerited gift and working to draw all men and women into the beauty of that love and the light of the truth which alone brings salvation to the world.

• It is in this truth – this mystery of faith – that we have been “consecrated” (cf. Jn 17:17-19), and it is in this truth that we are called to grow, with the help of God’s grace, in daily fidelity to his word, within the life-giving communion of the Church. Yet how difficult is this path of consecration! It demands continual “conversion”, a sacrificial death to self which is the condition for belonging fully to God, a change of mind and heart which brings true freedom and a new breadth of vision. • Pope Benedict XVI (2008)

Thought Experiment• What is holiness, according to those words?

• Holiness is a change of heart and mind so that• I am consecrated to God• I sacrifice my thoughts, desires, hopes, dreams

• sacrificial death to self• Sacrificing what I think matters most

• I willingly live not for myself, BUT by living for others• give away my life to others

• I draw others to Christ• Grow in His Word, within His Church

Saints• What is a saint?

• Sanctus = holy• Holy living by loving

• Who are the saints?• Not fame, but holiness of life• Humility, faith, love

• Is a saint free?• “…being delivered out of the hand of our enemies [so that we]

might serve Him [the Lord] without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life” (Luke 1)

• God forces no one to be holy

Saints• Can we be saints?• What “parts” of our life can be oriented toward God?

• “oriented” = turned to the East• Why does a Christian turn to the East

• A traditional church• A traditional cemetery

• Does your life really have “parts”?• Can one “part” be consecrated to God, and another “part”

not?

Review/Reminders• What is objective redemption?

• What is subjective redemption?

• What does it mean to be created in God’s image?• Why is this important to “be another Christ” (i.e., holiness)

“In the Beginning” — Application• What preternatural gifts did Adam and Eve possess that

aided them in holiness?• Physical• Moral

• What supernatural gifts did Adam and Eve possess that aided them in holiness?• Review: Look up “Original holiness and justice”

BEGINNING TO LIVE HOLINESS IN THE WORLD

Thought Experiment• Read Matthew 19.16-30

• What is the question?• What is the answer?• Where does the rich young man show pride?• What does Jesus tell the man to do?

• Doing this one thing will teach the man faith, humility and love.• All of these are necessary for holiness.

Thought Experiment• Why is it hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven?

• What is “eye of a needle”

• Think about the question by the disciples. Does holiness seem impossible?

• What does God give us to make the impossible possible?• Does Peter show pride?

• Can the poor, the saint, the self-sacrificing be proud?

• What is the last thing Jesus says that teaches holiness (faith, humility, love)?

Grace• Grace of Christ given by the Father in and through the Holy

Spirit transforms the world.• How?• HINT: Jesus told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like

leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.” (Mt 13.33)

• Who does the Blessed Trinity use to transform the world with His grace?• When we live and exhibit God’s grace in the world, we are being another

Christ.

• How do we prevent evil and work toward good?• Always live for another, not for yourself. It’s not all about you.• Grace gives us the strength and ability to do this.• Doing this means we are being another Christ.

• Why are the world, the flesh, and the Devil obstacles to grace?

Grace• What is grace?

• Gift; God’s help• Christ Himself (“The grace of God has appeared to all men”—St Paul)

• Why does God give us grace?• To be another Christ• To fulfill the call to holiness• To strengthen our faith and love

• There are two types of grace. What are they?• What is sanctifying grace?

• Received in Baptism; stable disposition; gives us share in divine life

• What is actual grace?• Particular help; given in all circumstances of life; helps us conform to

God’s will

Three Offices• Christ, on earth and in heaven, exercised three offices.

These offices are the ways in which He exercised holiness.• What are the three offices?

• How is Christ the Prophet?• HINT: Prophets foresee and proclaim/preach

• How is Christ the Priest?• HINT: Priests offer sacrifices• Christ is both the One who offers and the One who is offered

• How is Christ the King?• In which of these offices can most Catholics participate?

Three Offices• How do some Catholic men participate in Christ’s priestly

office?• Holy Orders • In persona Christi

• How do all Catholics participate in Christ’s priestly office?• Common priesthood of all believers

Laity• What is the name for the group of humans in the Mystical

Body from which all priests come?• Laos = Greek for “people”

• What is the laity?• What is the essential mission of the laity?

• To be Christ to the world in everything you do

Imitatio Christi• What does it mean to imitate Christ?

• Can we imitate every action that He did?• St Paul helps: “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ

Jesus…”

• Why should we seek to imitate Christ?• “Perfect” in what way?

• Who helps us imitate Christ?• By example, prayers and merits

• What are the three elements that are necessary to be another Christ (i.e., to imitate Christ)• Call from God• Response in faith• Living as Christ lived

• What is another word for “imitation of Christ”?• Morality

Conversion• To imitate Christ, to be another Christ, requires a

conversion—a change of heart. • How does your heart convert?• What is the hardest part of converting the heart?

• HINT: The opposite of love is indifference, not hatred• Loving neighbor• Loving enemy

• Explain the conversion of heart by Rose Hawthorne

THE LAWS OF MORALITY

Thought Experiment• Why do we need stop signs and traffic lights and speed

limits?• HINT: “[P]eople often distort [the natural law] to accommodate

sinful behavior”• The government makes laws to prevent a bad thing from

happening again; or because it sees that a bad thing may happen in the future.

• Why do people do bad things?• Selfishness (crustaceanness; S. Sabo) leads to lack of self control• Fear leads to selfishness

Thought Experiment• Is it always wrong to kill?• Can you name some instances where killing is

necessary?• Even when necessary, is taking another life still a bad

thing?• Who told you that it was wrong to kill?

• Do the commandments tell you something that no one could figure out; or do the commandments say clearly what is always true?

• Read the first two sentences on p. 212. What is natural law?

• Where was the natural law first “written”?• Christian morality can be known by every person through reason

because it was first written on the heart (natural law).

Decalogue• Why did God give the Decalogue?• Say the 10 Commandments• Write all 10 of the commandments in a positive way

• Don’t use the negative words

• Choose one commandment. Write how it is an expression of the natural law.

• Why do Christians have to follow the 10 Commandments?

The Law of Christ• Read Matthew 5.17-20• What does Jesus mean when He says that He did not

come to abolish the law but to fulfill it?• How can your righteousness exceed the righteousness of

the scribes and Pharisees?• By following the Spirit in the Law, and not just the letter• By being in Christ

• Read Mt 5.21-27• How does Jesus “extend” the Law?

• St Augustine: Evil ends in the hands. It begins in the heart (will, intent), then moves to the mouth, and then to the hands.

The Law of Christ• Read Mt 5.27-32

• How does Jesus “extend” the 6th commandment?• What does 31-32 mean?

• Read 5.33-35• How does Jesus “extend” the 8th commandment?

• Andy?

• Read 5.38-48• Why must we turn the other cheek?• Who showed us how to do this?

• In addition to Jesus?

• Why must we love our enemies?

• How can we be perfect (“another Christ”)?

The Beatitudes• Read Matthew 5.1-12• What is a beatitude?

• What does the word “blessed” mean?

• What is one beatitude that makes sense to you?• What is one beatitude that seems really odd or strange?• What is paradoxical about the Beatitudes?• Who fulfills the Beatitudes perfectly?

• Jesus• Mary• Saints

• Are we called to fulfill the Beatitudes? Can we?

Precepts of the Church• List the five precepts of the Church given on p. 215.• Choose one precept. How does it help you fulfill one (or

more) of the 10 Commandments?

FAITH & HOPE

Virtuous Living• What is the goal (end) of life?

• Share in God’s (divine) life• Beatific vision

• What is the goal (end) of virtuous living?• CCC 1803

• What is a virtue?• Habit• Disposition (mindset, intent) to do the good

• What is a natural virtue?• What is a supernatural virtue?

• “Infused” = Supernatural, placed into you by God’s grace

• Which is most important?• Both are necessary for virtuous living

Faith• What are the three theological virtues?• Describe each theological virtue:

• Faith• Hope• Charity (caritas, agape)

• What is faith? (see CCC1814)• When are we given the virtue of faith?• What is the relationship between faith and reason?

• Tertullian: I believe whatever is absurd (against reason)• Augustine: Faith seeks understanding

• Can what you believe contradict reason?• Faith exceeds or goes beyond what we understand (mystery), but

does not contradict it.

Faith• How can reason “get in the way” of faith?

• Example

• How can immoral behavior affect faith?• Who is the standard for Christian morality?• What is an example of bad morality?

• How can faith be properly formed?• What is the danger in explaining the faith without being properly

formed?• Can people distort the truth?

Sins Against Faith

Name of Sin Definition

Voluntarydoubt

Schism

Heresy

Apostasy

Atheism

Sins Against Faith

Name of Sin Definition

Voluntarydoubt

Intentionally calling into question the truth of some aspect of Divine Revelation.

SchismRefusal to submit to the authority of the Pope or the bishops in communion with him.

Heresy Denial by a baptized person of one or more tenets of the Catholic Faith.

Apostasy A total repudiation of the Catholic Faith.

Atheism Denial of the existence of God.

Hope• What is hope?• What do we hope for?

• God’s grace• Attaining the kingdom of heaven

• Why does God give us hope?• How can we nurture (grow, strengthen) hope?• What are the sins against hope?

• Despair• Presumption• Notice that they are extremes

Sins against Hope

Sins Against Hope

Despair

Presumption

Sins against Hope

Sins Against Hope

Despair Loss of trust in God because one doubts his faithfulness or his involvement in life; sloth

Presumption Expectation of salvation without faith, God’s grace, or personal effort; arrogance (cf Lk 18)

CHARITY & GIFTS

Charity• What is charity?

• From “caritas” and “agape”• Related to, but not broader than, helping the poor• Two parts

• Why should we love God?• Two reasons• HINT: In what ways are you a child of God?

• Why should we love others?• Two reasons• HINT 1: Related to loving God• HINT 2: New commandment by Christ

• What is the essence of charity?• “All love is…”

Sins against Charity

Name of Sin Definition of Sin Why it is

Wrong Symptom of

the Sin

Indifference

Ingratitude

Spiritual sloth

Lukewarmness

Hatred of God

Sins against Charity Name of Sin Definition of Sin Why it is Wrong Symptom of the Sin

Indifference

A lack of commitment in the exercise of our Catholic Faith.

Jesus Christ and our Faith should be the first priority in our lives.

Skipping Mass or not prayingbecause it is deemed not important.

Ingratitude A failure to recognize and acknowledge God’s blessings.

It shows a disordered sense of entitlement to God’s blessings.

Failure to say thank you to God for the good we possess.

Spiritual sloth

Sadness or dejection of the will regarding the divine good one possesses.

It shows a lack of esteem for the spiritual goods we possess.

An aversion or repugnance in the will to serve God. Fleeing from God by taking up worldliness.

Lukewarmness

Lackluster, lazy, or perfunctory fulfillment of the Catholic Faith.

The person does not have his heart in following God.

Habitually showing up late for Mass or deliberately praying in a distracted manner.

Hatred of God

Willful anger at God out of distaste for his laws, resentment over the consequences of personal sin, or because of some severe or tragic suffering.

It comes from pride: God is not obeying “my” will and this makes me angry.

Cursing God for forbidding sins and inflicting punishment.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit• Define the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• Supernatural habits

• Describe each gift.• Which ones act on the intellect?• Which ones act on the will?

• Define the fruits of the Holy Spirit• Supernatural acts

• Describe each gift

CHAPTER REVIEW

Basic Questions• What is the history of salvation described in this lesson?• What is the universal call to holiness?• What are the kinds and purpose of grace?• What is the common priesthood of all the faithful?• What is the vocation of the laity?• How is Christian morality an imitation of Christ?• What is conversion of heart?• What is the relationship between the natural law, the

Decalogue, and the Law of Christ?• What are the Beatitudes?• What are the Precepts of the Church?

Basic Questions• What is faith?• What are the sins against faith?• What is hope?• What are the sins against hope?• What is charity?• What are the sins against charity?• What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?• What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Key Ideas• The history of salvation can be seen as creation in

holiness, fall from grace, Christ’s objective redemption, and the subjective application of the redemption to each one of us.

• God calls each person to holiness of life through one’s personal cooperation with God’s freely offered grace.

• God gives us sanctifying and actual graces so that we can answer his call to holiness.

• By Baptism, all Christians, including the laity, share in the common priesthood of the faithful, called to offer their lives to God as a spiritual sacrifice.

• The vocation of the laity is to sanctify ordinary life.

Key Ideas• Christian morality is an imitation of the attitudes and

actions of Christ, the perfect man and model.• To be a disciple of Christ, we must undergo a conversion

of heart to love as Christ loves.• All men are obliged to obey the natural law. The Ten

Commandments are a Revelation of the natural law for the Chosen People. Christians obey the Ten Commandments as perfected by Christ.

• The Beatitudes are paradoxical statements of the true values that a disciple of Christ should possess.

• The Precepts of the Church are changeable laws that a Catholic obeys to draw closer to Christ.

Key Ideas• Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God

and all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief.

• The sins against faith are voluntary doubt, schism, heresy, apostasy, and atheism.

• Hope is the theological virtue by which we look forward to the happiness of eternal life with God, trusting that God will give us the graces necessary to achieve it.

• The sins against hope are despair and presumption.• Charity is the theological virtue by which a person loves

God above all things and his neighbor as himself.

Key Ideas• The sins against charity include indifference, ingratitude,

lukewarmness, acedia, and hatred of God.• The gifts of the Holy Spirit are seven supernatural habits

given in Baptism: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

• The fruits of the Holy Spirit are any supernatural acts that are performed easily with peace and joy flowing from the gifts of the Holy Spirit.