God's Greatest Work (1691-1692) : Life in Christ

PART 3 LIFE IN CHRIST
God's Greatest Work (1691-1692)

"Christian, recognize your dignity. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that
you have been rescued from the power of darkness" (Pope St. Leo the Great).
The creeds confess God's great works (man's creation, redemption, and sanctification). The sacraments communicate
these gifts to man. Christians through Christ and the Spirit must live a life "worthy of the Gospel of Christ" (Phil 1:27).
Called to Be Perfect (1693-1695)

Christians are invited to become "perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48).
Because they are to be "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 6:11) they must become "imitators of God as
beloved children" (Eph 5:1-2).
The Spirit teaches believers to "pray to the Father" (Eph 4:23) and to bring forth "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22).
Church catechesis stresses the "two ways" (to life or to death) and the importance of moral decisions for our salvation.
"There are two ways, the one of life, the other of death, but between the two, there is a great difference" (Didache).
The Seven Catechetical Needs (1696-1698)

There must be a catechesis:
1. Of the Spirit - Who inspires, corrects and strengthens

2. Of grace - Which alone saves and bears fruit
3. Of the beatitudes - Which sum up Christ's way
4. Of sin and forgiveness by which man acknowledges his sinfulness and learns of the possibility of forgiveness
5. Of human virtues - Which grasp the beauty of goodness
6. Of Christian virtues - Which follow the example of the saints
7. Of the Ten Commandments - Which give clear teaching
8. Of the Church - In which the believer "shares spiritual goods"
All Catechesis must lead to Christ. Only in Christ, can the believer gain the promises. "I ask you to consider that our Lord
Jesus Christ is your true Lord. All that is his is yours. You belong to him" (St. John Eudes). "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil
1:21).
SECTION 1
MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
Aspects of Man's Call (1699)

This section has three parts:
1. The vocation of man in the Spirit

2. A life of charity toward God and solidarity with man
3. Salvation
CHAPTER ONE
THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Man's Vocation (1700)

This first part has eight articles:
1. Man, the Image of God

2. Man's Call to Happiness
3. Man's Freedom
4. The Morality of Human Acts
5. The Morality of the Passions
6. Moral Conscience
7. The Virtues
8. Sin
ARTICLE 1
MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD
Nine Truths About Christ and Man (1701-1709)
1. Only in Christ ("the image of the invisible God") can man understand himself and his exalted call. God's image in
man has been restored by Christ.
2. When man is in communion with others, he is a likeness of the communion of the three divine persons.
3. Because man has an immortal soul, God has willed his existence for his own sake. From his conception, man is
destined for eternal life.
4. By reason, man can understand that God created this world. By his free will, he can direct himself to his true good.
5. Because his soul has the power of intellect and free will, man has freedom, "an outstanding manifestation of God's
image" (Second Vatican Council).
6. By his reason man can know that God wills him "to do what is good and to avoid what is evil." He must follow this
law of his conscience.
7. Enticed by the Evil One, man misused this freedom. His nature is wounded by sin, inclined to evil, and subject to
error. "Man is divided in himself. As a result, his whole life shows itself to be a struggle between good and evil"
(Second Vatican Council).
8. By his Passion, Christ delivered man from Satan and merited grace which restores what sin damaged.
9. By believing in Christ, a person becomes a son of God, capable of following Christ and gaining a perfection which
blossoms into eternal glory.
ARTICLE 2
I. The Beatitudes
Blessed (1716)
Jesus calls us blessed if we:
1. Are poor in spirit

2. Mourn
3. Are meek
4. Hunger and thirst for righteousness
5. Are merciful
6. Are pure in heart
7. Are peacemakers
8. Are persecuted for righteousness
9. Are reviled and persecuted for his sake
Paradoxical Blessings (1717)

In these blessings, Jesus goes beyond the promises made to Abraham (which were focused on territory) and bring us to
the kingdom of heaven.
These sayings are paradoxes, promising hope amidst tribulations and proclaiming rewards already secured. These
blessings have already begun for Mary and all the saints.
II. The Desire for Happiness
Goal of Man's Existence (1718-1719)

These blessings correspond to man's desire for perfect happiness. St. Augustine said, "We all want to live happily." He also
prayed, "O God, my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you." St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "God alone
satisfies."
The goal of man's existence is nothing less than experiencing God's own happiness, a gift to every person and to the
whole Church.
III. Christian Beatitude
Entering the Kingdom (1720-1722)

The New Testament calls this happiness "the Kingdom of God," "the vision of God," "the joy of the Lord," and "God's rest."
"For what other end do we have, if not to reach the kingdom which does not end?" (St. Augustine)
We are in this world to know, love, and serve God, so we can enter into Christ's glory with the Father and the Spirit.
This gift is "supernatural," going far beyond our intellect and being freely given by God. "He goes so far as to grant those
who love him the privilege of seeing him. For what is impossible for man is possible for God" (St. Irenaeus).
Confronted with Moral Choices (1723-1724)

These promised blessings confront us with decisive moral choices and invite us to purify ourselves. They teach us that true
riches cannot be found in any human achievement. "All bow down before wealth and measure happiness by wealth.
Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second. Notoriety may be called newspaper fame" (John Cardinal
Newman).
The Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and Church teaching describe the path to the kingdom which we
must walk each day.
ARTICLE 3
MAN'S FREEDOM
Free to Choose (1730)

Man is created by God as a human person who can begin and control his own actions. He is meant to seek God and gain
perfection by cleaving to him.
I. Freedom and Responsibility
Good or Evil (1731-1733)

By freedom (rooted in his intellect and will), man has the power to act or not to act. He can shape his own life, mature in
goodness, and gain a perfection which is rooted in God.
Until man attains God, he can choose to do good or evil, to grow in perfection or to sin. Because human acts are free, they
are worthy of praise or blame.
By constantly doing good, man grows in freedom. Doing evil leads man into a "slavery of sin" (Rom 6:17).
Responsible for Acts (1734-1735)

A person is responsible for his voluntary acts. By progress in virtue, in knowledge of good, and in self-discipline, he gains
greater mastery. Man's responsibility and imputability can be lessened or nullified by ignorance, fear, habits, or inordinate
attachments or other factors.
God's Confrontations (1736-1737)

God confronted Eve, "What is this that you have done?" (Gen 3:13). He also confronted Cain, "What have you done?" (Gen
4:10). A person is responsible for any directly willed act. Also, an action can be indirectly voluntary (from negligence or
ignorance).
A person is not responsible for an evil act if he did not will it and did not intend it as a means to an end. For example, a
person might incur death while trying to help another. A person is responsible if they could have avoided the evil (as a
drunk driver killing someone).
Respecting Freedom (1738)

Every human person must recognize the right of freedom in others. Exercising freedom, especially in moral or religious
matters, is an inalienable right of the human person. This must be protected by civil authorities within the limits of public
order.
II. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation
Abuse of Freedom (1739-1740)

Human freedom refused God's love and became a slave to sin. The first sin has led to so many others. Human history
attests that the problems of man come from man's abuse of freedom.
Freedom does not give man the right to say and do everything, because man's purpose is not his own earthly satisfaction.
Man's blindness and injustice destroy the cultural conditions needed for freedom. Deviating from the moral law violates
man's own freedom and imprisons him within himself.
Grace and Freedom (1741-1742)

"For freedom, Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1) and saved us from sin's power. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom" (1 Cor 17).
Christ's grace is not a rival to man's freedom. The person grows in inner freedom by being docile to God's Spirit. "Take
away from us all that is harmful so we may freely accomplish your will" (Prayer - 32nd Sunday).

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PART 3 LIFE IN CHRIST

God's Greatest Work (1691-1692)

Called to Be Perfect (1693-1695)

The Seven Catechetical Needs (1696-1698)

1. Of the Spirit - Who inspires, corrects and strengthens

MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

Aspects of Man's Call (1699)

1. The vocation of man in the Spirit

THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Man's Vocation (1700)

1. Man, the Image of God

MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD

Nine Truths About Christ and Man (1701-1709)

1. Are poor in spirit

Paradoxical Blessings (1717)

II. The Desire for Happiness

Goal of Man's Existence (1718-1719)

III. Christian Beatitude

Entering the Kingdom (1720-1722)

Confronted with Moral Choices (1723-1724)

Free to Choose (1730)

I. Freedom and Responsibility

Good or Evil (1731-1733)

Responsible for Acts (1734-1735)

God's Confrontations (1736-1737)

Respecting Freedom (1738)

II. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation

Abuse of Freedom (1739-1740)

Grace and Freedom (1741-1742)

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