Catechism 1954 - 2082
CPPoole, Jr., December 10, 1999, revised
July 25, 2005
Outline
1.
Natural Law and Moral Law
2.
Grace and Justification
3.
Grace and Merit
4.
Stages of Spiritual Life
5.
Holiness
6.
Helps to Holiness
7.
Precepts of the Church
1. Natural Law and Moral Law
Natural law is written in our souls
it is binding on everyone everywhere
it is the core for basic rights and
duties
Good must be done and evil must be
avoided
Moral law is God's decrees for right moral
conduct
moral law is revealed to us in the Mosaic
law
it is summarized in Ten Commandments
it is perfected in the law of the
gospel
We must live by the law of love and
the law of grace
We are called to love God and to
love our neighbor
2. Grace and Justification
Grace is God's favor
Sanctifying Grace is a permanent
disposition to live a Godly life
Actual Graces are special helps
to avoid sin and live virtuously
Justification is the grace of the
Holy Spirit
that cleanses from sin and imparts
righteousness via faith in Jesus
Each sacrament gives special graces
Regular communion and confession are
important
3. Grace and Merit
Merit is thing owed to us for our
deeds
We do not merit heaven by our work
to reach it we cooperate with grace
Popular Pelagian
heresy - we earn
heaven by our own deeds or merit
Opposite heresy - faith alone saves
us
not any works that we do
We need both faith and good works
We should allow the Lord to live in
us
through grace
4. Stages of Spiritual Life
There are three stages on the way to
holiness
(John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila,
Camelites)
Purgative way, cleansing our souls
from sin
Illuminative way, acquiring virtues
Unitive way, communing directly with
God
Lowest stage is doing what is necessary
for salvation
Highest stage is doing absolutely
all for Jesus
it is a stage that is very rarely
reached
Most of us live lives between these
two limits
we must always seek to raise our
expectations
All is based on loving & serving
God & our neighbor
5. Holiness
From Jesus - call to be holy, to
strive for perfection
God wants more than merely obeying
rules
Rich young man - "I observed
all commandments,
what do I lack" Mt 19:16-21
Jesus said 'sell everything and come
follow me'
Higher way of life - seek perfection
act in perfect accord with God's will
through self denial, penance, mortification
We are all called to this,
especially
monks and nuns in monasteries
They take vows: poverty, chastity,
obedience
6. Helps to Holiness
Cooperate with grace always and
everywhere
Get spiritual director, and visit
him regularly
Make retreat or day of recollection
occasionally
Read lives of the saints
Read classic spiritual writers
Join a group eagerly striving for
holiness
Pray at every opportunity
Very important - frequent Mass and
Communion
Pray the Liturgy of the Hours every
day
especially morning prayer and evening prayer
7. Precepts of the Church
Attend Mass on Sundays
Confess sins at least once a year
Receive communion at least during Easter
Time
(1st Sunday of Lent to Trinity
Sunday)
Keep holy days of obligation
Observe fasting and abstinence laws
Contribute to the needs of the Church
These are bare minimum requirements
we should do much, much more
CPPoole, Jr., December 10, 1999, revised
July 25, 2005
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