The New Echoes of Faith Program

Cardinal Newman High School

West Palm Beach, Florida

2

Table of Contents

i. Mission Statement of Cardinal Newman High School p.3

ii. Florida Catholic Conference Catholic Statistics p.4

iii. Florida Catholic Conference Catholic School Statistics p.5

iv. Sharing Memories – Picture Profiles

Florida of Catholic Schools p.6-11

v. Welcome p.12

vi. Introduction and Overview p.13-14

Module One: I Believe, We Believe p.15

I. Lesson 1 The Creed p.16-17

II. Lesson 2 The Trinity p.18-25

III. Lesson 3 The Church p.26-29

Module Two: Scripture p.30-33

Module Three: Catholic Morality p.34-45

Module Four: Sacraments p.46-67

Module Five: Prayer p.68-72

Resources p.73

3

Mission Statement

The mission of Cardinal Newman High School is to educate the whole person: spirit, mind, and

body, and to help all students develop their God-given talents according to the gospel values of

Jesus Christ. In fulfilling this mission, we provide a Catholic-Christian Community. We provide

a Catholic-Christian Community in which students learn self-fulfillment through Catholic

teachings, retreats, and liturgical experiences; a well-rounded curriculum and program. We work

hard to provide academic, religious, extracurricular, athletic, and community service programs in

order to form individuals who accept leadership, are academically inquisitive, spiritually alert,

and physically sound; individualized attention. We dedicate ourselves to discover each student‟s

unique talents and to prepare each student intellectually to make mature decisions about his or

her future; a dedicated and supportive faculty. We pledge to provide a faculty who understands

the diverse needs of each student and who works with each student in a caring and supportive

environment; and high academic standards. We commit ourselves to high academic standards in

order to motivate each of our students to do his or her very best while accepting the necessary

self-discipline which the quest for excellence requires.

4

PUBLICATIONS Florida Statistics

Catholic People and Places2,255,891 Catholics1 Archbishop, 14 Bishops 1,354 Priests, 714 Deacons133 Brothers, 967 Sisters7 Dioceses, 472 Parishes, 62 Missions

Catholic Education2 Seminaries, 3 Universities26,952 College Students36 High Schools25,087 High School Students179 Elementary Schools62,558 Elementary School Students7 Special Education Schools570 Special Education Students7,109 Teachers/Administrators127,844 Catechesis/Religious Education Students

Catholic Healthcare7 Acute Care Hospitals3 Rehabilitation Hospitals 19 Health Care Centers 10 AIDS Centers and Programs9 Nursing Homes or Centers1 Hospice Organization

Catholic Charities 80 Catholic Charities Service Centers240,852 People Assisted in 200781 Specialized Housing/Day Care Centers23,986 People Assisted in 2007

(Information based on 2009 Official Catholic Directory and reports from Conference staff)

5

Florida Catholic School Statistics 2008-2009

2008-2009 School Year

Miami St.

Augustine St.

Petersburg Orlando Pen-Tall

Palm Beach

Venice Total Percent

Total

Pre-K-8 58 24 28 31 8 16 10 175 80.00%

Secondary 13 4 6 5 2 3 3 36 17.00%

Special Ed. 1 1 2 1 0 0 2 7 3.00%

Total Schools 72 29 36 37 10 19 15 218 100.00%

Enrollment

Pre-K/Early Childhood* 2,303 719 866 1,213 139 389 261 5,890 6.71%

Elementary 20,697 7,436 8,186 10,275 1,918 5,111 2,644 56,267 64.08%

Secondary 12,717 2,532 3,138 2,727 712 1,743 1,506 25,075 28.56%

Special Ed. 184 108 110 57 0 0 111 570 0.65%

Total Enrollment 35,901 10,795 12,300 14,272 2,769 7,243 4,522 87,802 100.00%

Students

Black 2,963 718 378 549 123 256 62 5,049 5.75%

Hispanic 20,786 773 2,014 2,398 215 1,107 371 27,664 31.51%

Asian 455 543 443 660 134 151 142 2,528 2.88%

American Indian 40 65 13 21 8 7 11 165 0.19%

Other 11,657 8,696 9,452 10,644 2,289 5,722 3,936 52,396 59.68%

Total Students 35,901 10,795 12,300 14,272 2,769 7,243 4,522 87,802 100.00%

Catholic 32,764 9,085 11,196 12,953 2,277 6,529 3,931 78,735 89.67%

Non-Catholic 3,137 1,710 1,104 1,319 492 714 591 9,067 10.33%

87,802 100.00%

PROFESSIONALS/TEACHERS (School Administrators, Teachers, Guidance, Media, Health, etc.)

Elementary 1,872 595 740 870 166 429 284 4,956 70.66%

Secondary 1,025 181 272 230 65 155 130 2,058 29.23%

Total 2,897 776 1,012 1,100 231 584 414 7,014 100.00%

Religious/Clergy 96 25 38 24 9 23 15 230 3.28%

Lay 2,801 751 974 1,076 222 561 399 6,784 96.72%

Total 2,897 776 1,012 1,100 231 584 414 7,014 100.00%

Administrators at the Diocesan Level 3.32 2 4 6 2 2 1 20

Numbers of Counties Served 3 7 5 8 5 4 6 38

PER-PUPIL EXPENDITURES (Figures in the per-pupil expenditure section are from the previous school year.) Province Average

Elementary $4,793 $4,563 $5,929 $4,548 $4,710 $6,190 $8,118 $5,550

Secondary $6,828 $7,728 $9,695 $7,962 $7,244 $8,996 $10,440 $8,413

Catholic schools that are private non-diocesan and special education schools are not included in the per pupil expenditures.

*Early Childhood Programs are those affiliated with elementary schools which do not include the "stand alone" parish programs and those sponsored by Catholic Charities.

Form updated 11/14/08

6

Sharing Memories: Catholic Schools in Florida

All about an abacus

Original Publication Date: 1960

ROCKLEDGE | Sister M. St. Anne shows students, from left, Michael Minot, Robert Rigabar, Denil Ginn, Virginia Allen and Tammy Hails how to work an abacus during first–

grade class at St. Mary’s School in Rockledge.

FC FILE

7

A community pitches in for hurricane relief

Original Publication Date: 10.11.1974

MIKE ENNS | FC FILE

FORT PIERCE | Mark Tetsworth, a student at John Carroll High School in Fort Pierce, unloads food donations for Honduran relief at St. Anastasia’s rectory. A planeload of

food will be shipped to Belize for Honduran hurricane relief from the Catholic and other Christian communities of Fort Pierce.

Captain Lance Moran, who went into Honduras after the devastating hurricane, was so appalled at the conditions left after the storm that he came to St. Anastasia Rectory

to ask for community help for the storm victims. A DC–3 plane has been donated, along with the services of some local pilots, and an oil company will provide the $2,000

worth of fuel for the flight.

All week long, elderly men and women have brought canned goods and dropped their donations at the rectory. Doctors have offered to join the flight and tend the ill.

Pharmaceutical companies have offered medicines.

Both Catholic grade and high school children of the area have brought canned goods to schools for the shipment. Protestant churches have joined hands with the leadership

provided by Father William Keane and Father Michael Woodcock to show what one small community can do to respond to the plight of the Hondurans.

Class flag project

8

Original Publication Date: 1966

FC FILE

EAU GALLIE | Students of Ascension School display flags of different nations during class

Provisional church and school dedicated

Original Publication Date: 12.16.1960

9

COURTESY PHOTO | FC FILE

LAKE CITY | A new provisional Epiphany Church and School were blessed on Dec. 6 by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley. The building will be a reminder to those who pass this

way in Columbia County that the sisters and priests in Lake City are planting in children’s minds a devotion to God and country. The school is for eight grades.

10

Cardinal Newman Students at the “March For Life” Rally

U.S. Supreme Court

11

Cardinal Newman Graduation Ceremony

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, DD

Rev. David W. Carr, President The Cardinal Newman Band

Assistant Superintendant t. Mrs. Marie Privuznak, Doctors Demes and Fenton

Superintendant Sr. Joan Dawson; Bishop Barbarito,

Fr. David Carr, Mr. John Clarke, Principal

The Graduates

12

Cardinal Newman‟s New Echoes of Faith Program

Welcome Teacher!

There are five basic components to the Catholic High School certification program. If you are a

member of the Catholic faith, this will serve as a review for you. If you are not, hopefully you

will find this presentation of the Catholic faith informative and productive.

It should be noted that the entire deposit of faith is detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic

Church. The Catechism will be referenced throughout this presentation. You may view it in

entirety at the Vatican website. http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

or click here

Catechism

Also, anytime throughout the presentation that you feel the need for clarification on a belief or

question, click back to the Knights of Columbus site and type a word in the search engine.

Knights of Columbus or http://www.kofc.org/un/catechism/index.action

This will bring you to any relative article in your search.

13

Introduction and Overview

What do Catholics believe? It might help to know why so many people actually profess the

Catholic faith. There are over 1 billion baptized Catholics in the world today (1,121,516,000)

according to the World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 (©2009). To give a point of reference

for the magnitude of one billion, it would require forty thousand trips around the world to equal

one billion miles.

Pope Benedict XVI at World Youth Day, Sydney, Australia 2008

Why Am I Catholic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0nSjxDKJEo&feature=related

14

More than two-thirds of Catholics live in the developing world, and population projections

clearly indicate that proportion will grow to three-fourths in the next four decades (see Table 1).1

From 2004 to 2050, Catholic populations are projected to increase by 146 percent in Africa, 63

percent in Asia, 42 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 38 percent in North

America. Meanwhile, Europe will experience a 6 percent decline in its Catholic population

between 2004 and 2050.

Estimated and Projected Catholic Population by Region of the World, 2004, 2025, and 2050

Percent Catholic

Estimated Catholic

Population

Projected Catholic

Population

Projected Catholic

Population Change in Catholic

Population, 2004-2050

Region of world

2004 2004 2025 2050

Africa 17.9% 139,157,160 219,171,850 342,023,230 145.8%

Asia 4.3% 127,125,410 171,916,360 207,086,560 62.9%

Europe 36.4% 270,765,647 272,495,186 255,744,426 -5.5%

Latin America & Caribbean

83.3% 454,541,400 568,040,560 646,912,570 42.3%

North America 25.1% 82,000,000 97,000,000 113,000,000 37.8%

Oceania 26.8% 9,000,000 11,000,000 13,000,000 44.4%

Total world 21.6% 1,082,228,463 1,339,159,510 1,577,585,569 45.8%

15

Module One: I Believe, We Believe

This module addresses the major elements of the Catholic confession of faith as professed in

what we call the “Creed”: specifically, the Trinitarian images of God the Father, God the Son,

and God the Holy Spirit, as well as the Church.

Lesson One: The Creed

Lesson Two: The Trinity

Lesson Three: The Church

16

Lesson One: The Creed

Watch This Video Intro to the Creed or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z7_A91j1KQ

(From the Third Edition of the Roman Missal)

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit

was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake

he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated

at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,

the giver of life, who proceeds

from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son

is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

And one, holy, catholic

and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection

of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

17

Lesson One Reflection Questions

1. What line in the Creed do you find the most interesting? Most confusing?

2. Did the video presentations offer any assistance to you in the presentation of the Creed?

3. The Church defines its understanding of God in terms of the Creed. Could you compose

a statement of summary as to how the Church understands God?

18

Lesson 2 The Trinity

Some considerations

Part 1: Understanding the Trinity 1 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwytNILik3Q&feature=related

Part 2: Understanding the Trinity 2 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0hr7O_ecDw&NR=1

Part 3: Understanding the Trinity 3 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig_YE6-_UoI&feature=related

A Formal Presentation in Philosophy & Theology

Trinity Explained or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD34dDwoIOI

As you can see, we profess our belief in God as “Trinity”, namely, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

One God, yet three persons, Divine in nature. “Person” tells us WHO we are. Nature tells us

WHAT we are. WHO God is quite simply is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “What” God is can be

described to the best of our limits of language by our perceptions of the divine nature. Think of

H2O for example. Only one substance, yet it can be solid, liquid or vapor. God is three in

persons, but only one reality.

19

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church IN BRIEF The Trinity

261 The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of

Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy

Spirit.

262 The Incarnation of God's Son reveals that God is the eternal Father and that the Son is

consubstantial with the Father, which means that, in the Father and with the Father the Son is one

and the same God.

263 The mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jn 14:26) and by

the Son "from the Father" (Jn 15:26), reveals that, with them, the Spirit is one and the same God.

"With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified" (Nicene Creed).

264 "The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father as the first principle and, by the eternal gift of this

to the Son, from the communion of both the Father and the Son" (St. Augustine, De Trin. 15, 26,

47: PL 42, 1095).

265 By the grace of Baptism "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit",

we are called to share in the life of the Blessed Trinity, here on earth in the obscurity of faith, and

after death in eternal light (cf. Paul VI, CPG § 9).

266 "Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity,

without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is

one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy

Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal" (Athanasian Creed: DS 75; ND 16).

267 Inseparable in what they are, the divine persons are also inseparable in what they do. But

within the single divine operation each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity,

especially in the divine missions of the Son's Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Meet God here:

20

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church IN BRIEF

A. The Father

68 By love, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the

definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and

purpose of his life.

69 God has revealed himself to man by gradually communicating his own mystery in deeds and

in words.

70 Beyond the witness to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our

first parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf. Gen 3:15) and offered

them his covenant.

71 God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It will

remain in force as long as the world lasts.

72 God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant

God formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he

prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.

73 God has revealed himself fully by sending his own Son, in whom he has established his

covenant forever. The Son is his Father's definitive Word; so there will be no further Revelation

after him.

Watch these videos to help you see.

1. Father or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KCiMdR1ox0&feature=related

2. Creator or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_BX1XUSC4

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church IN BRIEF

21

B. “The Son” Jesus

452 The name Jesus means "God saves". The child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, "for

he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21): "there is no other name under heaven given

among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

453 The title "Christ" means "Anointed One" (Messiah).Jesus is the Christ, for "God anointed

Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). He was the one "who is to

come" (Lk 7:19), the object of "the hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).

454 The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God

his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf. Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf. Jn

1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf. Acts 8:37; 1 Jn

2:23).

455 The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to

believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit'" (I Cor 12:3).

What we believe about the bodily Resurrection of Jesus

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church IN BRIEF The Resurrection of Jesus

656 Faith in the Resurrection has as its object an event which as historically attested to by the

disciples, who really encountered the Risen One. At the same time, this event is mysteriously

transcendent insofar as it is the entry of Christ's humanity into the glory of God.

657 The empty tomb and the linen cloths lying there signify in themselves that by God's power

Christ's body had escaped the bonds of death and corruption. They prepared the disciples to

encounter the Risen Lord.

658 Christ, "the first-born from the dead" (Col 1:18), is the principle of our own resurrection,

even now by the justification of our souls (cf. Rom 6:4), and one day by the new life he will

impart to our bodies (cf.: Rom 8:11).

1. Son or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd7WrJlS6OA&feature=related

22

2. Secret Ambition or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BRUsSztA44

3. Above All or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjYiEyu8Si8&NR=1

4. The Shroud or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6rvKG60T7o

Jesus Knocking on My Door

(Notice, there is no handle to let Himself in. Only I can open from inside.)

23

C. The Holy Spirit

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church IN BRIEF

742 "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba!

Father!"' (Gal 4:6).

743 From the beginning to the end of time, whenever God sends his Son, he always sends his

Spirit: their mission is conjoined and inseparable.

744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ's

coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the

world Emmanuel "God-with-us" (Mt 1:23).

745 The Son of God was consecrated as Christ (Messiah) by the anointing of the Holy Spirit at

his Incarnation (cf. Ps 2:6-7).

746 By his Death and his Resurrection, Jesus is constituted in glory as Lord and Christ (cf. Acts

2:36). From his fullness, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Church.

747 The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and

sanctifies the Church. She is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity's communion with men.

1.Holy Spirit or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQPcrH0y1P0

2. Choir or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BXalQRa4w

Given the Catholic understanding of God as Trinity, how do we see the relationship between

God and humanity?

24

God reaching down toward humanity is represented in this triangle:

Humanity reaching up to God is represented in this triangle:

The two triangles superimposed on one another form what is traditionally called the “Star of

David”.

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) The Relationship between God and humanity.

44 Man is by nature and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man

lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.

45 Man is made to live in communion with God in whom he finds happiness: When I am

completely united to you, there will be no more sorrow or trials; entirely full of you, my life will

be complete (St. Augustine, Conf. 10, 28, 39: PL 32, 795}.

46 When he listens to the message of creation and to the voice of conscience, man can arrive at

certainty about the existence of God, the cause and the end of everything.

47 The Church teaches that the one true God, our Creator and Lord, can be known with certainty

from his works, by the natural light of human reason (cf. Vatican Council I, can. 2 § 1: DS

3026),

48 We really can name God, starting from the manifold perfections of his creatures, which are

likenesses of the infinitely perfect God, even if our limited language cannot exhaust the mystery.

49 Without the Creator, the creature vanishes (GS 36). This is the reason why believers know

that the love of Christ urges them to bring the light of the living God to those who do not know

him or who reject him.

25

Lesson 2 Reflection Questions

1. Explain how you perceive (or believe yourself) the Catholic understanding of “Trinity”?

2. Can you give an example of something you might use to teach this? For example, St.

Patrick used a shamrock: One shamrock – but three distinct leafs.

3. Could to attach a “verb” to each person to clarify how we perceive each Person?

Noun Verb

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

26

Lesson 3 The Church

“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church”

1. One Holy Catholic and Apostolic or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o37wFnZX0w

2. Christ Appoints St. Peter or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZe_GBOEaKo&feature=related

The Church is alive through time in her people and her saints. Look at these brief

clips to see “glimpses”. You can always look deeper later.

3. Beckett or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ0LadfyF1E

4. St. Thomas More http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RZKd1be05Q

5. Monsignor O'Flagherty Confronts The Nazis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZd-

hAKNKf4

6. The Assisi Underground or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7PYLFIrJYU

7. Romero or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCZh1SIypA&feature=related

27

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church

777 The word “Church” means “convocation.” It designates the assembly of those whom God‟s

Word “convokes,” i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves,

nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.

778 The Church is both the means and the goal of God‟s plan: prefigured in creation, prepared

for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his

redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of

salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the

assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. Rev 14:4).

779 The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of

Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which

only faith can accept.

780 The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the

communion of God and men.

Continued…

804 One enters into the People of God by faith and Baptism. “All men are called to belong to the

new People of God” (LG 13), so that, in Christ, “men may form one family and one People of

God” (AG 1).

805 The Church is the Body of Christ. Through the Spirit and his action in the sacraments, above

all the Eucharist, Christ, who once was dead and is now risen, establishes the community of

believers as his own Body.

806 In the unity of this Body, there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are

linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted.

807 The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head: she lives from him, in him, and for

him; he lives with her and in her.

808 The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has

purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God‟s children.

809 The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the

Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and

charisms.

810 “Hence the universal Church is seen to be „a people brought into unity from the unity of the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit‟” (LG 4 citing St. Cyprian, De Dom. Orat 23: PL 4, 553).

Continued…

28

866 The Church is one: she acknowledges one Lord, confesses one faith, is born of one Baptism,

forms only one Body, is given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope (cf. Eph 4:3-5), at

whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome.

867 The Church is holy: the Most Holy God is her author; Christ, her bridegroom, gave himself

up to make her holy; the Spirit of holiness gives her life. Since she still includes sinners, she is

“the sinless one made up of sinners.” Her holiness shines in the saints; in Mary she is already all-

holy.

868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and

administers the totality of the means of salvation. She is sent out to all peoples. She speaks to all

men. She encompasses all times. She is “missionary of her very nature” (AG 2).

869 The Church is apostolic. She is built on a lasting foundation: “the twelve apostles of the

Lamb” (Rev 21:14). She is indestructible (cf. Mt 16:18). She is upheld infallibly in the truth:

Christ governs her through Peter and the other apostles, who are present in their successors, the

Pope and the college of bishops.

870 “The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic, and

apostolic, . . . subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and

by the bishops in communion with him. Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of

truth are found outside its visible confines”(LG 8).

Consider the Church in these Models

In 1974, Fr Avery Dulles (now deceased Cardinal Dulles) published his book Models of

the Church in which he described 5 ways of understanding the Church. Later, after the

publication of this book, he added a sixth model to this list:

Institution (including a hierarchy of ministries, to continue Christ’s mission, and

reflecting a need for order, unity and consistency of teaching).

Mystical communion (including our mysterious and intimate spiritual union with

God and each other through the Body of Christ).

Sacrament (including the responsibility to be, as sacraments are, the visible

presence of God on earth).

Herald (including the mission of the People of God, the baptised, to proclaim

God’s Word).

Servant (including dialogue with society and assisting persons in a variety of

needs).

29

A Community of Disciples (including Catholics’ sense of always being learners,

being formed by the scriptures, acting lovingly, sharing in Jesus’ mission and

service, and being co-responsible for the Church’s mission and identity).

In teaching the Church history course to our high school students, we use these models to help

them perceive that various understandings of the nature and mission of the Church could exist

side by side and that they were not necessarily contradictory or mutually exclusive. In fact, a too

great insistence on one model at the expense of others impoverishes our understanding.

Reflection Questions

1. Which model(s) of the Church are you most comfortable with?

2. Comment on the four marks of the Church (One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic).

3. What do you think are the greatest opportunities for the Church today in attracting young

people?

30

Module Two: Scripture

This module provides a basic introduction to the Sacred Scriptures. It offers basic answers to

three questions: What is the Bible? Why is the Bible holy? What‟s in the Bible? It concludes

with a segment on Jesus Christ, presented as the high point of the story of salvation, and the

Gospels, presented as the sacred text through which we learn of God‟s revelation through Jesus.

Question I: What is the Bible?

In the Catholic view, the Bible is not a book, but a “collection” of different books, by different

authors, composed at different times, in different places, in three different languages over a

period of about one thousand years.

Question II Why is the Bible Holy?

Catholics believe that the original author was inspired in the writing by the Holy Spirit.

“Inspired” does not imply that the Holy Spirit write the work apart from the human author nor

used the author as a drone. Indeed, the author used the full scope of their own talents and

abilities.

Within the bible there are many literary forms represented. A literary form in the Bible is

essentially the same as in any other kind of literature in a relevant language. Examples used in

the Bible include Poetry such as Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Job. Hebrew poetry

also has a number of interesting characteristics such as various types of parallelism where ideas

which are similar are repeated or also opposites are put into contrast. Prose is primarily used in

the other parts which primarily contain history. Although some books contain both such as the

inclusion of the song of praise after the destruction of the Egyptian army in Exodus, in the

middle of a historical narrative.

Other literary forms include didactic (instructive), historical narrative, legal form, religious

drama, ancient biographical form, and epistolary (letter writing). The key to understanding a

biblical passage, in the Catholic view, is to have some awareness of the components of the

literary form employed by the author.

Jesus, as the master teacher also used a number of literary forms and devices in this work, which

those who wrote down His words undoubtedly endeavored to preserve. Some of these, which are

lost in translation, apparently included pnemonic devices to aid memory and note-taking (we

must remember there were plenty of scribes in first century Israel, eager to record a rabbi's

sayings). What we can also see is that Jesus regularly used illustrations from everyday life as an

aid in memory e.g. 'Consider the lilies of the field....'

Paul also wrote a number of letters which have a definite form. They consistently follow the

pattern of: 1. Salutation and introduction, 2. A Thanksgiving, 3. Main body addressing issues

relating to the people addressed (this itself with a specific order relevant to the issue) 4.

Conclusion and greetings.

31

The New Testament book of Revelation employs another sort of literary form called

“apocalyptic”. This sort of literature is also found in the Old Testament book of Daniel.

Apocalyptic literature was a new genre of prophetical writing that developed after the

Babylonian Exile (586-538 BC) in the Jewish culture and was popular among some early

Christians. “Apocalypse” is from the Greek word for “revelation” meaning “an unveiling or

unfolding of things not previously known” and which, presumably, could not be known without

the unveiling. The poetry in the book of Revelation, traditionally ascribed to “John” is well

known to many Christians who are often unaware of the literary genre it represents. Most

modern Biblical scholars do not believe this John to be the same as the author of the fourth

Gospel. This literature was particularly popular from around 200 BC to 100 AD.

Catholics follow an ancient Greek version of the Old Testament known as the “Septuagint” a

Greek word meaning “70”. After the destruction of the First Temple and, as far as we know, all

of the original Hebrew scrolls, a group of seventy Rabbis in the city of Alexandria, Egypt,

rewrote the ancient scriptural writings from memory during the time of the conquest of

Alexander the Great around 250 BC.

Question III What‟s in the Bible?

For Catholics there are 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.

Protestants generally have 39 books in the Old Testament as they classify 7 books contained in

the Catholic Bible as “apocrypha”, meaning “those having been hidden away”. There are many

different versions of the Bible available. All readings at Catholic services are taken from The

New American Bible, unless otherwise indicated. For a complete list of books see

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/

The oldest copy of any biblical texts we have were found in Qumran, a place that lies about a

mile inland from the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank. These were discovered

in 1947 and are popularly referred to as The Dead Sea Scrolls.

For more information on the Dead Sea Scrolls see http://www.centuryone.com/25dssfacts.html

You may enjoy the various “Mysteries of the Bible” series

See Mysteries of the Bible or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6MgBr-H-xk&feature=PlayList&p=9D8D34E85E54BCC7&index=0

Jesus is the summit of the story of salvation

The Passion of the Christ or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd-GXzReZuc

Jesus or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNgbBYdDZA8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

32

IN BRIEF

134 All sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book is Christ, "because all divine

Scripture speaks of Christ, and all divine Scripture is fulfilled in Christ" (Hugh of St.

Victor, De arca Noe 2, 8: PL 176, 642: cf. ibid. 2, 9: PL 176, 642-643).

135 "The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God and, because they are inspired, they

are truly the Word of God" (DV 24).

136 God is the author of Sacred Scripture because he inspired its human authors; he acts

in them and by means of them. He thus gives assurance that their writings teach without

error his saving truth (cf. DV 11).

137 Interpretation of the inspired Scripture must be attentive above all to what God wants

to reveal through the sacred authors for our salvation. What comes from the Spirit is not

fully "understood except by the Spirit's action' (cf. Origen, Hom. in Ex. 4, 5: PG 12, 320).

138 The Church accepts and venerates as inspired the 46 books of the Old Testament and

the 27 books of the New.

139 The four Gospels occupy a central place because Christ Jesus is their center.

140 The unity of the two Testaments proceeds from the unity of God's plan and his

Revelation. The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfils the

Old; the two shed light on each other; both are true Word of God.

141 "The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as she venerated the Body of

the Lord" (DV 21): both nourish and govern the whole Christian life. "Your word is a

lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps 119:105; cf. Is 50:4).

33

Reflection Questions on Scripture

1. What is the key the Bible in the Catholic view?

2. Why is the Bible considered “holy”?

3. What is the key to understanding the Bible in the Catholic view?

34

Module Three: Catholic Morality

This module begins with an overview of the meaning of morality and virtue. It continues with

segments that treat objective and subjective morality, the conditions for moral actions,

conscience and the criteria for moral decision making.

Section One: An Overview of Catholic Morality

These are basic concepts in Catholic moral theology:

Freedom - the right to do what I ought to do

Truth – Objective reality which I subjectively encounter and act upon or not

Natural law -In English this term is frequently employed as equivalent to the laws of

nature, meaning the order which governs the activities of the material universe.

Law – a system of rules enforced through a set of institutions. Aristotle declared in 350

BC that “The rule of law was better than the rule of any individual.” There are a variety

of “types” of law including, but not restricted to canon, international, state, criminal,

civil, constitutional, military, etc.

Conscience -a judgment of reason which at the appropriate moment reflects upon past

actions and decisions, enjoins a person to do good and to avoid evil in the present, and

directs toward a plan of action for the future.

35

Section Two: Components of Objective Morality

Catholic Morality = Life in Christ = Happiness

The moral code of the New Testament is best summarized in the Sermon on the Mount when

Jesus presents what are popularly called the “Beatitudes”.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,

for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 5:3-10)

“Blessed” is from the Latin word “beatus”, meaning “happy”. The Ten Commandments, given

to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "shalt- nots",

evils one must avoid in daily life on earth. Catholics look at the beatitudes as a self-portrait of

Jesus himself.

In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught

transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in

life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of

the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this

world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that

the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the

Kingdom of Heaven.

36

One of the first contemplations on the Beatitudes came from St. Gregory of Nyssa, a mystic who

lived in Cappadocia in Asia Minor around 380 AD. He described the Beatitudes this way:

"Beatitude is a possession of all things held to be good,

from which nothing is absent that a good desire may want.

Perhaps the meaning of beatitude may become clearer to us

if it is compared with its opposite.

Now the opposite of beatitude is misery.

Misery means being afflicted unwillingly with painful sufferings."

St. Augustine called the Beatitudes the ideal for every Christian life. He write in his book

Confessions “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in

you”.

Catholic morality then is about living a happy life. Not about rules and regulations which

inhibit and prohibit, but about the key to that which can make us whole.

For a Catholic, it is essential to know these principles: they are the how-to manual for living

fully new life, for obtaining that abundant life Christ has promised. The Catechism of the

Catholic Church starts its section on Catholic morality with St. Leo the Great's beautiful words:

“Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God's own nature, do not return to

your former base condition by sinning. 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 and brought into

the light of the Kingdom of God.” (Catechism, #1691)

Morality is a call to recognize our dignity as men and women who have received a free gift of

new life in Christ. We must live accordingly.

The Law of Love

Jesus himself clearly taught us the first principles of Catholic morality:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your

mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it; You shall love your

neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." (Mt

22:37-40) . Love, or charity, is the great commandment of Jesus. Love of God and love of

neighbor then are the source & summary of Catholic morality.

Catholics look at “sin” as those acts which separate us from the love of God. Typically, there are

two major categories of sin. Mortal, or “deadly” sin (1 John 15:16-17) and “venial” from the

Latin word for “little” or smaller types of sins.

A “mortal sin” is “sin causing spiritual death,” and venial Sin is sin that can be more easily

forgiven. Venial sin is invariably used in contrast with mortal sin. Mortal sins are those sins that

exclude people from the kingdom; venial sins are those sins that do not exclude people from it.

37

Venial sin differs from mortal sin in the punishment it entails. Venial sin merits temporal

punishment expiated by confession or by the fires of purgatory, while mortal sin merits eternal

death.

So what kinds of Sins are Mortal?

In order for a sin to be mortal, it must meet three conditions:

Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter

Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner

Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner

This means that mortal sins cannot be done "accidentally." A person who commits a mortal sin

is one who knows that their sin is wrong, but still deliberately commits the sin anyway. This

means that mortal sins are "premeditated" by the sinner and thus are truly a rejection of God‟s

law and love.

The first condition, that a mortal sin is of grave matter, means that certain premeditated

offenses against God are more severe than others. We know that some sins are graver than others

(e.g. it is a graver sin to murder someone than to lie to someone). St. John tells us, "If anyone

sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life.

This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I

do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly." (1

John 5:16-17). Thus St. John distinguishes between mortal and venial sin. Jesus also warns us

that "Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will

gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned" (John 15:6). “Grave matter ” is

specified by the Ten Commandments.” The Catechism states that mortal sin “results in the loss

of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed

by repentance and God‟s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ‟s kingdom and the eternal

death of hell.”

Regarding venial sin, the Catechism states the following: “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. Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it

impedes the soul‟s progress in the exercise of virtues and practice of moral good; it merits

temporal punishment. Deliberate and un-repented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit

mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of

God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God‟s grace it is humanly reparable. „Venial

sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and

consequently eternal happiness.‟”

In summary, mortal sin is an intentional violation of the Ten Commandments (in thought, word

or deed), committed in full knowledge of the gravity of the matter, and it results in the loss of

salvation. Salvation may be regained through repentance and God‟s forgiveness. Venial sin may

be a violation of the Ten Commandments or a sin of a lesser nature, but it is committed

38

unintentionally and/or without full consent. Although damaging to one‟s relationship with God,

venial sin does not result in loss of eternal life.

Don’t panic - Grace to the rescue!

The demand to love without limit is very demanding. Christ's disciples thought so, too. They

couldn't believe that the demands of discipleship far exceeded human ability: "When the

disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, 'Then who can be saved?'" (Mt 19:25).

Jesus' response to them reveals the key: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are

possible" (Mt 19:26). Subsequently, Catholics believe that we cannot save ourselves, but that it

is God who saves us. We can either cooperate with God or not.

Any gift of God may be called a “grace” but special graces are associated with worship,

almsgiving and other works of charity. Grace is considered the life and strength of the soul.

“Are you saved?” is a question typically posed by evangelical Christians. The response is “I‟m

redeemed. Christ has died for my sins and paid the price of my salvation”. What‟s the

difference you ask? It would be like someone purchasing a free pass for you at Disney. It‟s

bought and paid for. But YOU have to actually go. This is an illustration of cooperating with

God‟s grace.

Catholics believe that the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, imparted at the Sacrament of

Confirmation helps them to live a more virtuous life in accordance with the twelve fruits of the

Holy Spirit or the virtues that flow from the acceptance of the gifts mentioned above.

It boils down to this:

God creates us in the state of freedom. We are at liberty to choose, based on reason and

will, whether to act or not in a specific situation. We are responsible for our choices.

With these choices, we choose our own ultimate destiny: that of eternal life with God, or

that of death.

We believe that moral truth is objective, and not relative to the subjective whims of

culture or taste. It is valid at all times & everywhere. God is the ultimate source of all

moral truth.

People have an innate sense of basic moral truth. Using human reason, we can deduce the

principles of this natural law. But because sin clouds our vision of the truth, God has

chosen to directly reveal the law to us.

We use our natural facility called conscience to apply the general principles of the law to

specific situations, judging specific actions to be right or wrong in accordance with

objective law. (Conscience is not the source of those moral principles!)

39

Here's the basic content of the moral law:

A. The Beatitudes (see above)

B. The Catholic Ten Commandments describe "the conditions of a life freed from the

slavery of sin" (Catechism, 2057). 1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only

shall you serve.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Honor 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 neighbor.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Each Commandment is simply a summary of a whole category of actions. For example,

"bearing false witness against your neighbor" covers any kind of falsehood: perjury,

lying, slander, detraction, bragging, rash judgment, etc.

(I address some specific issues in the next section, below.)

The Commandments must be understood in relation to the "law of love." (That's why we

discussed it at length above!)

C. The Precepts of the Catholic Church

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile

labor.

We must "sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord" (Sunday), as

well as the principal feast days, known as Catholic holy days of obligation. This requires

attending Mass, "and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such

a sanctification of these days."

2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.

We must prepare for the Eucharist by means of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance

or Confession). This sacrament "continues Baptism's work of conversion and

forgiveness."

3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.

This "guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection

with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy."

4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

40

"The fourth precept ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the

liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart." See

below for more about fasting & abstinence.

5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.

"The fifth precept means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of

the Church, each according to his own ability."

(These cites are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in its section about the Precepts of

the Catholic Church (#2041-3).)

Note that these precepts of the Catholic Church are required, unless you have a legitimate reason

for not meeting them. For example:

If you are sick, tending to a sick child, or camping in the wilderness on Sunday and

cannot get to Mass, it is not a grave violation to miss Mass that day.

Children, the elderly, and pregnant or nursing women do not have to fast on normal fast

days (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday).

Confession is not necessary unless you are in the state of serious or Mortal sin.

Section Three: Subjective Morality

Catholic Theology does not operate under the presumption that moral relativism is valid. While

it concedes that subjectivity and circumstances weigh significantly in the coming to a decision on

a moral issue, neither the opinion of the subject nor the gravity of circumstances can, in

themselves, change the “rightness” or the “wrongness” of an act.

While all persons are always obliged to follow the dictates of their conscience, they are also

obliged to inform their conscience as to the rightness or wrongness of their own thinking

according to a more universal standard.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that conscience is the act of applying our knowledge of good and evil

to what we do (or might do). So in order to (naturally) know what is a good action or a bad one,

one would need to understand how things are naturally ordered by God. Primarily what human

nature is, and what things it needs and deserves. This order which dictates what is good or evil

behavior is called the Natural Law by Aquinas. God can and does also supernaturally reveal what

is and is not in accordance with his will, e.g. the Ten Commandments and Christ's Two Great

Commandments. One also needs to apply this knowledge to what one does, and so one needs to

be free to act in accordance with what one knows to be the Divine order of things, or not. Our

conscience is our realization that what we might do or have done is good or not, but it is not the

actual doing or the choosing. On a technical note, for Aquinas conscience is the act of

understanding what is right and wrong, though the name may be applied by extension to a habit

or power of performing this act of understanding. The virtue of making correct judgments about

right or wrong, i.e. appropriate exercises of conscience, is called prudence.

41

The reason that this is important is that one cannot do the right thing if one does not know what

the right thing is. So, if someone has problems with their conscience, it does not seem

appropriate to blame them. Children do not have fully formed consciences, and do not always

understand what is the right thing to do. If a child does wrong because he or she didn't know any

better, or because he or she thought it was the right thing to do, we do not (or should not) blame

and punish him or her. Aquinas therefore believes that not only is one excused from wrongdoing

if one's conscience is in error, one also is bound to do the wrong thing if one's conscience tells

one that it is the RIGHT thing to do. He also believes that one has a duty to have a well-formed

conscience, one that knows what the right thing to do is. Even though an erring conscious

excuses one from doing wrong, one may have done wrong in letting one's conscience fall into

error. Aaah, there‟s the rub.

If you care to read Aquinas on the conscience, you can see Summa Theologiae Ia, q. 79, a. 13 -

Whether conscience is a power. Aquinas' treatment on natural law can be found in ST I-II, q. 92

+ ff. I also have an essay in which I try to explain natural law on my web site. (Aquinas on

Natural Law.) An overview of ethics, e.g. McInerny's Ethica Thomistica (Washington, DC: The

Catholic University of America Press, 1982) should also prove useful.

42

Section Four: The Conditions for Moral Actions

According to Catholic moral theology subjective moral actions are always weighed according to

a more objective standard. As already stated these “objective codes” are exemplified in the

Beatitudes, the Commandments, and the Precepts of the Church.

Consider the fact that Dante places both Marcus Brutus and Judas Iscariot at the bottom of his

Inferno. Brutus, as we are told, never really did anything in his entire life that he considered

wrong. Does that mean that he truly never did anything that was wrong, or that perhaps he had

an “uninformed” or “misinformed” conscience? The fact that he killed Caesar on March 15, 44

BC is no exception to this. How so?

Well, to his sincere republican mind, his duty to protect the state from dictatorial rule far

outweighed his other duties. He initiated the murder plot and participated in it after arriving at

the sincere conclusion that there was probably no other way and it was the best thing to do.

Despite an inner struggle not only with his other responsibilities and duties but also with his own

lack of political ambition led him to long for a peaceful private life.

Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, probably never cared much whether his actions were right or

wrong to begin with. He apparently did believe in some non-egoistic ethical standards, but

didn‟t seem to follow them very stringently as long as he could benefit personally from ignoring

them. His treachery toward Jesus is no exception to this. Now suppose for a moment that you

believe this story and that all acts of treason are wrong in your opinion.

If your moral and ethical standards bear any resemblance to those of most people, you would

probably agree that Brutus was a better man than Judas despite the treachery of each. If this is

true, then your opinion does not need to conflict with you general view of treason. Why so?

Probably because you have weighed one good against another and not a good against a „non-

good” or evil. Though treason is generally considered a “non-good”, you recognized the fact

that Brutus was otherwise noted as a person of high principles and standards. Perhaps if he acted

in this way there were compelling reasons to be considered. In contrast, Judas was self-seeking

and most people would find a betrayal of innocence of evil.

The Catholic ethical standard when weighed against the Beatitudes and the Commandments

clearly finds fault in the actions of both men. “Good intentions” do not constitute justification

for an evil act.

Watch: What Would You Do?

A Moral Dilemma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVK-hVGqCpo

43

Section Five: Conscience and the Criteria for Moral Decision Making.

All acts can be evaluated morally from this criteria.

A. The object chosen (objective norms of good such as the beatitudes,

Commandments, etc)

B. The intention (subjective selection of an already good or evil objective)

C. The circumstances. These can increase or diminish the moral good of an act and

the agent‟s responsibility (culpability).

Remember as we discussed above, for St. Thomas Aquinas, every conscience binds, even an

erring one. This means that if there is something that you believe you cannot do (after having

taken care to form your conscience as well as you can), even if the Church commands it, then

you cannot do it without committing a sin. Likewise, if there is something you believe you must

do, even if the Church forbids it, then you must do it or else commit a sin. The command of one's

conscience to do or not do something against what the Church directs has to be pretty strong in

order to fit what Aquinas is talking about. It is doubtful if many people disobey the Church's

prohibition on artificial contraception because they have sought to develop a well-formed

conscience and this conscience is telling them that they must take the pill. Though an erring

conscience binds, an erring conscience does not simply mean one does not have to obey any

authority; it is not a license to "disregard" anything. Conscience is an authority, and, in the end, it

is what one has to obey. (Of course it is not possible for a person to believe that she herself has

an erring conscience; it is the nature of a conscience (both erring and true) to believe that it is

true). Conscience is binding on all people. Does this imply that Brutus is not guilty of doing

anything wrong? Indeed not. It simply means that he might not be guilty of violating his

conscience for which, in the Catholic view, there could be some proportional mitigation of guilt.

Remember, however, Catholic theology teaches that all deeds must be weighed against the

objective standards already mentioned. Hence the actions of Brutus stand in a different light.

Jesus Says:

"...Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? ... If you would enter life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:15-17

St. Paul Says:

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury." (Rom 2:6-8)

44

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

1749 Freedom makes man a moral subject. When he acts deliberately, man is, so to speak, the

father of his acts. Human acts, that is, acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of

conscience, can be morally evaluated. They are either good or evil.

I. THE SOURCES OF MORALITY

1750 The morality of human acts depends on:

- the object chosen;

- the end in view or the intention;

- the circumstances of the action.

The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the "sources," or constitutive elements,

of the morality of human acts.

1751 The object chosen is a good toward which the will deliberately directs itself. It is the matter

of a human act. The object chosen morally specifies the act of the will, insofar as reason

recognizes and judges it to be or not to be in conformity with the true good. Objective norms of

morality express the rational order of good and evil, attested to by conscience.

1752 In contrast to the object, the intention resides in the acting subject. Because it lies at the

voluntary source of an action and determines it by its end, intention is an element essential to the

moral evaluation of an action. The end is the first goal of the intention and indicates the purpose

pursued in the action. The intention is a movement of the will toward the end: it is concerned

with the goal of the activity. It aims at the good anticipated from the action undertaken. Intention

is not limited to directing individual actions, but can guide several actions toward one and the

same purpose; it can orient one's whole life toward its ultimate end. For example, a service done

with the end of helping one's neighbor can at the same time be inspired by the love of God as the

ultimate end of all our actions. One and the same action can also be inspired by several

intentions, such as performing a service in order to obtain a favor or to boast about it.

1753 A good intention (for example, that of helping one's neighbor) does not make behavior that

is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the

means. Thus the condemnation of an innocent person cannot be justified as a legitimate means of

saving the nation. On the other hand, an added bad intention (such as vainglory) makes an act

evil that, in and of itself, can be good (such as almsgiving).39

1754 The circumstances, including the consequences, are secondary elements of a moral act.

They contribute to increasing or diminishing the moral goodness or evil of human acts (for

example, the amount of a theft). They can also diminish or increase the agent's responsibility

(such as acting out of a fear of death). Circumstances of themselves cannot change the moral

quality of acts themselves; they can make neither good nor right an action that is in itself evil.

45

II. GOOD ACTS AND EVIL ACTS

1755 A morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the

circumstances together. An evil end corrupts the action, even if the object is good in itself (such

as praying and fasting "in order to be seen by men").

The object of the choice can by itself vitiate an act in its entirety. There are some concrete acts -

such as fornication - that it is always wrong to choose, because choosing them entails a disorder

of the will, that is, a moral evil.

1756 It is therefore an error to judge the morality of human acts by considering only the intention

that inspires them or the circumstances (environment, social pressure, duress or emergency, etc.)

which supply their context. There are acts which, in and of themselves, independently of

circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object; such as

blasphemy and perjury, murder and adultery. One may not do evil so that good may result from

it.

IN BRIEF

1757 The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the three "sources" of the morality

of human acts.

1758 The object chosen morally specifies the act of willing accordingly as reason recognizes and

judges it good or evil.

1759 "An evil action cannot be justified by reference to a good intention" (cf. St. Thomas

Aquinas, Dec. praec. 6). The end does not justify the means.

1760 A morally good act requires the goodness of its object, of its end, and of its circumstances

together.

1761 There are concrete acts that it is always wrong to choose, because their choice entails a

disorder of the will, i.e., a moral evil. One may not do evil so that good may result from it.

Reflection Questions

1. What is the primary criteria for morality in the Catholic view?

2. Can good intentions justify an otherwise immoral act?

3. What if the circumstances are so horrible that a person decides in their conscience

to do something which the Church forbids?

46

Module Four: Liturgy and Sacraments

This module begins by defining liturgy and ritual and describing their importance in Catholic

worship. The second segment explores some elements that contribute to the celebration of

effective liturgy, especially the use of space, music, and symbolic actions, the role of the

assembly, and the importance of cultural expression. The remaining segments address the

meaning of sacrament and offer an overview of the Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of

Healing, and Sacraments at the Service of Communion.

Section One: Liturgy and Ritual

All public prayer is considered “liturgy”. The words used in each liturgy compose what is called

the “form” and are ordered into individual rituals. The most popular liturgy ritual in the Church

is called the “Liturgy of the Eucharist” or the “Mass”. The name “Mass” actually comes from

the end of the Latin ritual when the deacon says or sings “It missa est” “Go, you are dismissed”.

Any number of rituals can take place during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. For example the Ritual

of Baptism can take place during the Mass. Weddings and funerals also take place during the

Eucharistic Liturgy as do ordinations to the diaconate and priesthood, as well as the Sacrament of

Confirmation, all of which we will discuss shortly.

There are many other “liturgies” in the Church as well. The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as

the Divine Office, is a manner in which the Church marks time through the day. Days may be

part of a greater Liturgical Season such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, The Sacred Triduum, Easter,

Pentecost, or “Ordinary Time”. Within these seasons also occur the individual days of

celebration of special remembrance for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Saints, or other special

occasions. Other liturgies include the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Bible Vigils, and

the Liturgy of the Word, with or without Communion. These form the common worship of

Catholics around the world.

Section Two: The Celebration of Liturgy

Since Liturgy constitutes the public prayer of the Church, it is essential that every opportunity be

explored to ensure that the space used is appropriate or able to be made so. Though the essence

of each liturgy is something completely apart, the use of pictures, paintings, staging, lighting,

liturgical banners, carpets, projections, etc. are all elements to be employed for the benefit of the

congregation.

Appropriate music might include considerations of the culture and age of the congregation as

well as other ministerial functions such as training and teaching for other Church purposes. The

preference is for live music, yet on certain occasions, such as a group retreat or other similar

setting, recorded music can sometimes be employed.

The consideration of liturgical actions would begin with the person presiding, usually a bishop,

priest, or deacon, but can include at times a designated lay person. The ritual prescribes different

norms depending on the presider. Liturgical actions consist of the “rubrics” or things in the

ritual printed as instructions for the presider. This might include standing, sitting, kneeling, or

47

even the position or actions of the arms or hands, such as in dispensing a blessing over the

congregation.

In addition to the presider, other ministers with designated parts in the liturgy might include

clergy and lay members. Lay persons are allowed to function in the role of “Reader” commonly

called a “Lector”. This person generally reads selections from the Old or New Testament outside

of the Gospel, which is reserved for the deacon or the priest. In the absence of a deacon, a lay

person may be delegated to read general petitions during the Eucharistic Liturgy for the Church

and its needs. Other lay persons may function as special or “extraordinary” ministers of Holy

Communion. The “ordinary” ministers being the bishop, priest or deacon. Particular postures

and gestures are assigned to each role. Lay persons also serve as ministers of hospitality or

“ushers” and assist with church collections and bulletin distribution.

Other roles of the laity might include liturgical dance in certain cultures. Musicians, vocalists

and instrumentalists are generally recruited from among the laity as well.

In the Liturgy of the Hours gestures include standing and sitting generally while specific

members of the community would be assigned certain roles in leading prayers or reading for the

congregation .

Section Three: The Sacraments

Sacraments are generally described as an outward sign, instituted by Christ to give grace (see

p.38). Special graces associated with the sacraments are known as “sacramental graces”. There

are seven formal sacraments in the Catholic Church, yet truly the number is innumerable insofar

as each person is also called to be a sacrament by their baptism.

The formal Sacraments are

Baptism Confirmation Holy Eucharist Reconciliation (Penance)

Matrimony Holy Orders and The Anointing of the Sick

The Major Grouping of Sacraments is as follows:

A. Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist

B. Sacraments of Healing: Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick

C. Sacraments of Vocation: Matrimony and Holy Orders

48

See

Sacraments http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1TDx0IGG8Q&feature=related

Each of the seven sacraments have three components. Matter, which forms the material or the

“stuff” of the sacrament; Form, or the prescribed words that are used in the effecting and

administration of the sacrament; and Minister, who performs the act for the Church.

While ministers in the Catholic Church have traditionally been are ordained, non-ordained lay

ministries have evolved greatly since the time of the last Church Council (meeting of all of the

Bishops) known as Vatican II which took place between 1962 and 1965.

Bishops Gathered at Vatican II

49

Baptism & Sacraments of Initiation

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION

1212 The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the

foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the

grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life.

The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and

receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian

initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance

toward the perfection of charity."

1. Baptism:

Matter: Water, Sacred Oils

Form: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

Minister: Usual ministers are a deacon or priest. Bishops also baptize. Certain places have

designated lay persons to baptize where no deacon or priest is available. In an

emergency, anyone may baptize by using ordinary water and pouring while

saying the above form.

Scripture:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling

council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come

from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with

him." 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he

is born again]"

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot

enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of

water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

7You should

not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases.

50

You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with

everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:1-8)

Catholics generally baptize their children as infants. There is a process for the baptism of older

children known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) and for adults which is

known as The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Baptism makes the person a member of the Church, imparts a special character on the soul and

removes what is traditionally known as “original sin” which was the sin of Adam and Eve

resulting in death. Baptism assures the soul that it will never know death but will have the

opportunity to live with God forever.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

1275 Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the

beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which

nourishes the disciple with Christ's Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.

1276 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"

(Mt 28:19-20).

1277 Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is

necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.

1278 The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water

on his head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Spirit.

1279 The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of

original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son

of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person

baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood

of Christ.

1280 Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates

the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated

(cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).

1281 Those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens, and all those who, without

knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to

fulfill his will, can be saved even if they have not been baptized (cf. LG 16).

51

1282 Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a

gift of God that does not presuppose any human merit; children are baptized in the faith of the

Church. Entry into Christian life gives access to true freedom.

1283 With respect to children who have died without Baptism, the liturgy of the Church invites

us to trust in God's mercy and to pray for their salvation.

1284 In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he have the intention of doing

that which the Church does and provided that he pours water on the candidate's head while

saying: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

See:

Baptism in the Catholic Church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QeHrzzyyAU

Infant Baptism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jySNiNB1NQ

The Pope Baptizes Children http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb7WerI4Xt8

52

2. Confirmation

Matter: Sacred Oil (Chrism) A mixture of olive oil and balsam. Oil symbolizes “strength”

and balsam, a sweet smelling aeromatic representing the “sweetness of the truth”.

Form: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit”

Minister: The Bishop is the usual minister of Confirmation. At the Easter Vigil a

priest may confirm the newly baptized.

Scripture:

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the

word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15

When they arrived, they

prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16

because the Holy

Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized

in] the name of the Lord Jesus.

17Then Peter and John placed their hands

on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)

The usual age for the sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Palm Beach is during the

Ninth grade. This removed it from being part of a graduation rite for Catholic elementary

schools. Adults are confirmed at the Easter Vigil in their own parish or at the visitation of the

Bishop for the conferral of the Sacrament. In the Diocese of Palm Beach the sacrament is also

offered on the feast of Pentecost (50 days after Easter) at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola.

53

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

1315 "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God,

they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive

the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the

name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit"

(Acts 8:14-17).

1316 Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in

order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ,

strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us

bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.

1317 Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the

Christian's soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in one's life.

1318 In the East this sacrament is administered immediately after Baptism and is followed by

participation in the Eucharist; this tradition highlights the unity of the three sacraments of

Christian initiation. In the Latin Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason

has been reached, and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus signifying that this

sacrament strengthens the ecclesial bond.

1319 A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be

in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the

role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal

affairs.

1320 The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred

chrism (in the East other sense-organs as well), together with the laying on of the minister's hand

and the words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy

Spirit.) in the Roman rite, or: Signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti [the seal of the gift of the Holy

Spirit] in the Byzantine rite.

1321 When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, its connection with Baptism is

expressed, among other ways, by the renewal of baptismal promises. The celebration of

Confirmation during the Eucharist helps underline the unity of the sacraments of Christian

initiation.

Catholic Confirmation Moment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEM70opISZQ

Confirmation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bawzl1c2Vsg&feature=related

54

3. Holy Eucharist

Matter: Bread and Wine

Form: “This is my body….This is my blood”

Minister: Bishop or Priest

Scripture: All of John Chapter 6. “Bread of Life Discourse” and the following

26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his

disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of

you. 28

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness

of sins. (Matthew 26:26-29)

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Catholics believe that bread and

wine are actually changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during the Mass. This is not

viewed as a “symbolic” change but an actual one. To receive the Holy Eucharist, Catholics are

to prepare themselves spiritually. St. Paul writes:

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner

will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28

A man ought to

examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29

For anyone who eats

and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (I Corinthians 11: 27-29)

55

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

1406 Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this

bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . .

abides in me, and I in him" (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).

1407 The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his

Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on

the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is

the Church.

1408 The Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God;

thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration

of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord's body and

blood. These elements constitute one single act of worship.

1409 The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, that is, of the work of salvation

accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, a work made present by the liturgical

action.

1410 It is Christ himself, the eternal high priest of the New Covenant who, acting through the

ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present

under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.

1411 Only validly ordained priests can preside at the Eucharist and consecrate the bread and the

wine so that they become the Body and Blood of the Lord.

1412 The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which

the blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked and the priest pronounces the words of consecration

spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper: "This is my body which will be given up for you. . . .

This is the cup of my blood. . . ."

1413 By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood

of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself,

living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood,

with his soul and his divinity (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).

1414 As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the

dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God.

1415 Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of

grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having

received absolution in the sacrament of penance.

56

1416 Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicant's union with

the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this

sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also

reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.

1417 The Church warmly recommends that the faithful receive Holy Communion when they

participate in the celebration of the Eucharist; she obliges them to do so at least once a year.

1418 Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the

worship of adoration. "To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression

of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Paul VI, MF 66).

1419 Having passed from this world to the Father, Christ gives us in the Eucharist the pledge of

glory with him. Participation in the Holy Sacrifice identifies us with his Heart, sustains our

strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now

to the Church in heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.

Scriptural Basis for the Eucharist or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eIkRhzzsdI&feature=fvw

Real Presence or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-H7N6xLBiE

The Eucharist or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ4tEFPuhYI&feature=related

Fr. Stan's School of the Eucharist or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdiolzhztIs

57

Sacraments of Healing

4. Reconciliation

Reconciliation, alternately known as Penance or “Confession” is the sacrament by which

any and all sins committed after baptism can be forgiven. The penitent tells the priest his

sins and is absolved after he or she indicates true sorrow, a firm purpose of amendment,

and makes an act of contrition, a prayer acknowledging responsibility and expressing

sorrow.

Matter: The sins of the penitent

Form: I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son, and

of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Minister: A bishop or priest.

Scripture: 23

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive

them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:23)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

1485 "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week," Jesus showed himself to his

apostles. "He breathed on them, and said to them: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the

sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained"' (Jn 20:19, 22-23).

1486 The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular sacrament

called the sacrament of conversion, confession, penance, or reconciliation.

1487 The sinner wounds God's honor and love, his own human dignity as a man called to be a

son of God, and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a

living stone.

1488 To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for

sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world.

58

1489 To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin is a process born of the

grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men. One must ask for this

precious gift for oneself and for others.

1490 The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow for and

abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more in the future. Conversion

touches the past and the future and is nourished by hope in God's mercy.

1491 The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the

priest's absolution. The penitent's acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the

priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation.

1492 Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from faith. If

repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called "perfect" contrition; if it is founded on

other motives, it is called "imperfect."

1493 One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a

priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his

conscience. The confession of venial faults, without being necessary in itself, is nevertheless

strongly recommended by the Church.

1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of "satisfaction" or "penance" to be

performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm caused by sin and to re-establish habits

befitting a disciple of Christ.

1495 Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the Church

can forgive sins in the name of Christ.

1496 The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:

- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;

- reconciliation with the Church;

- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;

- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;

- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;

- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.

1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only

ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.

1498 Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting

from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory.

See the videos on the following page

I Confess or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBhVc52OO0Q

59

How to go to Confession or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdNwS-2qYDk&feature=fvw

Confession or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UJUQU6503A&feature=related

Sacrament of Reconciliation or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VLFDOiABok

Reconciliation and Confession or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogAzzMJ5IqU&feature=related

60

5. Anointing of the Sick

Matter: Blessed Oil of the Infirmed

Form: By this holy anointing may the Lord in his mercy and love help you with the

grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord save you from sin and raise you up.

Minister: Bishop or Priest

Scripture:

14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him

and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15

And the prayer offered in faith

will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he

will be forgiven. 16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each

other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and

effective. (James 5:14-16)

While deacons anoint at Baptism and may convey the blessings of the Church upon the sick, they

have not been extended the faculty to anoint the sick. They may perform the other rituals in the

Pastoral Care of the Sick as indicated.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

1526 "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray

over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the

sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (Jas

5:14-15).

61

1527 The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace

on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave illness or old age.

1528 The proper time for receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the believer

begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age.

1529 Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also

when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.

1530 Only priests (presbyters and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick,

using oil blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter himself.

1531 The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick consists essentially in the anointing of the

forehead and hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite) or of other parts of the body (in the

Eastern rite), the anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer of the celebrant asking for

the special grace of this sacrament.

1532 The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:

- the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole

Church;

- the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness

or old age;

- the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of

Penance;

- the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;

- the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

The Sacrament of the Sick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Etsq0xjAso

The Anointing of the Sick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nd3GF_5RtU&feature=related

62

Sacraments of Vocation

6. Holy Orders

Holy Orders is the sacrament by which a man is selected from among the laity and “ordained”.

Through this sacrament he becomes a member of the clergy. Married men may apply to become

deacons. Unmarried men may not marry after ordination to the diaconate. Most priests in the

Roman Rite are celibate. There are a small number of married priests who were ordained

ministers in other denominations. Following their conversion such men are eligible to apply for

Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. The Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church allow for married

deacons to be ordained priests. Even in the Eastern Catholic Church, marriage after ordination to

the diaconate is not allowed.

Matter: Sacred vessels, Books, Blessed Oil (for priests and bishops)

Form: “Grant, we beseech You, Almighty Father, to these Your servants, the dignity of

the Priesthood; renew within them the spirit of holiness. May they hold from You,

the office of the second rank in Your service and by the example of their behavior

afford a pattern of holy living.”

Minister: Only a bishop may confer Holy Orders.

Scripture: "The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: You art a priest for ever according

to the order of Melchisedech." Psalm 109:4

"Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the

disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and

said to them: Peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his

side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said to them again: Peace

be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on

them; and he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are

forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." John 20:19-23

63

"Wherefore, brethren, look out among you for seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy

Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business...These they set before the apostles;

and they praying, imposed hands upon them." Acts 6:3,6

(St. Paul to Timothy, whom he ordained) "For which cause I admonish you, that you stir up the

grace of God which is in you, by the imposition of my hands." II Timothy 1:6

"If I saw an Angel and a priest, I would bend my knee first to the priest and then to the Angel."

St. Francis of Assisi (later quoted by St. John Vianney)

64

There are three distinct holy “orders”:

The order of bishops, called the episcopate -

Bishop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPvoE7I8fFw

- The order of priests, called the presbyterate

Priesthood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txNoJSrUE-A&feature=related

The order of deacons, called the diaconate -

Diaconate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkEMejA2aZs

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1590 St. Paul said to his disciple Timothy: "I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is

within you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Tim 1:6), and "If any one aspires to the office

of bishop, he desires a noble task." (1 Tim 3:1) To Titus he said: "This is why I left you in Crete,

that you amend what was defective, and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you"

(Titus 1:5).

1591 The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the

priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the "common priesthood of the faithful." Based

on this common priesthood and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the

mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders, where the task is to

serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head in the midst of the community.

65

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful

because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise

their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus

liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).

1593 Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three

degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. The ministries conferred by

ordination are irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop,

presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall.

3,1).

1594 The bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, which integrates him into

the episcopal college and makes him the visible head of the particular Church entrusted to him.

As successors of the apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic

responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the Pope, successor of St.

Peter.

1595 Priests are united with the bishops in sacerdotal dignity and at the same time depend on

them in the exercise of their pastoral functions; they are called to be the bishops' prudent co-

workers. They form around their bishop the presbyterium which bears responsibility with him for

the particular Church. They receive from the bishop the charge of a parish community or a

determinate ecclesial office.

1596 Deacons are ministers ordained for tasks of service of the Church; they do not receive the

ministerial priesthood, but ordination confers on them important functions in the ministry of the

word, divine worship, pastoral governance, and the service of charity, tasks which they must

carry out under the pastoral authority of their bishop.

1597 The sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by the laying on of hands followed by a solemn

prayer of consecration asking God to grant the ordained the graces of the Holy Spirit required for

his ministry. Ordination imprints an indelible sacramental character.

1598 The Church confers the sacrament of Holy Orders only on baptized men (viri), whose

suitability for the exercise of the ministry has been duly recognized. Church authority alone has

the responsibility and right to call someone to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.

1599 In the Latin Church the sacrament of Holy Orders for the presbyterate is normally

conferred only on candidates who are ready to embrace celibacy freely and who publicly

manifest their intention of staying celibate for the love of God's kingdom and the service of men.

1600 It is bishops who confer the sacrament of Holy Orders in the three degrees.

We Need Heroes or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XptrJNoLBeI&feature=related

Deacons or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk6s1OLE_DA

66

7.Matrimony

There are said to be Six Sacraments in the Church plus One. The “one” is Matrimony because it

also exists and is validly contracted outside of the Church by non-Catholics. The Catholic

Church presumes all marriages contracted outside of the Catholic Church by non-Catholics to be

valid. A Catholic is released from marriage upon the death of his or her spouse. A Catholic may

divorce under certain circumstances and remain in good standing as long as they do not attempt

to enter into another marriage. Other than the death of a spouse, the only way a Catholic can

approach another marriage is if he or she seeks a decree of nullity of the original marriage. This

is commonly referred to as an “annulment”.

Matter: The matter of the Sacrament of Matrimony is the exchange of consent

Form: Priest/Deacon /Other Authorized Minister : "Do you take ___ as your lawful

wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse,

for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death

do you part?"

For Catholics “Form” will also include place, Canonically appropriate Church

Minister, Witnesses, State License, proper dispensations, etc.

Bride/Groom: "I do" Bride/Groom: "I take this ring as a sign of my love and

faithfulness in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit." "

Minister: Though there is an official to “witness” the marriage on behalf of the Church the

marriage is actually conveyed on the couple by one another. Hence, they are the

“ministers” of the sacrament.

Scripture: 4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them

male and female,'[a]

5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and

mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'[b]

? 6So they

are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not

separate." (Matthew 19 4-6)

67

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

1659 St. Paul said: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church. . . . This is a great

mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church" (Eph 5:25, 32).

1660 The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate

communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the

Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and

education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a

sacrament (cf. CIC, can. 1055 # 1; cf. GS 48 # 1).

1661 The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses

the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of

the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity,

and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1799).

1662 Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give

themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful

and fruitful love.

1663 Since marriage establishes the couple in a public state of life in the Church, it is fitting that

its celebration be public, in the framework of a liturgical celebration, before the priest (or a

witness authorized by the Church), the witnesses, and the assembly of the faithful.

1664 Unity, indissolubility, and openness to fertility are essential to marriage. Polygamy is

incompatible with the unity of marriage; divorce separates what God has joined together; the

refusal of fertility turns married life away from its "supreme gift," the child (GS 50 # 1).

1665 The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and

law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive

Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in

the faith.

1666 The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith.

For this reason the family home is rightly called "the domestic church," a community of grace

and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.

68

Module Five: Prayer

Catholics have many forms of prayer as well as many “form-prayers”. Forms of prayer include

meditation, contemplation, recitation, personal prayer, spontaneous prayer, charismatic prayer,

common prayer, liturgical prayer and “Lectio Divina”.

Experience Lectio Divina With Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto here.

Lestio Divina Part 1 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yENcpz0J7k8

Part 2 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnj0_O0LsIw&NR=1

Part 3 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKGo9Ft6LY&NR=1

Part 4 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6lwi5M958&NR=1

Part 5 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6lwi5M958&NR=1

Form Prayers

Catholics consider the Lord‟s Prayer or the “Our Father” as the perfect prayer because it contains

within it all forms of prayer including adoration, petition and contrition. This is taken from

Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on

earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen explains the “Our Father”

Archbishop Sheen Our Father Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wSOwVRes3o&feature=PlayList&p=79A0E5FDCEB03A08&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=63

Archbishop Our Father Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv7rBhgKg_o&feature=PlayList&p=79A0E5FDCEB03A08&index=64

Archbishop Our Father Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aExwYvRUDrs&feature=PlayList&p=79A0E5FDCEB03A08&index=65

Archbishop Our Father Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G07KxJnrrsw&feature=PlayList&p=79A0E5FDCEB03A08&index=66

69

The “Hail Mary” (Ave Maria) is the second most popular form-prayer. Like the Lord‟s prayer it

is taken at least in part from the Gospel of St. Luke 1:28,42.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

Hail Mary or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85tfBBmbuMc

The Third most popular form prayer is the “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the

Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

This prayer is also used as an ending to the Psalms when prayed communally.

Together, these three prayers form the greater part of the Rosary, a Catholic devotional form

prayer.

The Rosary

On the beads we pray the 'Hail Mary' in sets of ten called decades. Each decade is framed by an

'Our Father' and a Doxology (Glory to the Father). While praying these prayers, we reflect on the

mysteries or events in the life of Jesus, a different mystery for each decade. (Link: off-site

Multimedia Rosary)

The Mysteries of the Rosary

JOYFUL MYSTERIES The Annunciation

the Visitation

The Birth of Our Lord

The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES The Agony in the Garden

The Scourging at the Pillar The Crowning

with Thorns

The Carrying of the Cross

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES The Agony in the Garden

The Scourging at the Pillar

The Crowning with Thorns

The Carrying of the Cross

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

70

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES The Resurrection

The Ascension

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

MYSTERIES OF LIGHT Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan

His self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana

His proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with the call to conversion.

Transfiguration of Jesus

Institution of the Eucharist, as sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery.

THE PRAYERS

HAIL MARY Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the

fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of

our death. Amen.

OUR FATHER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on

earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

(For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and for ever.) Amen.

DOXOLOGY Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

APOSTLES' CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His

only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin

Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the

dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of

the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the

holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the

body, and life everlasting. Amen.

71

Rosary Glourious Sundays & Wednesdays or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnRzs03RVHY&feature=fvw

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2zEZqpRq_0&NR=1

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGOYY0I-gd0&feature=related

72

Reflections

Gratitude

Fr. Leo Clifford, OFM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6oQtWRAqYQ&feature=related

To Know, Love, and to Serve

Fr. Leo Clifford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EdmLfGcFY8&feature=related

What is YOUR philosophy of life?

Fr. Leo Clifford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYIzkwxXGrk&feature=PlayList&p=AF0C98D3FF86510C

&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

St. Theresa 's Prayer with John Michael Talbot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKKALl6kv1U

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 1

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 2

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 3

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 4

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 5

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 6

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 7

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 8

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 9

Catholics as Citizens and Disciples Part 10

We hope you have found the information contained in these pages helpful in acquainting you

with the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. Please speak to someone in the Campus

Ministry Office or the religious Studies department for any clarification or other information you

might seek‟

We are most grateful for your sharing your gifts with us.

73

RESOURCES

For additional resources see the Website for the Diocese of Palm Beach at diocesepb.org

The Vatican http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

The Vatican City-State Official Website http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/homepage.htm

Eternal Word Catholic Television Network http://www.ewtn.com/

Nunciature to United States of America http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxxus.html

United States Embassy to the Holy See http://vatican.usembassy.gov/english/

Florida Catholic Conference http://www.flacathconf.org/