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Life in Christ: Christian Morality

Session 3:The Commandments – Love of Neighbor

How can I order my life according to the Great Commandment?

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Session Schedule

• Opening Prayer• Paired Activity• Talk #1: The Great Commandment• Standing Activity • Talk #2: The Commandments and the Social Order• Small Group Activity• Closing Prayer

Ignatian Meditation

• Imagine the scene • See yourself as one of the characters• Reflect on insights from the encounter

Opening Prayer: The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-37)

Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him….

The Good Samaritan The next day he took out

two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back’.”

Jesus asked, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Paired Activity: Pair, Share, Compare

Why is it so difficult to love some of our neighbors as ourselves?

What obstacles or challenges do you face in following the Commandments?

Talk #1: The Great Commandment--“Love your neighbor as yourself”

- Commandments vs. Culture

IV. Protecting the family as the sanctuary of life & domestic church

V. Protecting the intrinsic dignity and worth of the human person

VI. Protecting the beauty and truth of human sexuality, and the virtue of chastity

- Ongoing personal conversion, lifelong self-examination and transformation

The Fourth Commandment:Honor your father and mother

“Honor our parents to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God.” (CCC, n. 2197)

Do: - Show honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors (as well as other leaders in the community, e.g., teachers)- Promote harmony within the family (particularly with siblings)

Don’t: -Refuse Obedience

++++++++++++++++++Defends: Respect for Life, Marriage, and Speech

The Fifth Commandment:You shall not kill

“Every human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred”

(CCC, n. 2319)

Do’s:- Respect human life- Respect the dignity of the persons- Safeguard peace

Don’ts: - Intentional Homicide - Scandal -Abortion - Suicide-Euthanasia

++++++++++++++++++++Defends: Human life, Dignity of the Human Person

Path to Non-Violence

The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery

“God gives personal dignity equally to both men and women; each should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity” (CCC, n. 2393)

Do’s:-Chastity -Temperance-Mutual respect -Fidelity -Natural Family Planning (not “rhythm”)Don’ts:-Lust -Fornication (intercourse outside of marriage)-Masturbation -Pornography - Divorce-Prostitution -Contraception - Homosexual activity

___________________________________________Defends: Marriage, dignity of the human person, chastity, and virtue

The Virtue of Chastity• “Chastity means the successful

integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man and his spiritual being.” (CCC, n. 2337)

• Expected of all Christians, both unmarried and married…

• “Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom…by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.” (CCC, n. 2359)

Standing Activity: Commandment Challenges

*Discuss your assigned commandment *Create a "poster" that promotes it

for people of our day…

*What does it teach? *Why is it important?*What are common reasons for not following this commandment?*Why do many people think it is not important?

IV. Honor your father & your mother

V. You shall not killVI. You shall not commit

adultery

Talk #2: The Commandments & the Social Order

The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal

“Enjoins the practice of justice and charity in the administration of earthly goods and the fruits of men’s labor” (CCC, n. 2451)

Do’s: -Respect the goods of others -Be Charitable -Practice Temperance -Live in Justice

Don’ts: -Theft -Unjust wages -Artificially manipulated prices-Fraud -Corruption -Poorly done work-Intentional damage to private or public property

+++++++++++++++++++++Defends: Social justice, charity, solidarity, private property, virtue

The Eighth Commandment:You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

“Put on the new man, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24)

Do’s:Honesty - TruthfulnessDiscretion -Bear witness to God and his Gospel

Don’ts: Disrespecting another’s reputation -False witness -CalumnyBoasting -Perjury -LyingRash judgment -Detraction

Defends: Dignity of the human person, charityIsn’t Truth Relative?

The Ninth Commandment:You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

“Purity of heart will enable us to see God” (CCC, n. 2531)

Do’s:-Modesty -Chastity -Purifying the heart-Virtue -Prayer -Temperance

Don’ts:-Lust-Adultery-Fornication

Defends: Dignity of the human person, chastity, virtue

The Tenth Commandment:You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods

“Requires that envy be banished from the human heart” (CCC, n. 2538)

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt 6:21)

Do’s:- Right desires- Poverty of Heart- Charity

Don’ts:- Envy - Greed- Avarice - Attachment to worldly goods

Defends: Relationship with God; virtue; natural human desire to see God

Small Group Activity:“Jeopardy” Review of Terms

• Love of God & Neighbor• Fundamental human community• Universal destination of Goods• Greed• Willing the good of the other• Chastity• Truthfulness• Envy• Commandments #4-10

• Dignity of the human person• Relativism• Purity of heart• Social being• Complementarity• Human Work• Modesty • Charity• “Domestic Church”• Private Property • Concupiscence

Discuss and define the following terms or phrases, and prepare a question for which the term or phrase is the answer:

Partner Activity:“Jeopardy” Review of Terms

Commandments& social order 4th, 5th , 6th 7th, 8th 9th & 10th

How can I order my life according to the Great Commandment?

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Follow-up Reflection and Resources

2) Recommended follow-up:

US/CCA, Chapters 28-34:

Catholicism, Episode VIII:“Communion of Saints”

1) Session Evaluation & Feedback

3) For Catechists & Catholic School Teachers:“Record of Formation,” including:

required reflection & documentation

Act of ContritionMy God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,

I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.

I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more,

and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

Closing Prayer:Mary, Bright Dawn of the New World

“O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy….”

Mary, Bright Dawn of the New World

“Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospelas a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it withgratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.”

+ Bl. John Paul II, The Gospel of Life

Glory be to the Father…