Morality

Catholic morality is about life:  "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."   

- John 10:10

The Law of Love

Love, or charity, is the great commandment of the Lord. Love of God and love of neighbor are the source & summary of Catholic morality. "All the law and the prophets" flow from this starting point. This means that what love requires is the essence of all moral rules, all of the Ten Commandments, and all aspects of morality spoken of by the prophets and even by Christ himself. The only things needed are those things which love makes necessary.

Basic Concepts in Catholic Moral Theology

Freedom - 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.

Truth - 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.

Natural law - 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.

Law - 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 - Conscience is not the source of those moral principles!

The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus

The Beatitudes are statements made by Jesus Christ, as recorded in part by the Gospels of Matthew (5:3-10) and Luke (6:22). Luke’s list of beatitudes is shorter, and he attributes the statements to the Sermon on the Plain. Matthew’s record is from the Sermon on the Mount and is a more extensive list of the words said to have been spoken by Christ. The term beatitude comes from the Latin beatus, which translates as blessed. The solemn blessings (beatitudines, benedictiones) which mark the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, the very first of Our Lord's sermons in the Gospel of St. Matthew.

• 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.

-Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10

The 10 Commandments

I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.

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

2. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

3. Honor your father and your mother.

4. You shall not kill.

5. You shall not commit adultery.

6. You shall not steal.

7. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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

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

Precepts of the Catholic Church

The Precepts of the Catholic Church are a description of the absolute minimum actions required of Catholics regarding the Church.

The Church uses these precepts remind us that Christian life requires a commitment to prayer and active participation in the liturgy and sacraments. If we fall below this bare-minimum level, we can't rightly consider ourselves to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. Each of these precepts of the Catholic Church is a requirement.

Together with the Ten Commandments, they represent the minimum level of moral living.

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 (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. "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.

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 quotations are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
in its section about the Precepts of the Catholic Church (#2041-43).)

Remember above all else:

• The law of love is primary.

• The "law and the prophets" are summarized by the command to love God and neighbor.

• The basic moral precepts of Catholic morality are a minimum level below which we must not go.

• This is about life — "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ but are found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them." Infused with His gifts, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct, the way Christ Himself would.

Wisdom - With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image of God. Lastly being able to see God in everyone and everything everywhere.

Understanding - With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. Thomas Aquinas writes, it is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known.

Counsel (right judgment) - With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. The gift of truth that allows the person to respond prudently, and happily to believe our Christ the Lord.

Fortitude (Courage) - With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult.

Knowledge - With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God's Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and tradition. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.

Piety (Reverence) - With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Thomas Aquinas writes.

Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) - With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Thomas Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Also known as knowing God is all powerful. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in its correct location with respect to God: we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity. Please note that while the Cathechism of the Catholic Church lists 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit versus the Holy Bible that only lists 9, you will only find 9 in the modern versions of the Holy Bibles. The Latin Vulgate states 12 fruit as follows:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity,
goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.
Against such there is no law."

Gal. 5:22-23, Latin Vulgate