THEOLOGY 1

S01E01 | 1ST SEM | 2ND SHIFTING

UNIT III: CALLED TO FULLNESS IN CHRIST

3.1 GENUINE FREEDOM: PURSUIT OF GOOD

A. Dignity: God’s Image and

Likeness in Man
What is dignity according to Dignity
sacred texts? - man being made in the image and likeness of God

- man’s nature, like God is intrinsically good

- makes us all equal before the eyes of God

How freedom can be an Freedom
expression of dignity? - anchored on man’s dignity

- ex.: being made in the image and likeness of God

- towards good: can only be achieved and perfected in God while being
totally aware of the call (to be always faithful to one’s dignity)

“I am the way, I am the vine, you are the branches” (John)

- only through Christ can a man only actualize what being a true man is like

- there is no absolute freedom because it is only freedom when it is

towards the good

- our nature is to do only good

- if a person decides to do evil, he/she becomes unfree and a slave to his/

her uncontrolled passions
What is true freedom? True Freedom
- is a freedom only for the good

- Human person (perfect of God’s creation) must participate in God’s

creative works which are good

- Man: always expected to choose the good in all his/her undertakings

What is genuine freedom? Genuine Freedom

- must be given emphasis

- in order to straighten man’s path toward the awareness of one’s delity to

the dignity which was lost to sin
What happens when man As man strives to become “like-God”
strives to become “like-God”? - he/she is called to always be reminded that the more we become human

- the more we should be like God

Why Mother Teresa became an Mother Teresa
icon of holiness? - because she exercised the genuine freedom that Christians are all called
to do: the Works of God
B. Dignity and Freedom: The
Ful llment and Manifestation
of God’s Presence in Man
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How man can attain salvation? - Man’s life is from God and God alone has the sole right to take it away

- Washing man’s inequities through the blood of Christ makes man

acceptable before God

How man can be holy? - By virtue of baptism, as adapted sons and daughters of God, man’s body
becomes the temple of Holy Spirit

- God’s presence in man makes him/her holy and sacred.

What are the three reasons that How is God present in the Human Person?
God is present in the human 1. When God formed man, God breathed life into him and made him his
person? own. There exists the breath of life and the breath of God

2. When Christ redeemed the fallen nature of man, it came at a very high
price, which was paid by His blood and life

3. By virtue of baptism, man’s body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit.
How man can have freedom? - Now freedom enter here when man treats the other with outmost respect
and high regard for the presence of God in each person

- It is by virtue of our dignity that we are equal before the eyes of God

- Recognition of one’s and other’s dignity must be the basis of a

person’s genuine exercise of genuine freedom
- The way how I treat others is how God will treat me or other
Can anyone abuse or take away No
one’s dignity? - it is inalienable, nothing and no once can take away our dignity except for
those who are in doubt in God

- it is inviolable, nothing or no one has the right to harm, abuse or destroy it

Therefore

- we have no right to think that we are better than other because our
dignity makes us all equal

- no matter the sin, status of our lives, our dignity will remain equal in the
eyes of God
Where can we see the love of - Creation happened because of the unconditional, undying and unending
God? love of God

- Man’s response to that over owing love: faithfulness

How can we be responsible in The responsibility in exercising freedom
exercising freedom? - a person must always bear consciously and unconsciously that he/she is
the only one answerable and accountable for all the actions he/she
committed
How to tell if a person is serious If a person is serious in his/her pursuit of salvation
in his/her pursuit of salvation? - because of one’s love for God

- training in virtues must be of outmost concern

- fruits of freedom: this is seen in one’s relationship with others

What are the fruits of freedom? The fruits of freedom:

- must manifest in how the good is advance within one’s family, circle of
friends and the community
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How can man perfect himself/ - The intrinsic goodness of man is exercised through the aid of his/her free
herself? will and intellect

- The election toward the good is only achieved if the person is de nitively
bound to God & totally aware of the call to be always faithful to one’s
dignity

- Through this, man is able to perfect himself/herself & capable of arriving

at the promised salvation of Christ
How freedom is connected to - Freedom is our ability to be faithful to our dignity

dignity? - Doing God-like actions: loving, showing mercy, extending compassion,

forgiving

- Therefore, freedom is the ability to choose the good

- “The more we choose the good, the freer we become.”

What is the beginning of - To be free from crimes (murder, adultery, fornication, theft, fraud,
freedom? (St. Augustine) sacrilege, etc.)

- When one is without these crimes (and every Christian should be without
them), one begins to lift up one’s head towards freedom

- But this is only the beginning of freedom, not perfect freedom

C. Freedom and Law

Bible Verses Genesis 2:15

- The Lord God then the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to
cultivate and care for it.”

Genesis 2:16

- The Lord God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the
trees of the garden.”

Genesis 2:17
- Except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall
not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.

Genesis 2:18-21

- Biblical Passages Reading

- Story of Creation, Fall of Man, Protoevangelium (prophecy of the coming

of Christ)
What is the meaning of the Revelation
imagery of tree of knowledge of - teaches that the power to decide what is good and what is evil does not
good and evil? belong to man, but to God alone

Man is free
- given that he can understand and accept God’s commands

- he possesses an extremely far-reaching freedom, since he can eat “of

every tree of the garden.”

Man’s freedom is not limited

- it must halt before the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”

- for it is called to accept the moral law given by God

- Human freedom: nds its authentic and complete ful llment precisely in
the acceptance of that law

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 What is God’s law? God, who alone is good
- knows perfectly what is good for man

- by virtue of his very love proposes this good to man in the

commandments.

God’s law
- does not reduce, much less do away with freedom

- it protects and promotes that freedom

In contrast

- some present-day cultural tendencies have given rise to several current of

thought in ethics which centers upon an alleged con ict between freedom
and law
What are the thoughts of Doctrines
modern concepts about law? - would grant individuals or social groups the right to determine what is
good or evil

Thus, human freedom

- be able to “create values”

- would enjoy a primacy over truth, to the point that truth itself would
considered a creation of freedom

Thus, freedom

- lay claim to a moral autonomy which would actually amount to an

absolute sovereignty

Second Vatical Council

- as a response, there has been a desire to foster dialogue with modern
culture, emphasizing the rational

- thus, universally understandable and communicable, character of moral

norms belonging to the sphere of the natural moral law
How some people treats the - Disregards the dependence of human resin on Divine Wisdom and the
freedom as morality? need, given the state of fallen nature, for Divine Revelation as an e ective
means for knowing moral truths even those of the natural order

- Some people: have posited a complete sovereignty of reason in the

domain of moral norms regarding the right ordering of life in this world
What is moral law in humans? Moral (human) laws
- would constitute the boundaries for a merely “human” morality

- they would be the expression of a law which man in an autonomous

manner lays down for himself and which has its source exclusively in
human reason

God’s role
- God cannot be considered the Author of this law

- except, in the sense that human reason exercises its autonomy in setting
down laws by virtue of a primordial and total mandate given to man by
God
What are the e ects of the E ects of these trends
trends in moral law/norms? - have led to a denial in opposition to Sacred Scripture and the Church’s
constant teaching

- of the fact that the natural moral law has God as its author and that man,
by the use of reason, participates in the eternal law (which is not for him
to establish)
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D. God Left Man in the Power
of His Own Counsel
What is genuine freedom? According to the Second Vatican Council
- the meaning of that “genuine freedom” which is “an outstanding
manifestation of the divine image” in man
Why God left man in the power God willed to leave man in the power of his own counsel
of his own counsel? - so that he would seek his Creator of his own accord and would freely
arrive at full and blessed perfection by cleaving to God
What are the responsibilities of Humans: exercise of dominion over the world
man with his own counsel? - represents a great and responsible task for man

- one, which involves his freedom in obedience to the Creator’s command

Creator’s command:
- “Fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28)

In the view of this

- a rightful autonomy is due to every man, as well as to the human

community

- this is the autonomy of earthly realities: “created things have their own
laws and values which are to be gradually discovered, utilized and
ordered by man”
Does man himself is responsible Yes
for himself? Why? - not only the world

- but also man himself has been entrusted to his own care and
responsibility

Why?

- God left man “in the power of his own counsel”, that he might seek his
Creator and freely attain perfection (truths about God’s plan for us)
How do we attain perfection? Attaining perfection
- personally building up that perfection in himself

- just as man exercising his dominion over the world shapes it accordance
with his own intelligence and will

- so too, in performing morally good acts, man strengthens, developed and

consolidates within himself his likeness to God
What is “rightful autonomy” of Rightful autonomy of man
man? - found at the heart of the moral life

- personal subject of his actions

Moral Law
- has its origin in God and always nds its source in him

- at the same time, by virtue of natural reason, which derives from divine
wisdom, it is a properly human law

Thus, rightful autonomy of practical reason

- means that man possesses in himself his own law received from the
Creator
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 Does the autonomy of reason No
can be treated as values and - the autonomy of reason cannot mean that reason itself creates values and
norms? Why? moral norms

Why?

- this autonomy imply a denial of the participation of the practical reason in

the wisdom of the divine Creator and Lawgiver

- or suggest a freedom which creates moral norms, on the basis of

historical contingencies or the diversity of societies and culture

- this sort of alleged autonomy would contradict the Church’s teaching on

the truth about man

- it would be the death of freedom (Genesis 2:17)

What is man’s genuine moral Man's genuine moral autonomy
autonomy? - in no way means the rejection but rather the acceptance of the moral law,
of God’s command (Genesis 2:16)

- human freedom and God’s law meet and are called to intersect, in the
sense of man’s free obedience to God and of God’s completely gratuitous
benevolence towards man
Is obedience to God a No
heteronomy? - Heteronomy means: the moral life were subject to the will of something all
powerful, absolute, extraneous to man and intolerant to his freedom
Does the man’s knowledge No
properly his own? Why? - Example: by forbidding man to “eat of the true of knowledge of good and
evil”

- God makes it clear that man does not originally possess such
“knowledge” as something properly his own

- but only participates in it by the light of natural reason and of Divine

Revelation

- which manifest to him the requirements and the promptings of eternal

wisdom
3.2 LAW: ABIDING IN TRUTH

A. Sense of Law
What is anarchism? Anarchism
- Noam Chomsky

- a kind of tendency in human thought and action

- tries to detect structures of authority, domination and hierarchy and to

challenge them, ask them to demonstrate their legitimacy, recognizing
that they are not self justifying

- they have the burden of justi cation

*This is true across all the spectrum of human from patriarchal families to
imperial systems and everything in between
Why you should ask if the Whether you nd structure of domination, hierarchy, somebody giving order,
structure of hierarchy, etc. is somebody taking them, ask them if it is legitimate

legitimate? - you should not assume that it is legitimate because its been like that, that
is not a justi cation

- you have to ask and when you do, you generally nd that it can’t be
justi ed
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 What is the responsible of Anarchism is the e ort to discover such systems (not legitimate)
anarchism? - when they can’t justify themselves, they have to be dismantled and in
order to move towards greater freedom, justice, opportunity, individual,
creativity, cooperative activity and so on

Examples:

- expansion of women’s rights

- wage labor or wage slavery

Law is not limited to what? Law is not limited to:
- a legislative or judicial domain

- commands, obligations, moral imperatives

- controlling what other people are free to do

How is law a teacher? Law is a teacher
- it is about a rational or reasonable principle of order by which things are
directed to their ends
How is law a ruler? Law is a ruler
- a measure of human acts

- a guide in drawing straight line

- the straightness and length of the rule is also the measure of the line
you’ve drawn

- the law guides us in our action to make sure that they are upright and
ordered to the common good

- it also give us a way to judge our actions, it measures them, whether we

have conformed our actions to the standard of the law
B. De nition of Law
(According to St. Thomas
Aquinas)
What is Aquinas’ de nition of Law
law? - an ordination of reason for the common good from him who has care of
the community, which is promulgated or made known
What are the two elements of Law is an ordination of reason
law? - law involves some kind of ordering and speci cally an ordering according
to reason

- law is not a command of the will of the superior

- law is an expression of his (superior) reason consisting in a kind of

reasoned plan or ordering of things towards the common good

Law is an ordering to the common good

- common good is at the end that law aims at and serves

- common good is a good of radically di erent kind because it is an end

and it can be shared by many without loss of diminishment (truth, justice,
etc.)

- goods that can be shared by many, it is higher and nobler

- it is not a private property of non of them and yet it is genuinely good for
each of them because it is a common good
How does the common good Common good: why a law exists and what it is doing
explains law? - law is an ordering based on reason for the sake of and directing the
community towards the common good

- common good can be found in the right ordering to God as the common
good and nal end of all that is
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Summary - Law must not serve individuals but seek what is good for the people and
the whole welfare of the community in general

- Law must not only serve the lifestyle of the few but search for what will
promote the betterment of the lives of people especially the poor and
those who cannot help themselves
C. Kinds/Types of Law

Overview - There are di erent kinds of laws which by Christian Doctrine must agree
with the will of God

- All laws must in one way or another be a re ection of how God decreed
things to be:

1. Eternal Law

2. Natural Law (scienti c, moral, divine and human law)

What are the four types of law? Four types of law
- Eternal Law

- Natural Law

- Divine Positive Law

- Human Law

*These are arranged as a hierarchy where the lower law types of law
participate in and make more speci c the higher types
What is eternal law? Eternal Law
- the order of creation as it preexists in the Divine Mind

- ultimately, that creation would re ect and share in the glory and splendor
of God
How is God considered as the God, himself is the highest possible level
highest possible level by - who not only is the creator of the universe but also its end, the source of
Aquinas? its order and who governs it by his providential plan

This plan of order

- emerges from God’s divine reason as an idea in God’s mind and like God
himself, this plan is eternal (eternal law)
How is eternal law not only in Because God has created all things according to a plan as coming from
God’s mind but in the things him and ordered back to him
that God makes? - he imprints this on their very being, in their very nature an inclination for
creatures towards their proper acts and ends

- so they will tend to their perfection and ful llment precisely as the kinds of
things they are according to the nature God has given them
How eternal law results to - This eternal law, this plan of God is implanted in rational creatures in a
natural law? special way, Aquinas calls as natural law

- Thus, we are capable of understanding the world around us, grasping

with our minds, what is good for us to do and moving ourselves to do it
according to this rational derrière called, will
What is natural law? Natural Law
- the rational creature’s participation in the eternal law

- the way that rational creatures, like human beings, participate in God’s
plan (eternal law)
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What is the di erence of Unlike lower creatures
humans from lower creatures? - we human beings are not only moved to our end from the outside

- we use our reason, minds, to actively participate in directing ourselves,

ordering ourselves and ordering and directing others towards their
ultimate end

- and we do this insofar as we understand what kind of beings we are and

what is really good for us and so act accordingly

God’s providential plan

- human beings have a higher participation in God’s providential plan than
other creatures do

- because, we can understand it (God’s plan) in becoming willing agents in

bringing it to completion for ourselves, for others and for our communities
What is the human’s natural The precepts of the natural law follow the order of our natural
inclination (natural law)? inclination
- because, we are endowed with the power of reason which means that we
are not simply moved by brute force or instinct

Meaning:

- as we understand the inclination of our spiritual nature, we come to grasp

what God made a human being to be and what life is ordered to

- and so, we come to know what a human being ought to do and avoid
What are the ve principles of 5 Principles of Natural Inclinations
natural inclinations? - to good (to what perfects us)

- to self-preservation

- to sexual union

- to knowing the truth

- to living in society (justice, truth, fairness towards others)

What are importance of the ve Importance
principles of natural - these inclinations are features of the kind of beings that we are

inclinations? - they give us a fundamental orientation towards what will make us

increasingly happy and free
What role does freedom play in Natural law does not impose on us
obeying the natural law? - it is rather the very design of our being

- as we come to know this with our minds, we are able to participate

intentionally and freely in this plan

Through the use of freedom

- we order ourselves, our actions according to this plan

- this is is the purpose of freedom, that we be the creatures that order

ourselves freely and knowingly to God according to his plan
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 What are the (3) properties of Properties of Natural Law
natural law?
Universal

- binds all men at all times and in all places, for it is the very nature of men

Indispensable

- man has no authority over natural law

- God: source of natural law

Immutable and Dynamic

- exists for as long as human nature exists

- changes in the condition of man results in modi ed or new demands of

the natural law
What is the relation between Human law is only just in accord with the natural law and that laws that
human law and natural law? con ict with the natural law are not morally binding.

The natural law is most clear with respect to certain general and
negative percepts (decalogue: theft, murder, adultery)
- which are wrong always and everywhere

- because they are contrary to what the natural law teaches us which is the
good for human beings (ex: self-preservation, sexual union and the raising
of children)
What is the role of lawmakers in Important job of lawmakers
applying natural law? - to specify and apply the general precepts of the natural law in a particular
context and for a particular community

- then, always respecting what the natural law demands in its negative
precepts = human lawmakers should make laws that order their
communities towards its common good
What is divine law? Divine Law
- what God has revealed through divine revelation in the Old Testament and
New Testament

- about how human beings should live in order to come to the supernatural
good of heaven

Other de nition

- laws that are totally dependent upon human narrators and closely related
to di erent cultures

- they may vary in human perceptions through new ways of expressing it

but divine laws are eternal and constant, not subject to change it
Can we rely our own (mind) in No
understanding the divine law? - these are things that we could not have discovered on our own

- since knowing and traveling on the way to the triune God completely
exceeds what our nature is capable of by its own power
Divine Law: Context in the Bible Scriptures and Israelites
- usually divine laws are those which are found in the scriptures

- have helped shaped the Israelite’s cultures especially in the way they
perceive and follow the laws of (Yahweh, God) from the 613 laws
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 What are the ten Divine Law gave the provisions on how to ful ll each commandment of
commandments? the decalogue
- Exodus 20: 1-17 “Then God delivered all these commandments: I, the
Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place
of slavery.”

1. You shall not have other Gods beside me

2. You shall no 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 goods

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

How the OT laws were When Jesus Christ came
comprised into only two - the Old Testament laws were altogether

commandments? - and summed up into the two greatest commandments which are to love
God and neighbor

Though Divine Laws are biblical

- the Christian interpretation of it is dependent on Jesus Christ: his teaching

and actions
What is human law? Human Law
- application or determination of the natural law on various levels in
particular community
What is the di erence between Human Law VS. Natural Law
human law and natural law? - human law: more particular and speci c than the natural law

- it does not apply everywhere like the natural law but does only in this
jurisdiction and it aims to direct this particular community and its
members to their proper common good
What is civil law? Human is law is divided into two: civil and ecclesiastical/canon law

Civil Law
- laws on which the state operates

- highest: constitution which serves as the bulwark (wall/structure) and

hallmark of national identity

- an ordination of reason for the common good (of a nation, the state and
the city)
What is ecclesiastical/canon Ecclesiastical/Canon Law
law? - codi ed set of laws which the church follows

- Canon law has undergone several revisions starting from:

1. Pope Gregory VII (1073), who ordered the church laws be codi ed

2. Council of Trent (16th century)

3. Pope Benedict XV (1917)

4. Saint Pope John Paul II (1983)

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 What are the (6) precepts/laws Aside from the canon law, part of the ecclesiastical law is the
of the church? “commandments” of the church or usually referred to as the precepts of
the church. They are:

1. You shall attend mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation

2. You shall fast and abstain on the days appointed

3. You shall confess at least once a year

4. You shall receive the Holy Eucharist during Easter Time

5. You shall contribute to the support of the Church

6. You shall never violate laws concerning marriage.

Does the church law a ect No
man’s freedom? - these laws are made not to restrict man’s freedom but to help actualize it

- if laws prevent man from becoming more human and freer, then laws do
not ful ll its aim in guiding man to genuine freedom
3.3 CONSCIENCE: MAN’S SANCTUARY

A. De nition of Conscience
What is conscience? Conscience
- one of the ways through which man is assisted in the journey back to
God

- not only regarded as a feeling of guilt whenever a man did something that
is not socially, morally and ethically acceptable

- Church: huge in uential role in the lives of the faithful (navigating his/her
way back to God given the many distractions)
What is conscience (Old Conscience: Old Testament
Testament)?
Deuteronomy

- "For this law which I am laying down for you

today is neither obscure nor beyond your

reach. It is not in heaven nor it is beyond the

seas. Know the word is very near to you, it is

in your mouth and in your heart for you to put

into practice.”

Jeremiah

- "But this is the convenience which I will

make with the house of Israel." "After those

days," says the Lord, "I will place in them

and light it up upon their hearts, I will be their

God, and they shall be my people. No longer

will they need to teach their friends kingsmen

how to know the Lord.”

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What is conscience (New Conscience: New Testament
Testament)?
St. Paul in the letter to Romans

- "They can demonstrate the e ect of law on

their hearts to which their own conscience

bears witness. Since they are aware of

various considerations, some accuse them,

while others provide them with defense.”

Second Vatican Council (Magisterium)

- man’s most secret core and his sanctuary (Pastoral Constitution of the
Church in Modern World)

- sees the demands of the Divine Law (Declaration on Religious Liberty)

- norm of personal morality by discerning good and evil (Catechism for

Filipino Catholics)

Saint Pope John Paul II from the Verities Splendor

- witness for man (God’s love towards his/her union with God through
rightful activities)
What is conscience according Conscience: St. Thomas Aquinas
to St. Thomas? - not a power but an act (just like speaking)

- application of one’s knowledge to act or do something: to witness, to

incite or bind and to accuse or torment

- “synderesis”, habit
What is the Freudian Personality Freudian Personality Diagram
Diagram?
Id

- in born primitive portion of the storehouse of libido, the basic energy that
continually pushes for immediate grati cation

- “The Pleasure Principle”

Ego

- portion of personality that organizes, plans and keeps the person in touch
with reality

- language and thought are both ego functions

- “The Reality Principle”

Superego

- the conscience part of personality, which contains parental and societal

values and attitudes incorporated during childhood

- “The Ought Principle”

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 What is the di erence between Superego VS. Conscience (Father Richard Gula)
superego and conscience? - superego is like an attic of our childhood experiences, voice

- guilt: powerful weapon

- to di erentiate them: revisit their childhood experiences that have molded

his/her perspective in life

- if one acts only to gain love and acceptance, one is not faithful to one’s
conscience

3 general longings of man:

1. center of attention

2. successful

3. loved

In conclusion

- the inner voices that we follow must be properly distinguished in order to

know what is the will of God for us truly

- Freud: we must be able to bring light to those aspects of our lives which
are submerged beneath the waters, so that we would have the control
and the discipline over our passions and our urges
B. Conscience and Truth
What is man’s sanctuary? Man's Sanctuary
- the relationship between man’s freedom and God’s law is most deeply
lived out in the “heart” of the person, in his moral conscience

Vatican II observed:

- in the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not
impose on himself, but which holds him to obedience

- always summoning him to love good and avoid evil

- the voice of conscience can when necessary speak to his heart more
speci cally: “do this, shun that”

- for man has in his heart a law written by God, to obey it is the very dignity
of man; according to it he will be judged
What is conscience? Conscience
- a judgement of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral
quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of
performing, or has already completed

- in all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows
to be just and right

- it is by the judgement of his conscience that man perceives and

recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law
What does the voice of God - The sanctuary of man, where he is alone with God whose voice echoes
implies to the sanctuary of within him

man?
This voice, it is said
- leads man not so much to a meticulous observance of universal norms as
to a creative and responsible acceptance of the personal tasks entrusted to
him by God
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What is di erence between Good
good and evil? - for people who are trying to live a life pleasing to God

- the good spirit strengthens, encourages, consoles, removes obstacles

and gives peace

Evil
- the evil spirit tries to derail them by stirring up anxiety, false sadness,
needless confusion, frustration and obstacles
MOMENTS OF CONSCIENCE
What are antecedent moments? - Sometimes, while people are in the process of discernment, election and
action; they experience the moments of conscience

Antecedent Moments
- the conscience in discernment and very much concerns where the
movements of the spirit is leading the person
What are concomitant Concomitant Moments
moments? - conscience in action

- in here, the conscience asks the question of whether he/she is following

the spiritual consolation during the act
What are consequent Consequent Moments
moments? - the person evaluates and reviews the action done
How does conscience leads to - Conscience decides discernment

discernment? - Discernment is simply following the will of God (choice between 2 goods)

- This will result in election, choice

What is discernment? Discernment
- discernment of spirits is a challenging task

- it requires maturity, inner quiet and an ability to re ect on one’s interior life

- it takes practice

- it is something of an art

*Saint Ignatius Loyola’s rules for discernment provide a framework, not a

program
Why we must be ready for - We must be ready to improvise and adjust because God works in each of
undertaking discernment? us so uniquely

- That is why, most counselors recommends undertaking discernment of

spirits with the assistance of a spiritual director
Why we need to be aware of To explore further the conscience
conscience? - it is imperative to be aware of the di erent types of consciences that we
are susceptible to follow

- in distinguishing them, we are able to single out which one is the

superego, the provocation of the evil spirit and the one that draws us
closer to the movement of spiritual consolation
C. The Judgement of the
Conscience
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 Biblical Understanding of Roman 2:14-15

Conscience “When Gentiles who have not the law, do by nature what the law requires,
they are a law unto themselves, even though they do not have the law. They
show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their
conscience also bears witness and their con icting thoughts accuse or
perhaps excuse them.”
Does the interior dialogue of No
man with himself important than - the interior of the interior dialogue of man with himself can never be
a dialogue with God? adequately appreciated

- but is also a dialogue of man with God, the author of the law, the
primordial image and nal end of man
What is conscience according Conscience
to St. Bonaventure? - like God’s herald and messenger

- it does not command things on its own authority but commands them as
coming from God’s authority

- like a herald when he proclaims the edict of the king

- this is why conscience has binding force

How is conscience the witness - Conscience bears witness to man’s own rectitude or inquiry to man
of God himself? himself

- but, together with this and indeed even beforehand, conscience is the
witness of God himself

- whose voice and judgement penetrate the depths of mans’s soul, calling
him “fortiter et suaviter” to obedience
What is the dignity of moral Moral conscience

conscience? - does not close man within an insurmountable and impenetrable solitude

- but opens him to the call, to the voice of God

In this and not in anything else

- lies the entire mystery and the dignity of the moral conscience

Dignity of the moral conscience

- in being the place, the sacred place where God speaks to man
What are “con icting thoughts? Saint Paul

- does not merely acknowledge that conscience acts as a “witness”

- he also reveals the way in which conscience performs that action

- he speaks of “con icting thoughts” which accuse or excuse the Gentiles

with regard to their behavior

“Con icting thoughts”

- clari es the precise nature of conscience

- it is a moral judgement about man and his actions

- a judgement either of acquittal or of condemnation, according as human

acts are in conformity or not with the law of God written on the heart
What does the Apostles speaks Apostles clearly speaks of
about the judgement? - the judgement of action, the judgement of their author and the moment
when that judgement will de nitively rendered

- this will take place on that day when, according to my Gospel, God
Judges the secrets of men by Jesus Christ

*excerpt from Roman 2:16

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 What is a practical judgement? The judgement of conscience
- is a practical judgement

- a judgement which makes known what man must do or not do or which

assesses an act already performed by him

It applies

- to a concrete situation, the rational conviction that one must love and do
good and avoid evil

The rst principle of practical reason

- part of natural law

- indeed it constitutes the very foundation of the natural law

- in as much as it expresses that primordial insight about good and evil

- that re ection of God’s creative wisdom which, like an imperishable spark

(scintilla animae), shines in the heart of every man
What is the di erence between Natural law
natural law and conscience? - discloses the objective and universal demands of the moral good

Conscience
- application of the law to a particular case
What is application of This application of the law
conscience? - becomes an inner dictate for the individual

- a summons to do what is good in this particular situation

How the conscience formulates Conscience thus formulates moral obligation
moral obligation? - in the light of the natural law

- it is the obligation to do what the individual do

- through the working of his conscience, knows to be a good he is called

to here and now
How does the judgement of The judgement of conscience has an imperative character
conscience has an imperative - man must act in accordance with it

character? - if man acts against this judgement or in a case where he lacks certainty
about the rightness and goodness of a determined act

- still performs that act, he stands condemned by his own conscience, the
proximate norm of personal morality

The dignity of this rational forum and the authority of its voice and
judgements

- derive from the truth about moral good and evil

- which it is called to listen to and express

- this truth is indicated by the “divine law”, the universal and objective norm
of morality
Does the judgement of No
conscience establish the law? - rather it bears witness to the authority of the natural law and of the
practical reason with reference to the supreme good

- whose attractiveness the human person perceives and whose

commandments he accepts
Is conscience an independent No
and exclusive capacity to - rather there is profoundly imprinted upon it a principle of obedience vis-a-
decide what is good and what is vis the objective norm

evil? - which establishes and conditions the correspondence of its decision with
the commands and prohibitions which are at the basis of human behavior
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What is the truth about moral The truth about moral good
good? - as that truth is declared in the law of reason

- is practically and concretely recognized by the judgement of conscience

- which leads one to take responsibility for the good or the evil one has
done
What happens if man does evil? If man does evil
- the just judgement of his conscience remains within him as a witness to
the universal truth of the good as well as to the malice of his particular
choice

*But the verdict of conscience remains in him also as a pledge of hope and
mercy

- while bearing witness to the evil he has done

- it also reminds him of his need, with the help of God’s grace, to ask
forgiveness, to do good and to cultivate virtue constantly
How is freedom and truth is Consequently in the practical judgement of conscience

made manifest in practical - which imposes on the person the obligation to perform a given act

judgement of conscience? - the link between freedom and truth is made manifest

For this reason

- conscience expresses itself in the acts of “judgement”

- which re ect the truth about the good and not in arbitrary “decisions”
How to have a “good In order to have a “good conscience” (1 Tim 1:5)
conscience”? - man must seek the truth and must make judgements in accordance with
that same truth

As the Apostle Paul says

- “Conscience must con rmed by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 9:1)

- “It must be clear” (2 Tim 1:3)

- “It must not ‘practice cunning and tamper with God’s word’ but “openly
state the truth” (2 For 4:2)
What does the Apostle warns us The Apostle also warns Christians (Rom 12:2)
about not being conformed to - “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of
this world? your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and
perfect”
D. Types of Conscience
Is there a possibility of error in Conscience, as the judgement of act, is not exempt from the possibility of
conscience as the judgement of error

act? Why? - Council: not infrequently conscience can be mistaken as a result of

invisible ignorance, although it does not on that account forfeit its dignity

- but this cannot be said when a man shows little concern for seeking what
is true and good and conscience gradually becomes almost blind from
being accustomed to sin

*In these brief word the Council sums up the doctrine which the Church
down the centuries has developed with regard with to the erroneous
conscience
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What is the di erence between It is always from the truth that the dignity of conscience derives.
correct and erroneous
conscience? Correct conscience
- it is a question of the objective truth received by man

Erroneous conscience
- it is a question of what man, mistakenly, subjectively considers to be true

*It is never acceptable to confuse a “subjective” error about moral good with
the “objective” truth rationally proper to man in virtue of his end or to make
the moral value of an act performed with a true and correct conscience
equivalent to the moral value of an act performed by following the
judgement of an erroneous conscience

- subjective truth is not = objective truth (proper to man as his end, divine
law)

- moral value of an act with true/correct conscience = moral value of an act

with an erroneous conscience
Does a man not responsible if No
an evil act is a result of invisible - it is possible that the evil done as the result of invisible ignorance or a
ignorance or non-culpable error non-culpable error of judgement may not be imputable to the agent

of judgement? - but even in this case, it does not cease to be an evil, a disorder in relation
to the truth about the good

In the case of a good act which is not recognized as such

- does not contribute to the moral growth of the person who performs it

- it does not perfect him

- and it does not help to dispose him for the supreme good

In conclusion

- before feeling easily justi ed in the name of our conscience

- we should re ect on the words of the Psalm:

- “Who can discern his errors? Clear me from hidden faults” (Psalm 19: 12)

- there are faults which we fail to see but which nevertheless remain
faults, because we have refused to walk towards the light
How does conscience Conscience, as the ultimate concrete judgement, comprises its dignity,
comprises its dignity when it is when it is culpably erroneous
culpably erroneous? - when man shows little concern for seeking what is true and good and
conscience gradually becomes almost blind from being accustomed to
sin

Jesus alludes to the danger of the conscience being deformed when he

warns (Mt 6:22-23)

- “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body
will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, you whole body will be full of
darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
E. Formation of Conscience
What is the formation of Formation of Conscience
conscience? - we are called to form our conscience, to make it the object of a continuous
conversion to what is true and to what is good
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 What does Saint Paul tells us Roman 12:2

about not being conformed to - It is the “heart” converted to the Lord and to the love of what is good
the mentality of this world, but which is really the source of true judgements of conscience
be transformed by the renewal
of our mind?
Why is knowledge of God’s law Indeed, in order to prove what is the will of God, what is good and
is certainly necessary but not acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2)

su cient? - knowledge of God’s law in general is certainly necessary, but it is not

su cient

What is essential
- is a sort of “connaturality” between man and the true good

- such a connaturality is rooted in and develops through the virtuous

attitudes of the individual himself

Prudence and the other cardinal virtues and even before these the
theological virtues of faith, hope and charity

- this the meaning of Jesus’ saying: “He who does what is true comes to
the light” (Jn 3:21)

*Expanded version (John 3: 21)

- “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be
seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

How does the Church and her Christians have a great help for the formation of conscience in the
Magisterium help us in the Church and her Magisterium
formation of conscience? - As the Church a rms: “In forming their consciences the Christian faithful
must give careful attention to the sacred and certain teaching of the
Church

For the Catholic Church is by the will of Christ the teacher of truth

- her charge is to announce and teach authentically that truth which is

Christ

- and at the same time with her authority to declare and con rm the
principles of the moral order which derive from human nature itself
Does the Church undermines No
the freedom of conscience of - it follows that the authority of the Church, when she pronounces on moral
Christians? questions, in no way undermines the freedom of conscience of Christians

Not only because freedom of conscience is never freedom “from” the truth
but always and only freedom “in” the truth

- but also because the Magisterium does not bring to the Christian
conscience truths which are extraneous to it

- rather it brings to light the truths which it ought already to possess,

developing them from the starting point of the primordial act of faith
How does the Church puts The Church puts herself always and only at the service of conscience
herself always and only at the - helping it to avoid being tossed to and from by every wind of doctrine
service of conscience? proposed by human deceit

- and helping it not to swerve from the truth about the good of man, but
rather, especially in more di cult questions, to attain the truth with
certainty and to abide in it
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How to properly form one’s From all that was said, what is left to ponder now is how to properly
conscience? form the conscience
- because one may know the theories surrounding the idea but not
knowing how to implement them

The result of freedom’s exercise

- is seen in the advancement of the good

This can be proven if better relationships prosper and that the people and
the community aspire to be more loving, caring, concerned and involved
with each other

- if one continuously submits himself/herself to the forging of new

relationships with others, its nurturance and growth, as what Jesus did,
one can say that he/she is forming his/her conscience in a conscience
way

Ways (Search for the Truth)

1. Think of Alternatives

2. Discernment (Judgement of the Conscience)

How does search for the truth Search for the Truth
helps in forming one’s - truth here refers to the truth of God’s revelation through Jesus Christ
conscience properly? inspired by the Holy Spirit

- these truths are the ones we nd in the sacred scriptures both in the Old
and New Testaments and were expanded to us by the Church throughout
its history by its teachings and pronouncements

- plus, the rich heritage of our faith gives us the wealth of tradition, stories,
spiritualities and practices that will let us comprehend even more or even
deepen the truths that God wants us to embrace

In conclusion

- the need to study, explore, consult and research about these truths
becomes a necessity

- suppose the access to the study of these truths is not available, we

appeal to the laws that were imprinted by God in our hearts

- which are universal truths: kindness, goodness, generosity, respects, etc

are the truths that must govern our lives

- because: of our dignity that these truths manifests

- and when faced with the dilemma of election, we look inside our hearts
and we follow the truths that can be found in there, for the nature of man
is intrinsically good
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 How does search for the truth Think of Alternatives
(THINK OF ALTERNATIVES) - in the best interest of our Christian lives, with its depth and breadth, the
helps in forming one’s Church o ers a lot of options on how to form one’s conscience

conscience properly? - there are di erent spiritualities that approach life in various ways that t
the lifestyle of di erent persons

- one can choose from the:

a. Benedictine

b. Augustinian

c. Dominican

d. Franciscans

e. Carmelite

f. jesuit

g. and many other spiritualities; all of which o er diverse ways on how to

properly form one’s conscience

- others can join movements such as:

a. charismatic groups

b. prayer sessions

c. outreach programs

d. and other options to experience how conscience can be formed

pragmatically

- some would suggest doing spiritual readings, participating in groups,

further studies and even considering communal discernment

*But whatever alternative one chooses, it must bear fruit in establishing and
fostering good relationships both with others and with God
How does search for the truth Pray
(PRAY) helps in forming one’s - most important of all the ways on how to form ones’s conscience

conscience properly? - Human Dignity: the image of likeness and presence of God in us

- many things have been said, written and taught about prayer but one
thing is common: prayer is a relationship with God

- one cannot claim to know and experience God without having a prayer
life

- in prayer life, one communes with God

- and in that communion, the relationship deepens, one gets to know more
about God and his will

- in nding God’s will, one is transformed to be more like God and emulate
how He thinks and acts especially in relating with others

In conclusion

- through prayer, we strengthen our connection to God making us aware of

our dignity and how to exercise our freedom very well

There are many ways one can pray

- it can be in the form of traditional prayer such as the rosary, novenas,

chaplets and the memorized ones

- but as one matures in the faith, it is highly recommended that a good

Christian must learn silence meditatively and contemplatively

- because: it is in silence that God speaks and it is insolence that one is

face to face with his/her own interiority and with God

- in that silence, when God speaks: that is the ultimate voice of conscience
that all people whether a believer or not, must bow to and follow
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