Religion Semester 1 2026 Unit 1, 2 📖

basic vocation/life calling from God- diff lifestyles

• life-calling from God.

• Every person called to love God, serve others, live meaningfully.

• calls ppl to diff lifestyles

  • marriage

  • priesthood

  • religious life

  • single life

God has given people the gifts needed for their vocation

• God gives each person talents and abilities to fulfil their vocation.

• ppl discover gifts through:

  • prayer

  • reflection

  • experiences

  • guidance from others

Work

• Work participates in God’s creative activity.

• Through work, people:

  • contribute to society

  • help others

  • develop talents

  • fulfil their vocation

People can fail to recognise their vocation for a variety of reasons

may fail to recognise vocation bc

• fear

• selfishness

• distractions

• peer pressure

• lack of prayer or reflection

Christians are called to spiritual discernment

• means prayerfully discovering God’s will.

• Christians reflect carefully on choices and life direction.

• Discernment helps ppl recognise their vocation.

Lent

time for:

• prayer

• repentance

• reflection

• spiritual growth

• fasting

• preparation

Christians use Lent to grow closer to God and improve their lives.

Salvation is God’s saving action on behalf of the human race / Christians experience salvation in their daily lives

• God’s saving action through Jesus

• restores relationship with God.

• experienced through:

  • prayer

  • forgiveness

  • sacraments

  • love and mercy

Christians have a vocation to share in the mission of Jesus priest, prophet and king

priest:

• praying

• worshipping God

• offering service+sacrifice

prophet:

• spreading truth

• teaching Gospel values

• standing for justice+goodness

king:

• serving others

• leading with humility

• showing love+responsibility

The Christian promise

→ The promise of eternal life and complete union with God.

• Christians help bring about God’s Kingdom by following their vocation.

• Cooperating with God brings ppl closer to holiness and happiness.

Jesus restored God’s original plan for marriage

• Marriage is a vocation and sacrament.

• Jesus restored marriage as:

  • faithful

  • lifelong

  • loving

Marriage reflects God’s love for humanity.

Sacrament of Marriage strengthens and guides people in their life together+ confer

helps couples:

• love faithfully

• support eachother

• raise children

• grow closer to God

husband and wife confer the sacrament on one another.

The marriage takes place before witnesses and God.

Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders and supports his followers personally through priesthood

• Jesus instituted

• Holy Orders allows men to become:

  • deacons

  • priests

  • bishops

Priests support the Church through:

• teaching

• sacraments

• leadership

Priesthood

• personal call from God.

• Priests serve others through spiritual leadership.

• promise celibacy to dedicate themselves fully to God and the Church.

Religious Life vows

• poverty → live simply

• chastity → love with undivided heart

• obedience → follow God’s will

vows help ppl imitate Jesus.

Religious sisters, brothers, and priests work in many different apostolates

Religious ppl serve in apostolates such as:

• schools

• hospitals

• missions

• charity work

Some live active apostolic lives while others live monastic lives focused on prayer.

The basic purpose of every person’s life

• basic purpose of life is to experience loving relationship with God.

• Ppl are called to know, love, and serve God.

Christians believe in life everlasting / Jesus revealed what happens after people die

• Heaven → eternal union with God, raccept God's love

• Hell → separation from God, freely reject

• Purgatory → purification before Heaven, temporary cleansing

After death, each person faces particular judgement.

• based on faith and moral choices

  • God gives ppl freedom to accept or reject

All people desire freedom

• All ppl created with free will.

• Freedom is a basic human desire.

• True freedom means choosing what is morally good.

Teenagers become capable of taking responsibility for their actions

• Teenagers become more capable of responsible choices as they mature.

• They gain greater understanding of consequences and right/wrong.

There are two questions required for responsible decision-making

1. “Have I sufficient personal freedom?”

2. “Have I sufficient relevant knowledge?”

People should:

• weigh pros and cons

• understand consequences

• avoid rushing decisions

Responsible choices are moral choices

• Responsible choices aim at long-term happiness.

• Moral choices are directed towards what is truly good.

• Immoral choices may bring short-term benefits but can cause harm.

Pressures when making responsible choices

Internal

• fear

• anger

• jealousy

External

• peer pressure

• media

Ppl weaken freedom:

• use drugs/alcohol

• follow bad influences

• enter risky situations

moral principles

• help ppl determine right and wrong.

• God created moral principles through human nature.

Natural law expresses the moral principles God gave to people, Moral relativism definition

• Natural law- moral law discovered through human reason.

• universal, unchanging.

• in harmony with human nature.

• helps ppl determine right and wrong

• Moral relativism

  • belief that right and wrong depend on personal opinion

  • can justify injustices

two great commandments of Jesus, Golden Rule

2 GC- summarise, guide behaviour:

1. Love God with all your heart

2. Love your neighbour as yourself

GR:
“Treat others as you would like them to treat you.”

The parents of the human race were created by God to be free, Original sin effects

• Adam and Eve created free by God.

• Original sin damaged human freedom and relationship with God.

• causing temptation, suffering, selfishness, injustice

People experience God’s call through creation

Ppl recognise God through:

• nature

• beauty of creation

• the universe

Creation acts as a sign of God’s presence and love.

God initiated the Sinai Covenant so that the people of Israel would be free to relate more closely with Him, purpose

• God freed Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses.

• Mount Sinai, God made a covenant, gave Ten Commandments to guide ppl to freedom and holiness.

Israelites learnt god is:

• liberating

• guiding

• providing

• faithful to promises

God gave the people of Israel commandments and laws

• God gave laws through Moses in the Torah (Old Law).

• laws taught ppl how to live holy and moral lives.

• Keeping God’s laws leads to freedom and happiness.

The Ten Commandments identify responsibilities towards God and others- VALUES,

1. faithfulness to God

2. Respect for God

3. Human closeness with God

4. family

5. life

6. marriage

7. ownership

8. truth

9. purity

10. contentedness

The Ten Commandments summarise God’s rules for human conduct

guide:

• thoughts

• words

• actions

• relationships

• moral guidelines to make life in communities harmonious

leads people towards:

• holiness

• freedom

• long-term happiness

New Law

New Law given by Jesus fulfils the Old Law and helps people:

• overcome sin

• grow in holiness

• live as Jesus taught

• experience true freedom

Holy Spirit can change human heart

• guides conscience

• strengthens against temptation

• inspires love and goodness

• live like Jesus

received especially through:

• Baptism

• Confirmation

What is Charity, the power of divine love, through Baptism

• Charity- divine love from God.

• helps Christians:

  • love God and others

  • forgive

  • become less selfish

strengthened through:

• prayer

• Eucharist

• worship

Sermon on the Mount- How does it teach Christians to think and behave and what beatitudes teach.

teaches Christians to:

• think like Jesus

• act lovingly

• seek inner goodness

Beatitudes teach attitudes

• humility

• mercy

• peace

• faithfulness

Jesus calls all people to experience happiness and true freedom

calls ppl to:

• holiness

• love

• freedom from sin

• lasting happiness

Christians follow Jesus through:

• prayer

• charity

• moral living

Corporal works of mercy

Practical ways Christians love others:

• feed the hungry

• shelter the homeless

• clothe the naked

• visit the sick and imprisoned

• bury the dead

Purpose:

• put Jesus' teachings into action

• show love of neighbour

Argue scaffold

• Source supports/refute statement that __________.

  Source describes _________________________.

  Source supports idea when it states, "________".

  This evidence shows ___________________________.

  Catholics believe (own learning) ___________________________.

  This s/r statement bc (link)

  Therefore, statement is s/r bc___________________________.