Theology III Moral Theology Chapter 5

First Commandment

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before Me.

monotheism

belief in one God; can be traced back to the Jewish religion; found in the Old Testament

the 10 Commandments

were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai

the first three commandments

have to deal with our relationship with God

the last seven commandments

have to deal with how we treat our neighbor

faith

a gift that helps our mind know God and accept His teachings

voluntary doubt

questions SOME aspects of God & unwillingness t accept a point of moral teaching

schism

refusal to submit to the authority of the pope or bishops; NOT formally rejecting the faith

heresy

denial from a baptized person of one more more tenets of the Catholic faith

apostasy

a total repudiation of the Christian faith; worse than heresy

atheism

denies the very existence of God; worst sin against the 5

hope

gift that helps us trust in God knowing that He will give all opportunities to reach salvation

despair

losing trust in God because of sinning, personal weakness or feeling unworthy

presumption

counting on God's forgiveness without even trying to avoid sin

charity

virtue that we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves

indifference

lack of commitment to exercise faith

ingratitude

failure to recognize God's generous blessings such as health and family

spiritual sloth

sadness/dejection over the spiritual goods received from God because we prefer the material; known as acedia

lukewarmness

lazy or lackluster towards fulfilling faith obligations

hatred of God

distaste of laws and resentful over consequences/suffering

virtue of religion

refers to those prayerful actions that properly worship God

adoration

expresses a love of God and that He has absolute dominion over creation

blessing

acknowledge the gifts God has given to us

thanksgiving

expresses gratitude for God's generosity; expressed fully in the Liturgy of the Eucharist

contrition

sorrow for sins so asking God for mercy and forgiveness

petition

presenting our needs/desires to God

intercession

asks for benefits from God on behalf of others; this is known as General Intercessions at Mass

Communion of Saints

not only the faithful on earth, but also the faithfully departed

vocal

speaking to God audibly or in the silence of our hearts; may be memorized or spontaneous

meditation

focuses on a particular event of salvation

contemplative

expresses the idea that prayer is a mystery

Sermon on the Mount

Christ gave teachings of the New Law

theophany

when God appears to us in various forms

sins against religion

refers to any deviation from recognizing God as the one true God

idolatry

addressing or treating a finite being as if it were divine/giving allegiance to someone other than God; primitive worship was the sun and trees; nowadays, work, wealth, celebrity, sports are our gods

superstition

any belief or practice that offers improper worship to God; believing other things than God have secret powers

divination

use of the occult (special forces) to predict the future or get information from the dead

magic

seeking occult forces through rituals or formulas to get a good or evil affect

irreligion

mocking God's goodness and dignity

sacrilege

showing insensitivity, desecration or malicious action towards sacraments, sacred people, places, or objects

simony

buying and selling spiritual goods

satanic worship

direct worship of the devil; most dreadful sin out of all 8

second commandment

"you shall not take the name of the Lord, Your God, in vain"

Yahweh/Jehovah

names the Israelites used to refer to God

oath

calling upon god to witness a truth or promise

perjury

calling on God to witness a lie

assertory oath

asking God to be a witness to a truth being said

promissory oath

asking God to be a witness to what a person intends to do in the future

Moses

took part in the first oath

Magnificat

recorded the first oath

Book of Numbers

regulates the use of oaths/gives the criteria

Book of Sirach

says don't use oath too often

vow

a promise made directly to God, with another person as a witness

evangelical councils

promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience

Sacrament of Matrimony

vow to God for permanent commitment to your spouse

blasphemy

speaking contemptuously about God or even the saints; particularly grievous against Mary

ridicule of faith

any irreverent dispositions that come in the form of sarcastic remarks or ridiculous caricatures about faith customs or moral behavior

third commandment

remember to keep holy the Lord's Day

bread of proposition

the ritual 12 loaves kept by the Jewish high priests for use as a sacrificial offering on Sabbath; this is some of the origins of having bread at communion for Catholics

mass

is called the holy sacrifice because it reminds us of Christ's sacrifice

Paschal Mystery

refers to Jesus' Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension

Holy Days of Obligation

days on which the Church commemorates the important events in the life of Christ and Mary

Assumption

Mary taken body and soul to heaven at the moment of her death because she was preserved from original sin

Which love should be a priority: love of God or love of neighbor. Explain.

Love of God seems obvious but since love of God automatically extends to love of neighbor, our love of others serves as a measuring rod for love of God

Why should we pray/what is the purpose of prayer?

1. to have a relationship with God

2. to receive grace

What are some difficulties in our prayer life?

no time, get distracted, feel separated, feel discouraged, or lose faith

What are the 2 purposes of the first commandment?

1. to affirm that God exists

2. to give Him proper worship

Why is the first commandment placed first in the order of the ten?

to show the supreme importance of God in our lives

What do the first 3 commandments have to deal with compared to what the last 7 have to deal with?

the first three have to deal with our relationship with God, the last seven have to do with how we treat our neighbor

Write out the three commandments that were discussed in this chapter.

1st: "I am the Lord, your God; you shall not have strange Gods before me."

2nd: "You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain."

3rd: "Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day."

In order for a vow to be valid, what are the 3 conditions/criteria that must be met?

1. we need to be committed to what we promised

2. realize it's a serious obligation

3. it was a free choice

Why is failing to attend Mass a grave sin? What are the only 2 circumstances that excuse us from Mass?

it is a grave sin because:

1. not getting the Eucharist

2. not getting the graces from it

excusing circumstances:

1. serious illness

2. care of infants

What are the only 2 types of work permitted on Sunday?

1. work for the safety of individual

2. for the common good

When you call upon God to be a witness to something, what are the 3 criteria that have to be met?

1. ask god to witness something true

2. never call on God for a superficial manner

3. ask God to witness something morally good

What are the 2 reasons why the Church wants us to actually rest on Sundays?

1. have the energy to worship

2. deepen relationships

From the Old Testament, what are the 2 things that we are celebrating on Sundays? What is the primary purpose of Sundays and what comes secondary to that purpose?

we are celebrating:

1. the completion of the first creation

2. a new creation of Christ after the resurrection

- the primary purpose is rest, the secondary purpose is worship