Week 39: Passages 1987 - 2051

Article 2: Grace and Justification

I. Justification

Justification has been merited for us by Christ's Passion and conferred through baptism. Justification detaches man from sin and is the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus. With justification we gain faith hope and charity, and obedience to the divine will.

"Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in
Jesus Christ and granted by the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1994)

II. Grace

Grace is free and undeserved help from God. There are several types:

• habitual grace


• actual grace


• sacramental grace


• special graces (charisms)


• graces of state

Grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except through faith.

III. Merit

The merit of man comes from God. God has freely chosen to allow us to share in the work of his grace. Through this filial adoption we become co-heirs with Christ. No one can merit the initial grace of conversion, but once moved by the Holy Spirit we can then merit graces for ourselves and others. The charity of Christ is the source of all our merits.

IV. Christian Holiness

All Christian are called to holiness and the perfection of charity. Spiritual progress leads to a more intimate union with Christ.

"The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no
holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress
entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace
and joy of the Beatitudes." (CCC 2015)

Article 3: The Church, Mother and Teacher

I loved this paragraph:

"It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the
Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of
God containing the teachings of 'the law of Christ.' From the Church he
receives the grace of the sacraments that sustain him on the 'way.' From
the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source
in the all-holy Virgin Mary; he discerns it in the authentic witness of those
who live it; he discovers it in the spiritual tradition and the long history of
the saints who have gone before him and whom the litrugy celebrates inthe
rhythms of the sanctoral cycle." (CCC 2030)

I. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church

The Church is the pillar of truth. The charism of infallibility of the Magisterium ensures that Revelation, doctrine and morals can be preserved, explained and observed. The authority of the Magisterium also extends to matters of the natural law.

II. The Precepts of the Church

These are meant to garauntee the faithful the very minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort:

• attend Mass on Sundays and holy days


• confession at least once a year


• recieve the Eucharist at least once during the Easter season


• observe days of fasting and abstinence established by the church


• help provide for the needs of the church

III. Moral Life and Missionary Witness

Christians are members of the body of Christ and contribute to building up the church. The witness of a Christian life of good works done in a supernatural spirit have greta power to draw others to God.

"By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the
reign of God, 'a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.'" (CCC 2046)

Questions for Reflection

• Do we appreciate the graces we receive? Can you think of a specific example of a time where you were given grace?


• Do you appreciate the role of the Church in your life, as mother and teacher?


• Are you doing your part to build up the kingdom through Christian witness, and encouraging your children to do the same?

For the next eight weeks the readings will focus on the 10 Commandments. This would be a good time to start reading again if you haven't kept up! Or to start if you haven't begun!

Week 38: Passages 1934-1986

This week we finish up the topic of social justice and move on to moral law.
Natural law, the Old law and the New Law are discussed.
I'm sure I have some thoughts on these readings but I am too busy baking Christmas cookies with the kids (the 2 year-old keeps throwing flour everywhere) to comment much.
Anyone still reading along?
Merry Christmas!!!

Week 37: Passages 1865-1933

These reading finish up the topic of sin, discussing the proliferation of sin, and the idea of social sin.

Then we dive into:
Chapter Two: The Human Community

Article 1The Person and Society

I. The Communal Character of the Human Vocation
People need to live in society and it is through living in community that humans fulfil their vocations. However the society must operate for the common good and should infringe on the rights of the individual.
II. Conversion and Society
Sin can pervert society. Conversion and grace are necessary. Charity leads to social reforms.

Article 2 Participation in Social Life

I. Authority

"Human Society can neither be well-ordered nor prosperous unless it has
some people invested with legitimate authority to preserve its institutions and
to devote themselves as far as is necessary to work and care for the good of
all." (CCC 1897)

Just authority derives from God. We have a duty of obedience to just authority. Such authority seeks the common good ans uses morally licit means to obtain it.

II. The Common Good

"Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you
were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together."
(CCC 1905)

Common good has three essential elements:

• respect for the person
• social well-being and development of the group
• peace and security

Humanity around the world is increasingly interconnected, we need to establish a universal common good. The common good is always geared toward human progress, "founded in truth, built up by justice and animated by love." (CCC 1912)

III. Responsibility and Participation
People are obligated to promote the common good both through personal responsibility and public life.
Those in authority should strengthen the values that encourage members of the group to serve others.

"Participation begins with education and culture. 'One is entitled to
think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable of
providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism.'" (CCC
1917)

Article 3 Social Justice
I. Respect for the Human Person
Social justice is linked to the common good and legitimate authority, and can only be obtained by respecting the transcendent dignity of man.

"Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle
that 'everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as 'another
self', above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it
with dignity.'"

This duty is even more urgent in regards to the poor and disadvantaged. This duty also extends to those who think and act differently from us. Christ requires forgiveness, we hate evil but must love our enemies.

Questions for Reflection

• In what ways do we work to promote the common good in our personal and public lives?
• How can we instill in our children the virtues that inspire them to service of others?
• Do we love our enemies? And how can we teach our children to do so also? Passage 1933 (about loving those who think differently from us and loving our enemies) makes me think of sibling rivalry! I am going to try to keep these readings in mind the next time I am refereeing a sibling squabble. Social justice begins at home :)

Week 36: Passages 1783-1864

Keep reading! I'm back next week.