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CLE REVIEWER LESSON 1: Meaning of “Conversion”: - Change - Metanoia (change of mind, change of the inner man, repentance.) - Interior conversion (conversion on the inside takes place) Why should one be converted? - To bring bac...

CLE REVIEWER LESSON 1: Meaning of “Conversion”: - Change - Metanoia (change of mind, change of the inner man, repentance.) - Interior conversion (conversion on the inside takes place) Why should one be converted? - To bring back a harmonious relationship with God, others, and the world. “The only way to once again be truly happy is to remain in the state of grace, to remain in the loving arms of the Father, through His Son in Love. Indeed Jesus told us that “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5) State of Grace - Being free from sin “The Reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel!” (Mark 1:15) In this basic proclamation, there is, first, the condition for entry into the Kingdom: repentance. As sinners, our first step must always be reform of life. (CFC 739) SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Three basic realities in receiving the sacrament: - God who in His infinite mercy grants forgiveness and reconcile us to Himself and to one another in this sacrament celebrated in the context of His Word in Scripture - the Church, the Christian community, as continuing Christ's ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation. - continued personal conversion and heartfelt repentance for sins against God and neighbor, supported by the charity, good example, and prayers of the whole community. OTHER MEANS OF CONVERSION: - almsgiving (the practice of giving money or food to poor people) - prayer - fasting - Spiritual and corporal works of mercy What are the hindrances to conversion? - Pride - Ignorance - False belief - Temptation - Preoccupation - Fear Pride means: Pride = Jamae - An attitude that fails us to recognize God as God and others as brothers and sisters. - Tells us that “Nothing is wrong with me. I am perfectly and always OK.” - It makes one believe that “I did nothing wrong” and points always the blame to others. False belief - Some people are made to believe that by merely being a member of a religion or a Church, and by simply believing in someone or something, they are already justified. Temptation - A constant pull towards sin for its alluring, deceiving beauty with a false promise of joy. The stronger the desire to be good and holy, the greater the temptation of the devil becomes. The closer we are to God, the more persistent the devil pulls us back to sin. Preoccupation - For some, they do not only go with the flow but let the current take them wherever it goes. Others who are so preoccupied with so many things, their occupations become their masters. Fear - The one who does wrong steps away rather than approach the other who is offended because of the feeling of guilt. Rather than being sorry, hiding the wrong and pretending innocent appear as an option. Process toward Conversion: Interior contrition and the purpose of amendment - means the acceptance and feeling sorry for the sins committed with the intention of making up for the hurt or damage that was done and totally renewing oneself. Actual confession and seeking the offended person’s forgiveness - Here, the manner of confessing and seeking forgiveness matters. It must be done with honesty, sincerity, and humility. Continue one’s purpose of amendment, receive forgiveness, and live in the community harmoniously. - Living the new life, leaving the old ways. Conversion - a continual renewal. It is a continuous process of becoming a better person and establishing a more harmonious relationship with God, others, and the world. What are the signs of true conversion? The interior experience of true conversion is joy. The exterior expression is love for God and others. Sin divides. It hurts. Love unites. Love promotes the well-being of the person. To repent is to commit oneself once again to God’s greatest commandment of love. With love flow the virtues of generosity, humility, patience, understanding, and mercy, and others. All these are reflections of the interior experience of joy- a fruit of the Holy Spirit, the love between the Father and the Son. LESSON 2 FREEDOM - is the capacity to act or not to act. It is the power to perform or not to perform, to do or not to do - a power that directs us in pursuit of perfection, for good is the object of the will and truth is the object of the intellect. AGERE SEQUITUR ESSE - To act follows to be. Indeed, the kind of person we are and will become is a product of what we do every day. To avoid the abuse of freedom, we must be wary of our freedom as exercised. Though we have the power to choose evil, it doesn't justify the actual choosing of evil. To choose evil is to abuse freedom and not exercise it according to its nature. WHEN DOES ONE BECOME FREE AND UNFREE? - One becomes free when he/she does good and becomes unfree when he/she does evil. - To be free is to do good. This is what we call authentic freedom. When God has given us free will, the will is ordered toward goodness, and so with freedom. We are called to live in spirit and be of service to others. By doing so, we become our true selves. This freedom from is directed toward something. We free ourselves from for a greater purpose. Beyond being liberated from all the obstacles to authentic freedom is the freedom for growing as full persons and children of God, sharing in the life of Christ our Liberator through His Spirit. LAWS ARE THERE TO:  Provide criteria for judging who we are and how we should act  Help our moral development, especially in the formation of conscience, by expressing typical patterns of moral behavior and human values.  Provide stability and consistency in our lives by acting as a constant and reliable point of reference.  Challenge us by stretching us given an idea, or correcting us by illuminating our faults. "What is legal is not necessarily moral" The law of God is founded on love. It doesn't serve the interest of the few. It respects the dignity of each person. It aims the protect the rights and freedom of everyone. The law of God liberates and brings peace and joy. Our moral conscience helps us in determining the morality of our acts in a given situation. It is our conscience that tells us how to love God and others through our words and actions as we apply the law in our daily lives. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH? To be a sacrament of salvation. To help save all from the enslaving force of evil and keep them free through prayer and good works. It is our task to ensure that each member lives and remains in the spirit of the Lord, living the person and mission of Jesus Christ. BE RESPONSIBLE One, this means being accountable for all our actions, accepting the consequences, and serving justice for people who are hurt. Another is the ability to respond to the situation. BE RESPECTFUL Respect for others arises from the truth that each person is free and dignified. We remain free through God's grace. We have to admit frailty, our weakness, our vulnerability. History tells us how we have turned away from God, deceived, and become slaves of sin. LESSON 3 LAW OF LOVE “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Basis of Morality: Law & Conscience  St. Thomas Aquinas describes the law as “an ordinance of reason, promulgated by competent authority for the sake of the common good. ORDINANCE - Law is not a request or appeal. It is not an invitation to do or not to do. Law is an ordinance. It is a command, an order. It is something that we have to follow. REASON - Time and effort are devoted to considering its possible effects and implications so that human rights and dignity are respected. PROMULGATED - Law has to be made known to the people. It has to be communicated for the knowledge and awareness of all including its rightful implementation. COMPETENT AUTHORITY - Law is made by individuals who have the necessary knowledge and skills and legitimate power COMMON GOOD - Law is intended for the good of all, not for the few. The law is based on a vision, a certain preposition (CFC 802). The laws that are made have something envisioned for the people, society, country, or world. Just like in school, they set rules in accordance with their mission and vision. Thus, rules are there to attain and keep their vision of what kind of students and society they deem good. As Catholic Christians, the vision is the vision of God for all humanity. It is the Kingdom of God where love, peace, and joy reign. Second, law arises and expresses basic values (CFC 802). Take, for example, the commandment “You shall not kill.” the value it upholds and protects is respect for human life. At home, when we were asked not to play outdoor games inside the house, this is to care for and protect the valuable things therein. WHY DO WE HAVE LAWS? - Basically, laws are there to keep and let our relationship with God, others, and nature growing and maturing-characterized by respect, peace, harmony, and love - The Ten Commandments are there to promote and protect the covenant between Yahweh and His people COVENANT- AGREEMENT, PROMISE ON WHAT BASIS CAN WE ULTIMATELY GROUND THE EXERCISE OF AUTHENTIC FREEDOM? The norm by which all thoughts, words, and deeds are judged and evaluated morally is not some law, but the person of Jesus Christ. We are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the fullness of God’s revelation. Through Him, we come to know not only God as our Father but who we truly are. But, the words and deeds of Jesus Christ are not only revelation of God’s love to us but a call and command of becoming Christlike. “Jesus embodies God’s loving call to us, and the perfect human response of a child of God. Jesus, Himself is the New Covenant between God and all human persons, the Way and authentic norm for becoming our true selves” WHAT IS A NATURAL LAW? - The law of God that we know by our reason. - Provides us basis on how to govern ourselves and live a moral life. It provides the foundation for building our community in peace and harmony. It serves as basis for all human laws. With this law engraved in our hearts, we can discern and so choose good and avoid evil. CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURAL LAW UNIVERSAL - all of us have this law present in our hearts. Natural law varies greatly, thus, “it can demand reflection that takes account of various conditions of life according to places, times, and circumstances. Natural law remains a rule that binds men among themselves and imposes on them, beyond the inevitable differences, common principles. IMMUTABLE - It is unchanging. What is discerned to be good or evil a thousand years ago remains the same today. It is permanent through the variations of history. Whether people accept murder as good, natural law expresses it as evil. WHICH COMMANDMENT IN THE LAW IS THE GREATEST? The greatest commandment in the law is the law of love- to love God and others. With this commandment, Jesus Christ reveals to us: First, He made known to us the distinct yet inseparable love for God and love for neighbor Second, by heart, soul, and mind, we are to love God and others with our whole selves. Love is not love if it is not all. Love is total self-giving. To love is to love without reservation. Third, neighbor includes all who are in need and even our enemies. It includes the unloving and unlovable. Lastly, Christ brings out the very meaning of each law- love. WHAT IS THIS NEW LAW? The law of love, the law of grace, the law of freedom, the law of the Gospel. The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity and, finally, let us pass from the condition of a servant who “does not know what his master is doing” to that of a friend of Christ (CCC 1972) CCC - Catechism of the Catholic Church SIX POINTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEW LAW BASED ON THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1. “The New Law or the Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on Earth of the divine law, natural and revealed” (CCC 1965) 2. “The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit given to the faithful through faith in Christ” (CCC 1966) 3. The Law of the Gospel “fulfills,” refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection (CCC 1967) 4. The Law of the Gospel fulfills the commandments of the Law (CCC 1968) 5. The New Law practices the acts of religion: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, directing them to the “Father who sees in secret,” in contrast with the desire to “be seen by men.” Its prayer is the Our Father (CCC 1969)  6. The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between “the two ways” and to put into practice the words of the Lord (CCC 1970) WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO LOVE OTHERS? We can love others through concrete charitable acts. These acts are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The source of these merciful acts is not our feeling, intention, or effort. It is God’s grace. God is a merciful God who first showed us mercy. He is rich in mercy and abundant in kindness. Our every act of mercy participates in the great mercy of God. LESSON 4: CONSCIENCE - a practical judgment enabling the person to recognize whether the concrete act in a particular situation is good or evil. - a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he/she is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. PRACTICAL - Conscience summons us to choose and do the good and avoid evil. There is a sort of “urge” or push within us to do that which is good and turn away evil. JUDGMENT OF REASON - Conscience is a capacity that arises from our reason to determine and evaluate the quality (good or evil) of the concrete act of a particular situation and so be able to deem it as good or evil. CONCRETE ACT - Conscience cannot judge a human act as good or evil unless it is done in a particular situation. To talk about stealing whether good or evil, three elements have to be evaluated: the act chosen, intention, and circumstances. All must be considered to identify not only whether the act is good or evil but also the gravity of the act. Not all acts have the same weight. There are those which carry more goodness and others with more evilness Conscience enables us also to be responsible for our actions. Through it, we come to know whether our act is good or evil. We have the knowledge of our act. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONSCIENCE - LAX - DOUBTFUL - CERTAIN - SCRUPULOUS - ERRONEOUS - TRUE Conscience is lax when there is a lack of effort in judging the morality of the act, manifested in being lenient and loose, resulting in a poor sense of what is good or evil. EX: The Prime Minister of Canada has a lax conscience. He does not care if abortion is wrong, if same-sex marriage offends God, if euthanasia is murder, his only concern is having people support him at the next election so he can serve another term as an immoral Prime Minister. Conscience is scrupulous when we judge a simple act to be evil, or a lesser evil to be resulting in an inordinate feeling of torment. EX: When a person at the grocery gave P100.00 to the cashier for P88.00 worth of purchase grocery supplies. However, because the cashier is in a hurry, instead of P12 pesos change, she erroneously gave P15. The person is in dilemma whether to tell the cashier and bring back the P3 pesos or to keep it instead. In the end, this person gave back the P3 change because of his scrupulous conscience. True conscience is the kind of conscience where we make correct moral judgments on the quality of act. When the person is sure of the evilness or goodness of the act, it is called certain conscience. When he/she is not sure, it is called doubtful conscience. EXAMPLE OF CERTAIN CONSCIENCE: When a girl who accidentally got pregnant, wants to abort the baby but it is against her conscience and against the law. This type of conscience is in congruence with the moral law EXAMPLE OF DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE: When you decide to cheat on your exams because you were not able to review or try your best to take the exam without cheating even if it results in failure Conscience is not automatic. It is like a seed that needs to be nurtured and developed as one grows and matures as a Christian. PROCESS OF COMING TO A MORAL JUDGMENT: - DISCERNING - DEMAND - JUDGMENT/ DECISION DISCERNING STAGE - Search for possible solutions or means - Think of reasons - Consult others who are knowledgeable and expert and have a good spirituality - Pray for the Spirit of knowledge, wisdom, and love so that whatever is being searched and thought of, is motivated by God’s Spirit DEMAND STAGE - We bring out the pertinent moral norm for the use of our conscience. Conscience works with the accepted moral norm. to judge whether this or that is good or evil, there must be a basis, a moral norm. JUDGMENT STAGE - This simply refers to the judgment of conscience we make on the morality of any proposed action, and our consequent decision to follow this dictates our conscience or not. The concrete act is important to us as people because what we do is what we become. Our character is formed by our actions. An act does not define our character. However, when a particular act becomes a habit, it can start to change our attitude, values, and then character. HABA TALAGA PUNYEMAS