Catechism of the Catholic Church #2688

1. Believe we are made in the image of God
2. Understand the Beatitudes
3. Accept the rights and responsibilities of the gift of freedom
4. Choose to act morally
5. Form and train the conscience
6. Practice human and theological virtues
7. Admit sins and be willing to seek absolution and forgiveness
8. Appreciate and serve our human community
9. Realize that God is our love and salvation

Believe we are made in the image of God

• We have reason, through which can understand our world and grow to know the Truth of God in our world.
   
• We have free will to accept or reject God because God never forces Himself on us.
   
• We have freedom with which we can choose to accept to do what is right and avoid what is evil.

Because of our wounds from original sin we tend to prefer earthly satisfactions. Thankfully, God loves us so completely He freely gives us the grace to get beyond our natural tendencies and seek heavenly glory.

We are made in the image of God. When we faithfully believe this we realize it is only through God that we have any possibility of being happy. Our belief opens up an eternal relationship with God.
 

Understand the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes were nothing new to the people who heard the words of Jesus. However, Jesus gave them a new meaning. In the Old Testament God's people understood the promises to Abraham to refer specifically to the possession of earthly territory. Jesus clarified the promises - they are the beatitudes and they refer to the Kingdom of Heaven.

When we understand and live the Beatitudes we come to know God, to love God, to serve God in this world and anticipate the gift of eternal happiness with Him in the next.

Click here to read the Beatitudes
 

Accept the rights and responsibilities of the gift of freedom

Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will...to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1731)

As parents we occasionally hear, "It's a free country. I can do what I want!" Our typical reply is, "Freedom does not mean you can do anything you want. Freedom means we do what we like when it is respectful of ourselves and others." It is not uncommon to hear a groan from the children at that point.

It is so important for each of us to realize that our God-given freedom also gives us the responsibility of consciously choosing to do what is right. We have commercials, songs, so-called friends, peer pressure, and many other external situations which can lead us astray. We also have internal pressures, like weakness, ignorance, pride, and selfishness, that are often more difficult to ignore. It requires a concerted effort, each and every day, to choose to do what is right and responsible.

When we freely choose to sin, we bring unhappiness to others and ourselves. We get in the habit of sinning and eventually become slaves to that sin. We completely give away our freedom. When we freely choose to act responsibly, the payoff is incredible! Choosing to do what is right is true freedom. When we freely choose to do God's will we bring happiness to ourselves and others, and realize true happiness. True freedom produces true happiness. What a wonderful gift God has given us!
 

Choose to act morally

1. The act itself
2. The motive of the act
3. The situation in which the act takes place

The Act

Some actions, such as willful murder, rape, and adultery, are inherently wrong. No matter what we say, nothing makes these acts good. Any action that is inherently wrong must be avoided. Committing an inherently wrong action is immoral and, therefore, a sin.

The Motive

The second aspect of an action is the reason it is being done.

The motive must be self-giving, not selfish. An inherently good action, such as giving money to the poor, becomes bad when it is done for selfish reasons. We may recognize hypocrisy in the Pharisee who looked miserable when he was fasting or made a great show of giving his money to the Temple. We also need to recognize our own hypocrisy when we do things to look better in the eyes of our fellow man instead of doing them in the service of God.

Likewise, a motive that is good, such as helping the poor, is made immoral by an immoral action. For example, obtaining a grant to help feed the poor is immoral if the requestor lies about how the money will be dispensed. Contrary to the writings of Nikolai Machiavelli (The Prince (Bantam Classics)) the ends do not justify the means.

The Circumstances

The circumstances of an action may affect one's responsibility for an action. In Victor Hugo's Les Misérables (Signet Classics) we are horrified because a starving man who steals a loaf of bread for his family is jailed for years. We may agree he should not have committed the crime, but we also believe he should never have been in jail for much of his adult life because of that crime. The circumstances diminished the inherent evil in the action of stealing.

All three elements of an action must be good in order for act to be considered good.

Form and train the conscience

Conscience is man's most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1975

Each of us has to make decisions day in and day out. What should I eat for breakfast? What clothes should I wear today? Whom should I marry? Should I get a tattoo?

It is important to recognize that every decision we make has the potential to be morally right or morally wrong. How can we tell the difference? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, our consciences will be our guides!

In order for the conscience to guide us, however, we have to take the time and responsibility to train the conscience. When we are children our parents teach us right from wrong. They help us learn the Ten Commandments, the deadly sins, and the human and heavenly virtues. They caution us against selfishness and pride while applauding our good works and self-giving.

As we grow into adulthood the responsibility of training the conscience falls on our own shoulders. First we must admit the training of the conscience is a lifelong activity that requires attention and diligence. Then we need to get on with that training!

1. Be aware there is a decision to be made. We always have choices. Take the time to figure out what the choices are and which one is best.
    
2. Become informed. Study the issues involved in a choice.
    
3. Consider the consequences of each choice. It may seem fun to get your chin tattooed, but how will that affect your future career?
    
4. Discuss the choices with trusted family, friends, and advisors. Make sure those people are well-informed Catholics who will not lead you astray.
    
5. Pray. God will guide you toward the right choice. God's timing may not be the same as your timing, but that is okay. Be patient. Be understanding.
    
6. Take action. Remember, peace is the gift of a good decision.

Be Virtuous

The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1803

Becoming a virtuous person makes one more like God. As in all things worth attaining, being a  virtuous person takes time, determination, and perseverance. There are several things one can do to become virtuous:

• Learn about the human and theological virtues and how they can be nurtured.
   
• Learn about virtuous people. It is too easy to hear about evil in the world. While it is important to be aware that evil exists, it is more important to avoid committing evil oneself. Read about the lives of the saints. Watch uplifting movies. Participate in church activities and watch the good so many people are doing. The more we learn and observe about living virtuously, the more likely we are to give it a try. (Adults may enjoy Butler's Lives Of The Saints; children may prefer New Picture Book of Saints/235/22: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old)
   
• Imitate virtuous people. We may not all be able to work one-on-one with the poor, but we can follow the example of those who do work with the poor. We can be loving, accepting, non-judgmental, and forgiving to all those with whom we come in contact. Those behaviors sometimes seem the most difficult when we deal with family and co-workers.
   
• Commit acts of virtue until they become habits. Get out there and just do it!
   
• Pray for guidance and use the gifts the Spirit has provided. In our sacraments the Holy Spirit gives us special gifts which help us persevere and be virtuous.

Admit sins and be willing to seek absolution and forgiveness

The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is the classic example of the conversion process from admitting sin to receiving forgiveness. At first the wayward son looks forward to leaving his family behind and being on his own. He willingly separates himself from all that is good and loving to experience the excitement of the world. On his own he makes foolish choices; eventually he realizes his life is completely meaningless and useless. He has no friends, he has no family.

When he realizes that it is his own sin that has caused his problems, he decides to go back to the home in which he received love and comfort and ask for forgiveness. He is full of hope that his father will at least treat him with the dignity of a human and not like an animal. Imagine his joy when his father not only forgives him, but also welcomes him back as a part of the family.

As we read this parable, we see the reconciliation process at work:

• Admitting sins (examination of conscience) - Luke15:17
• Repentance - Luke 15:18
• Confession - Luke 15:18
• Making amends - Luke 15:19

It is essential to our continual conversion that we also participate in the reconciliation process. By acknowledging our sins and seeking absolution and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we receive the grace to do better and grow closer to God. Talk about true happiness!

Appreciate and serve our human community