Duties and Responsibilities Towards the Christian Faith
 Knowing the truth of faith
o One must strive to know God’s revelation in
the reading of the Scriptures and the sacred
traditions of the Church.
o This includes learning about the life and work
of God in Jesus Christ and reading the signs
of the times.
o Knowing the truth leads to proper and
sincere witnessing or practicing of the faith.
o PCP II says, “Catholic Faith must be
‘informed’ that is believing Jesus’ words, and
accepting His teachings, trusting that He has
the words of eternal life” (65).
o Faith causes change as it seeks a greater
understanding of God.
o Witnessing means showing, practicing, or
living the faith.
 Boldly professing the faith in words and deeds
o In a prayer gathering, one should not be
ashamed of making the sign of the cross.
o Sometimes people hide their faith identity by
neglecting basic duties.
o The profession of faith is evident in the lives
of martyrs – people who courageously
offered their lives for faith.
 Spreading the faith
o Evangelization takes place through
preaching and teaching the Word of God and
living it out.
o Missionaries such as the CICM are
witnesses to the proclamation and spreading
of God’s word.
o CICM priests and brothers go to places
where the Gospel is not yet known or lived –
forming communities of faith.
o As a young person, you can spread faith just
by witnessing.
 Safeguarding the faith from imminent destruction
o This includes protecting the faith from
blasphemy, heresy, apostasy, and the like.
 Promoting unity among other faith denominations
o Jesus desires for all to be united as brothers
and sisters.
o Faith traditions are called to follow the gospel
of peace and unity.
o Christian denominations should help and
support one another – this is Ecumenism.
 Faith is a gift from God and also a response to God’s
offer of meaningful existence.
o Acceptance of faith is the first response.
o Faith has ethical implications – one must be
faithful to what they profess.
o Obedience is necessary – not blind, but a
listening and responsive obedience.
o Witnessing is very important – learning from
Jesus should be actualized.
o “Faith without action is useless.”
o “Believing is bearing witness to the Lord
through our life by obeying His commands
and living the Gospel” (PCP II, 78).
o “Faith must be exercised in service to care
for the needy and to care for our earth” (PCP
II, 79).
o Faith should become part of one’s total self –
accepting faith is accepting Jesus Christ.
o Faith drives one to true conversion and
goodness shines in actions.
Hope in the Scriptures
 In the Old Testament, hope is seen as longing for the
fulfillment of God’s promise.
 Isaiah describes the Messiah: “For a child is born to
us...Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:5).
 In the New Testament, the object of hope is the
complete realization of God’s Kingdom with the
Second Coming.
 God’s kingdom is experienced now, but fully realized
when He returns.
 Losing hope equals losing awareness of God’s
presence.
Offenses Against Hope
 Despair – losing confidence in God’s goodness and
mercy; life feels meaningless due to misery and
problems.
 Resignation – giving up on life; suicide is a direct
offense against the virtue of hope.
Hope and Jesus
 Jesus is the hope of humanity.
 In the paschal mystery, Jesus trusted in God’s plan –
showing total obedience and hope.
 His life is victory over evil because of hope.
 People must follow and embrace hope.
 No challenge is too big with hope in God.
Fruits and Challenges of Hope
 Endurance – helps one not give up, knowing trials
end and God supports.
 Openness – hope is future-oriented and must be
viewed holistically.
 Commitment to liberation – directs people to help
others from oppression and injustice.
o The Kingdom of God is justice and peace.
o Hope leads to building the Kingdom.
Love
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Love is a gift from God, infused into people’s hearts to
imitate God.
God showed love by sending His Son; Jesus offered
His life.
Jesus taught to love one another without reservation.
Loving means loving all – even enemies.
Love is not just emotion; it is action through intellect
and will.
Kinds of Love
 Erotic Love – love in exclusive relationships
(partners, spouses), limited in scope.
 Filial Love – love among friends; a give-and-take
relationship, still limited.
 Agape Love – unconditional love for all:
o Love of God, neighbor, and Mother Earth.
o Goes beyond prejudice and stereotyping.
o Compels faithfulness and diligence.
o Jesus welcomed people without
discrimination.
o Love includes admonition for wrongdoing
and appreciation for good.
o Not passive – it’s active involvement in
people’s lives and creation.
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In the Old Testament: God showed love through
covenant.
In the New Testament: God’s love is through Jesus’
ministry – healing, forgiving, teaching.
Jesus commanded disciples to cultivate love among
themselves and others.
SIN: A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND
NEIGHBORS
One would always wonder – why is it easier to err than to act
rightly? Is it human nature to sin? Even St. Paul, in his letter to
the Galatians, exhorts Christians to make a conscious effort to
direct their freedom and actions in choosing to do the right
thing since sinning seems to have been embedded in human
nature (Galatians 5:13-26).
Reflections on sin, its nature, and consequences provide a
better tool for understanding Christian morality. Sin is never
acted upon with the absence of human choice. A person
commits a mistake as a deliberate choice to defy standards.
In the Gospels, Jesus teaches that the love of God and the
love of neighbor are intimately connected (Mt 22:38-39; Mk
12:29-31). When we sin against those in need by failing to act
compassionately toward them, we ignore Christ himself (Mt
25:31-46). In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Closing our
eyes to our neighbor also blinds us to God” (Deus Caritas Est
[God Is Love], no. 16). Sin ruptures our relationship with God
and also with other members of the Body of Christ (Catechism
of the Catholic Church [CCC], no. 1440). Take a moment to
consider ways that you have broken any of the Ten
Commandments: Are there any false “gods” (e.g., material
things, pleasure, etc.) that you place above God and other
people? Have you treated family members or others with
disrespect? Have you lied, gossiped, cheated, or stolen?
Time and again, the beginning of sin is traced from the Garden
of Eden, when the first man and woman willfully decided to
defy the only restriction God has imposed despite the
abundance He graciously bestowed upon them.
In Genesis, Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to
eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. As a consequence, they
were banished from the garden forever, and the reality of sin
continuously existed as a hindrance to a loving relationship
with God. This is popularly described as the original sin. Adam
and Eve are assumed to be like God – a manifestation of pride,
and an abuse of freedom (Genesis 3:1-19).
Nature of Sin
Sin separates human beings from God. It is a person’s failure
to respond to God’s invitation and love. It breaks one’s
relationship with Him. It traces itself to the abuse of human
freedom. It is through the act of turning away from God that sin
exists and continually persists.
1. Sin as the Absence of Goodness in an Action
Action should always aim towards what is good; good for the
one doing it and good for others who will be affected by such
an act. Once the nature or the intention of an action lacks
goodness then sin enters into the scene. Such action can
result in harming oneself, destroying nature and even
damaging the human community which will all result in
destroying the relationship between human beings and God.
2. Sin comes in various forms depending on its gravity.
Traditionally, the Church classified sin as either venial or
mortal.
a. Venial Sin
The following conditions must be considered for a certain
behavior or action to be called venial:
i. The action is not a grave matter, or not serious in nature – in
contrast to killing, adultery, and others.
ii. Action is impaired by ignorance, thus the lack of full
knowledge of the circumstances of a situation.
iii. Action has been committed in the absence of deliberate and
complete consent.
If often committed, venial sin weakens the will which eventually
lessens one’s power to resist evil and makes it easier for
him/her to commit a mortal sin.
b. Mortal Sin
Refers to an action that is seriously bad/evil. An individual
decides to proceed with the action despite the knowledge that
it is a grave violation of God’s law. The nature of the action is
seriously bad and the existence of full consent qualifies it as
mortal. The commission of a mortal sin, when not properly
addressed, continues to pile up, weakens the will of an
individual, and eventually darkens his/her intellect.
Three important features must necessarily surround a
certain action to qualify it as a mortal sin:
i. The nature of thoughts, desires, or actions must be seriously
bad or grave. The action is morally bad and not permissible.
Examples are stealing, robbery, cheating, lustful actions,
killing, and others.
ii. The individual is fully aware of the gravity and seriousness of
the action and decision.
iii. Despite the full knowledge, the person still consents to act.
One does it with free will.
3. Sin of Commission and Omission
Sin is most often understood as bad actions being done
without realizing that the non-performance of a needed action
that results in damage to a thing, person, or relationship is also
another dimension of sin. So, sin is either a bad action being
committed or a good or needed action that is omitted or willfully
not being done.
a. Sin of Commission
A bad action being committed/done.
The sin of commission is usually reflected in the negative
precepts of the Ten Commandments such as,
“You shall not kill,” “You shall not steal,” and the like. The clue
there is the word NOT.
b. Sin of Omission
The failure to perform a certain good/needed action. This is an
offense against the positive precepts or the Do’s such as,
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” or “Honor your
father and mother.”
Omissions are also manifested when an individual neglects
his/her professional responsibilities, social obligations, or
religious duties. An example of how serious this is: intentionally
not constantly checking the condition of a certain bus or car
which can result in a great accident later.
4. The Three-Fold Dimension of Sin
The act of sinning, willfully deviating from what is required of an
individual, affects the individual three-fold – personal, social,
and transcendental.
 Personal Dimension
The first person greatly affected by an evil action is
the doer him/herself. A bad action/sin, if not mended
and if often committed, will destroy the worldview and
consequently the formation of the person/doer. If not
corrected, ultimately, it will result in the loss of
meaning in one’s life. This happens when a person
always seeks the gratification of the self, always
desiring what is easy for him/her without considering
others, less sacrifice, and disregarding the needs and
concerns of others.
 Social Dimension
The individual is not the only one badly affected by
his/her sin, but also the community and society as a
whole. The consequences of an individual’s action
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affect others directly or indirectly. Sin either causes
direct harm to others or leads to a situation that brings
evil conditions to others after a few months or even
years.
Example: people destroying Mother Nature by cutting
many trees that they do not need but for the purpose
of having much money. The effect (global warming,
natural calamities) will only come out later and affect
many people.
Another example: a politician who refuses to release
the funds for the implementation of an infrastructure
program in a certain locality out of his/her rage
towards the people for their lack of support during the
recently concluded election. The politician’s action is
not only self-serving but deprives the supposed
beneficiaries of the infrastructure. It hinders the
development of the locality and leaves the people of
the community to suffer because the opportunity for
them to improve their life is taken away.
Transcendental Dimension
Sin does not only destroy the life of the sinner and
others but will ultimately destroy the sinner’s
relationship with God. All mortal sins are situated
within the range of the transcendental dimension.
Conclusion:
The three-fold dimension of sin strongly reminds us that we
need to love and take care of one another since we are all
interconnected. Our actions affect primarily ourselves, which
includes Mother Nature and our relationship with God. We are
all connected — with nature and with our God: we are all one
family.
Introduction
 In our past lessons, we discussed certain actions that
will seriously strain one’s relationship with God.
 Along that topic, there are also some realities of which
some are bad behaviors and some are in the mind but
will lead one to commit bad actions.
 These are called vices if developed and practiced
consistently.
 These vices are called capital sins.
 These are called such since they give rise to other
sins.
 To overcome these capital sins, there are also virtues
that we need to develop and should become part of
our lifestyle to be able to resist the development of
capital vices.
Other Christian Virtues as Threatened by the Capital Sins
1. Chastity is threatened by lust.
 Chastity is not simply abstaining from sex but directs
one’s sexuality toward the proper expression of love
and intimacy.
 Chastity encourages Christians to respect our sexual
dignity by not engaging in sexual activities until the
right time has come – the celebration of the
Sacrament of Matrimony.
 Moreover, married Christians are required to be loyal
to each other and never defile their marriage by
engaging in sexual relationships outside of marriage.
 Chastity aligns with the biblical idea that one’s body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit and is not for engaging in
lustful activities. This is purity in sexuality.
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Lust refers to the strong emotional force of an
individual associated with sexually fantasizing about
someone.
It is an excessive desire of a person to think about
and engage in sex.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, a Christian’s
heart is lustful when “venereal satisfaction is sought
for either outside wedlock or, at any rate, in a manner
which is contrary to the laws that govern marital
intercourse.”
Moreover, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC) defines lust as the “disordered desire for
enjoyment for sexual pleasure.”
Jesus said, “Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman
already committed adultery in his heart” (Matthew 5:
27-28).
So, lust being sinful in itself can also lead one to
commit actual adultery.
2. Moderation as threatened by gluttony.
 Moderation refers to the reasonable and willful control
of the desire for pleasure.
 Naturally, the desire for food is good; however, when
it becomes unnecessary and not within the limits,
results in gluttony.
 Drinking too much amount of wine or alcoholic
beverages leads to drunkenness.
 So, moderation is needed.
 Gluttony comes from the Latin ‘gluteal’, meaning to
gulp or swallow.
 This is an attitude of allowing pleasure to control one’s
consumption of food or drink which results in taking
more than what is required.
 Gluttony is committed when one eats or drinks too
soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, and too
daintily.
 This act leads one to injure his/her health or impair
the mental faculty needed for the discharge of his/her
duties.
 To avoid such bad consequences, one needs to
practice moderation.
3. Generosity is threatened by greed (avarice).
 Generosity refers to giving compassion, concern, and
love to others.
 It is giving love and compassion to others without
expecting any reciprocal action from them.
 Generosity is a responsibility that stems from justice
especially if we see that we have enough and others
have very little which does not even meet their basic
needs.
 Greed refers to the desire to possess excessive
wealth, material goods, or anything of value.
 It places the individual at the center of one’s
obsession with possessing material wealth.
 This is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess
more than what one needs especially concerning
material wealth.
 It becomes more systemic within a culture as
contributed by increasing consumerism where people
endlessly want to buy or possess things that are
luxurious even if not needed anymore, where there is
crossing beyond what are considered as the basic
needs.
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So, to resist being greedy, we need to practice
generosity and compassion.
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4. Diligence as threatened by sloth.
 Diligence pertains to the hard work exerted by an
individual in the performance of a task.
 We need to exert extra effort to avoid being negligent
and neglectful of the responsibilities entrusted to us.
 Sloth, laziness in simple terms, refers to the
avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
 Whatever endeavor in life requires effort.
 Failure to exert diligence therefore is a manifestation
of sloth.
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5. Patience as threatened by wrath.
 A human person should keep his/her cool and
patience even amid adversities and turmoil.
 One must avoid letting emotion get a hold of
himself/herself when situations do not turn out the
way he/she expects them to be.
 Instead of bursting out in anger, a person will take
some time to sort things out, assess the situation, and
think of possible actions to settle the problem.
 Patience manifests the value of endurance wherein
under a difficult circumstance, an individual can
persevere without being annoyed.
 Wrath, also known as rage or extreme anger, is an
uncontrolled feeling of hatred and anger.
 It is sinful because it pursues revenge whether one
deserves it or not.
 It is a sin because it is associated with selfishness.
 Anger can be dispelled.
 One should make a conscious effort to overcome
wrath to avoid untoward incidents to happen due to
one’s inability to control it.
6. Kindness as threatened by envy.
 Kindness is simply described as a thoughtful
consideration of others by showing concern and
genuine courtesy to them.
 A Christian does not solely focus on himself/herself
but considers the welfare of others.
 It may be in extending a helping hand, patiently
waiting for one’s turn or even responding to others
with a smile.
 Envy also called Jealousy is a feeling of being
discontented or feelings of insecurity despite having
enough basic needs.
 This resentful longing is aroused by someone else's
possessions, qualities, or luck.
 This is often manifested in the so-called “crab
mentality” where a person will pull down another who
has achieved something higher than him/herself.
7. Humility as threatened by pride.
 Humility pertains to the quality of being modest and
respectful.
 As stated in the Catholic Encyclopedia, “humility is a
virtue by which a person considers his/her defects
and has lowly opinion of him/her and willing to submit
oneself to God and others for God’s sake.”
 Pride is an attitude or feeling of being more important
or attractive than others and failing to acknowledge
their goodness.
This can be manifested in one’s being boastful over
his/her achievements, possessions, and those whom
he/she is being associated with.
It is identified as the excessive love of self.
Pride makes the person self-sufficient and there will
be no room anymore for God’s grace.
Understanding the Beatitudes – Key Points Summary
 Jesus’ public ministry focused on teaching disciples
to grow in their relationship with God and others using
simple yet effective methods like parables and stories.
 The Eight Beatitudes, taught during the Sermon on
the Mount, present positive values Christians should
live by, unlike the Ten Commandments which
emphasize prohibitions.
 The Beatitudes emphasize virtues like humility,
charity, generosity, and love, encouraging believers
with promises of reward, peace, and comfort both in
life and in eternity.
1st Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
 Focuses on humility and dependence on God, not
material poverty.
 Calls Christians to recognize their limitedness and
God’s sovereignty.
 Encourages nurturing one’s relationship with God,
repentance, and conversion.
 The promise is eternal salvation and experiencing
God’s Kingdom.
2nd Beatitude: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will
be comforted.
 Mourning is about having a contrite and repentant
heart.
 Recognizes sinfulness, regrets sins, and desires to
improve.
 Mourning also includes sorrow for life’s hardships and
injustices.
 Christ offers comfort and saving grace to those who
mourn sincerely.
3rd Beatitude: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit
the earth.
 Calls for humility, gentleness, patience, and selfcontrol.
 Meekness is strength shown by managing emotions
without offending others.
 Being meek means respecting others as creatures
of God.
 King David is a biblical example of meekness.
 God promises to satisfy those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness.
5th Beatitude: Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain
mercy.
 Relates to the Golden Rule – treat others as you
want to be treated.
 Calls for patience, kindness, compassion, and
forgiveness toward others.
 Mercy involves helping others rise from their struggles
without judgment.
 Mother Teresa exemplifies mercy by serving the
suffering.
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God is the ultimate example of mercy, shown in
Jesus’ life and sacrifice.
6th Beatitude: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will
see God.
 Calls for guarding the heart from impurities,
grudges, and hatred.
 A pure heart reflects love, empathy, and
compassion.
 Purity allows Christians to know and experience
God deeply.
 Pope John Paul II exemplified purity through prayer
and faithfulness.
7th Beatitude: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will
be called children of God.
 Peacemakers work for reconciliation, harmony, and
justice.
 Peace means the presence of good and absence of
evil, called shalom in Hebrew.
 Peacemakers show love, understanding, and
compassion, even amid conflict.
 They promote unity in families and groups.
 Christians are called to remain faithful and morally
upright, even under persecution.
 Bishop Oscar Romero encouraged steadfast faith
despite challenges.