The Nature of Moral Theology

The Nature of Moral The Nature of Moral TheologyTheology

Part IPart I

God’s Love and Our ResponseGod’s Love and Our Response

Starting Point of MoralityStarting Point of Morality

Morality properly begins with God Morality properly begins with God and God’s love.and God’s love.

God loves us first and our moral life God loves us first and our moral life is our response. is our response.

Our image of God is crucial; how we Our image of God is crucial; how we imagine God affects how we respond.imagine God affects how we respond.

God as Trinity God as Trinity A Communion of LoveA Communion of Love

God as Trinity presents God as Trinity presents us an image of a us an image of a communion of love – an communion of love – an eternal giving and eternal giving and receiving of love receiving of love among equals.among equals.

Created in the image of Created in the image of God as Trinity, we are God as Trinity, we are called to a life of loving called to a life of loving communion with communion with others; we were others; we were created to be in created to be in relationships of love.relationships of love.

The Father in the Parable of The Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Sonthe Prodigal Son

A God who whose love A God who whose love is unconditional.is unconditional.

God’s love for us does God’s love for us does not depend on our not depend on our behavior – our sins do behavior – our sins do not diminish God’s love not diminish God’s love nor our good works nor our good works increase God’s love.increase God’s love.

God does not force us God does not force us to love him; God to love him; God invites us to invites us to communion with Him.communion with Him.

False and Incomplete False and Incomplete Images of GodImages of God

An Overpersonalized GodAn Overpersonalized God(Incomplete image)(Incomplete image)

I only talk to him I only talk to him about my needs but about my needs but not the needs of the not the needs of the world.world.

My spiritual life is My spiritual life is separated from my separated from my moral life – how I pray moral life – how I pray does not affect how I does not affect how I live.live.

I love God but I hate I love God but I hate my neighbor.my neighbor.

An Overpersonalized GodAn Overpersonalized God

Correcting this image:Correcting this image: See God as a Father See God as a Father

who relates to all his who relates to all his children personally children personally and equally.and equally.

A God who cares about A God who cares about how I relate with othershow I relate with others

A God who desires not A God who desires not only what is good for only what is good for me but also the good of me but also the good of the whole worldthe whole world

Result:Result: I see others as my I see others as my

brothers and sisters in brothers and sisters in God’s familyGod’s family

Integration of my Integration of my prayer life with my prayer life with my relationship with others relationship with others and my activity in the and my activity in the worldworld

I become more socially I become more socially conscious and conscious and concerned about the concerned about the needs of my needs of my communitycommunity

God as a LawmakerGod as a Lawmaker(Incomplete Image)(Incomplete Image)

Overemphasis on Overemphasis on observance of the lawobservance of the law

Measuring goodness Measuring goodness based on obedience based on obedience to rulesto rules

Emphasis on external Emphasis on external behavior and less behavior and less attention to character attention to character developmentdevelopment

God as a LawmakerGod as a Lawmaker

Correcting this image:Correcting this image: God gave us laws to God gave us laws to

guide our loving; not to guide our loving; not to make us slaves to the make us slaves to the lawlaw

Goal of moral life is Goal of moral life is imitation of Christ, not imitation of Christ, not observance of the law.observance of the law.

Moral laws are supposed Moral laws are supposed to guide our character to guide our character development, not to development, not to simply control behavior.simply control behavior.

Result:Result: We learn the values We learn the values

that are behind the that are behind the moral rules.moral rules.

We turn to Christ to We turn to Christ to guide us how to apply guide us how to apply rules.rules.

There is integration There is integration between our external between our external behavior and our value behavior and our value formation.formation.

God as Judge/PunisherGod as Judge/Punisher(Incomplete/False image)(Incomplete/False image)

God is always God is always watching and watching and judging my every judging my every move and if I make a move and if I make a mistake I will get mistake I will get punishedpunished

I try to be good to I try to be good to avoid punishmentavoid punishment

A moral life based on A moral life based on fearfear

God as Judge/PunisherGod as Judge/Punisher

Correcting this imageCorrecting this image Even if the scripture gives Even if the scripture gives

us images of God as judge; us images of God as judge; God is predominantly a God is predominantly a God of love and mercy.God of love and mercy.

God never punishes; he God never punishes; he does not desire our does not desire our suffering.suffering.

God only sends us good God only sends us good things that will help us and things that will help us and build us up – he never build us up – he never harms us.harms us.

ResultResult We relate to God not We relate to God not

with fear but with with fear but with humble gratitude.humble gratitude.

We stop interpreting We stop interpreting bad things that happen bad things that happen as God’s punishment.as God’s punishment.

We become more We become more merciful to others and merciful to others and less judgmental. less judgmental.

God as TesterGod as Tester(False Image)(False Image)

God sends me God sends me problems to test my problems to test my faith in him.faith in him.

My faith is weak if I My faith is weak if I am unable to cope am unable to cope with my problems.with my problems.

Life is one big test Life is one big test and if I fail this test I and if I fail this test I will not reach will not reach heaven.heaven.

God as TesterGod as Tester

Correcting this image:Correcting this image: See as God is my Creator; See as God is my Creator;

he does not need to test he does not need to test me; he knows me me; he knows me completely.completely.

Problems do not come from Problems do not come from God; they just happen. God; they just happen.

God send us the Spirit to God send us the Spirit to console us and strengthen console us and strengthen us when problems become us when problems become too heavy. too heavy.

Life is not a test; it is Life is not a test; it is journey with Christ (with journey with Christ (with others) to our heavenly others) to our heavenly home.home.

Result:Result: I am at peace with God I am at peace with God

who knows me intimately.who knows me intimately.

I can face problems with I can face problems with God at my side.God at my side.

It is ok to feel sad and cry It is ok to feel sad and cry out to God in times of out to God in times of trouble – that is not a sign trouble – that is not a sign of weakness or lack of of weakness or lack of faith. It is being human.faith. It is being human.

I become less hard on I become less hard on myself and others. We just myself and others. We just try to do our best with try to do our best with God’s grace. God’s grace.

Mercy is at the heart of our Mercy is at the heart of our moralitymorality

Mercy is what makes Catholic Mercy is what makes Catholic morality distinctive.morality distinctive.

We are called to live out the mercy of We are called to live out the mercy of God in our dealings with others.God in our dealings with others.

The parable of the Good Samaritan The parable of the Good Samaritan tells us the story of our salvation tells us the story of our salvation which is a story of mercywhich is a story of mercy

The Good SamaritanThe Good Samaritan

The man on the side of The man on the side of the road represents the road represents humanity, wounded by humanity, wounded by sin, helpless and weak.sin, helpless and weak.

The priest and Levite The priest and Levite who pass him by who pass him by represent the teaching represent the teaching of the Law and the of the Law and the Prophets that were not Prophets that were not able to help humanity able to help humanity out of its sinful situationout of its sinful situation


The Samaritan is The Samaritan is Christ, the one who Christ, the one who showed mercy.showed mercy.

He helped wounded He helped wounded humanity, cared for humanity, cared for the wounds caused the wounds caused by sin, and carried by sin, and carried humanity to safety.humanity to safety.


He takes the wounded He takes the wounded man to an inn, which man to an inn, which represents the Church.represents the Church.

He pays a price so that He pays a price so that the wounded man may the wounded man may be attended to.be attended to.

He entrusted the man He entrusted the man to the care of the inn to the care of the inn keeperkeeper

He promises to return He promises to return to pay what is lacking to pay what is lacking and to make sure that and to make sure that the man has been the man has been properly cared for. properly cared for.


We, the members of the Church, are the inn We, the members of the Church, are the inn keepers who are entrusted with the merciful care keepers who are entrusted with the merciful care of God’s people wounded by sin.of God’s people wounded by sin.

Christ gave to the Church his life and his spirit to Christ gave to the Church his life and his spirit to ensure the continual care of his people.ensure the continual care of his people.

When Christ returns, he will ask us how we have When Christ returns, he will ask us how we have been merciful to his people according to his been merciful to his people according to his example.example.

Just as Christ had been merciful to us we should Just as Christ had been merciful to us we should also be merciful to our fellow sinners.also be merciful to our fellow sinners.

Our moral life as a Church must therefore be an Our moral life as a Church must therefore be an imitation of the mercy of Christ.imitation of the mercy of Christ.

MERCYMERCY

Christ showed us Christ showed us God’s mercy by God’s mercy by entering into the entering into the chaos of human life chaos of human life to rescue us from sin.to rescue us from sin.

To be merciful like To be merciful like Christ, we should also Christ, we should also be ready to enter into be ready to enter into the chaos of others in the chaos of others in order to help them. order to help them.

Reflection QuestionsReflection Questions

How have my formative experiences How have my formative experiences shaped my image of God? shaped my image of God?

How does my image of God affect the way How does my image of God affect the way I live my life? Do I need to correct my I live my life? Do I need to correct my image of God?image of God?

What moral difficulties could I relate to a What moral difficulties could I relate to a false or incomplete image of God?false or incomplete image of God?

How is my moral life defined by mercy?How is my moral life defined by mercy? In what ways am I called to enter into the In what ways am I called to enter into the

chaos of others in order to help them?chaos of others in order to help them?

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The Nature of Moral Theology