r,..,..,.. ~ '.. CONTENTS SECTION I GENERAL MORAL PAGE INTRODUCTION I I. God's Will the End of Life I 2. God's Will the Basis of Morality 2 3. Catholic Moral Science 3 CHAPTER I. Conditions of Morality A. FREE WILL I. Nature of Free Will 5 2. Free Will in the Light of Faith and Reason. 6 l 3. Hindrances to Free Will 8 I B. LAW ! I. The Natural Law 10 i 2. The Positive Divine Law 12 3. Human Positive Laws 15 C. CONSCIENCE 17 D. COLLISION OF RIGHTS AND DuTIEs... 21 CHAPTER II. Moral Good I. Elements of a Moral Act 25 2. Virtue, or Moral Good as a Habit 27 3- The Moral Virtues 28 4. Christian Perfection : 30 5. The Evangelical Counsels 32 6. The Religious State 35 CHAPTER III. Moral Evil I. The Nature of Sin 40 2. Kinds of Sin 42 3. Temptation and the Occasions of Sjn 44 4- Sin and Punishment 47 SECTION n SPECIAL MORAL INTRODUCTION 50 CHAPTER I. Our Duties to God A. THE THRI;;E THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES 53 ix l ~ ~ x CONTENTS PAGE I. Faith: a) Nature, Properties, and Duties of Faith. " 53 b) Sins Against Faith 55 c) Dangers to the Faith 58 2. Hope. 59 3. Chan.ty, or Love of God , 61 B. THE VIRTUE OF RELIGION , 63 I. Direct Acts of Religion: a) Prayer. , ...66 b) Liturgical Prayer and Sacrifice. The Lord's Day. 72 c) Oaths and Vows 75 d) Sins Against the Virtue of Religion. 77 e) Christian Science and Spiritism 79 2. Indirect Acts of Religion: or the Veneration of the Saints: a) Veneration of the Saints 82 b) Invocation of the Saints 84 c) Special Veneration of the Mother of God. 86 d) The Veneration of Images 88 e) The Veneration of Relics 89 CHAPTER II. Duties Towards Ourselves I. Duties in Regard to the Intellect and the Will. 98 2. The Dignity of the Human Body 99 A. Positive Duties Towards the Body: a) Food and Clothing 100 b) Recreation and Amusement 103 B. Negative Duties Towards the Body: a) Suicide. 104 b) Indirect Suicide and Risking One's Life 105 c) Cremation 106 3. Chastity and Its Violation 107 4. Duties Concerning Material Goods : a) The Right of Private Property 112 b) Capitalism and Socialism 115 CHAPTER III. Our Duties Towards Our Neighbor I. Nature and Properties of Christian Charity. 122 2. Well-Ordered Charity 123 3. Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. 126 4. Love Your Enemies 129 5. Violations of Charity 131 6. Thou Shalt Not Kill 133 7. Thou Shalt Not Steal 136 8. The Duty of Truthfulness and Fidelity. 138 9 Our Neighbor's Reputation 140 CONTENTS xi PAGE CHAPTER IV. Our Duties as Members of the Family, the State, and the Church I. The Christian Family ; 147 2. Masters and Servants; Workmen and Employers 150 3. The Rights and Duties of Citizens 151 4. Sancta Mater Ecclesia 153 5. The Christian Ideal 155 INDEX " , , 161 ! I. -, .c SECTION I GENERAL MORAL --- Introdu~tion I. GoD'S WILL THE END OF LIFE What Is the Meaning and Purpose of Life?-This is the all- important question for every human being; for what will ~ll the world beside profit us if we miss the whole purpose of our existence, if we fail to attain our true destiny ? I. Both reason and revelation tell us that God is the author and the last end of our life. Being creatures of God, the work of His hands, we belong to him absolutely. "In Him we live and move and are" (Acts 17,28). The last end of man can be nothing else but God from whom he came, "for of Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things (Rom. 11,36). Hence the pur- pose of our life is to do the will of God, as it is written in indelible characters in every human heart, as it was proclaimed on Sinai and on the Mount of the Beatitudes, as it is manifested in the duties of our state and calling, and as it is made known to us by those who share in God's authority here on earth in the family, the State and the Church. But our submission to God's holy will must not be founded on servile fear; it must be a voluntary, loving and generous self- surrender to His will. Our service must be the service of a soldier who unhesitatingly carries out the commands of his general; but also the service of a child that sees in God his loving Father and his greatest benefactor . 2. This ideal of perfect harmony between the human will and the divine will is realized in the life of the God-M an J esus Christ. He came on earth, as He Himself tells us, simply to glorify His Father and to do His will. He speaks of His Father's will as His food and drink, as the atmosphere He breathes, as His unfailing consolation. His whole life from the Crib to the Cross was one act of obedience to His heavenly Father. In His life and death He fulfilled most perfectly what the Angels I -~- ~;:r~_'r"i SECTION I GENERAL MORAL Introduc;tion I. GoD.S WILL THE END OF LIFE What 18 the Meaning and Purpo8e of Life?-This is the all- important question for every human being; for what will all the world beside profit us if we miss the whole purpose 0'� our existence, if we fail to attain our true destiny ? I. Both reason and revelation tell us that God is the author and the last end of our life. Being creatures of God, the work of His hands, we belong to him absolutely. "In Him we live and move and are" (Acts 17,28). The last end of man can be nothing else but God �rom whom he came, "�or of Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things (Rom. 11,36). Hence the pur- pose of our life is to do the will of God, as it is written in indelible characters in every human heart, as it was proclaimed on Sinai and on the Mount of the Beatitudes, as it is manifested in the duties of our state and calling, and as it is made known to us by those who share in God's authority here on earth in the �amily, the State and the Church. But our submission to God's holy will must not be �ounded on servile �ear; it must be a voluntary, loving and generous sel�- surrender to His will. Our service must be the service of a soldier who unhesitatingly carries out the commands of his general; but also the service of a child that sees in God his loving Father and his greatest bene�actor . 2. This ideal of perfect harmony between the human will and the divine will is realized in the li�e of the God-M an J esus Christ. He came on earth, as He Himself tells us, simply to glori�y His Father and to do His will. He speaks of His Father's will as His food and drink, as the atmosphere He breathes, as His unfailing consolation. His whole life from the Crib to the Cross was one act of obedience to His heavenly Father. In His li�e and death He fulfilled most perfectly what the Angels I ~ ~i;~ - 2 GENERAL MORAL proclaimed in their Christmas message: "Glory to God in the highest." Hence He could say on the eve of His Passion: "I have glorified Thee on the earth, I have finished My work Thou gavest me to do; and now glorify Thou Me, O Father, with Thyself" (John 17,4). Christ is, therefore, the bright and shining example for all who seek to attain their life's purpose in its "height and breadth and depth", and thus to lay the foundation of their own perfect happiness; for true happiness can be found only in seeking God's honor and glory by doing His will. "God asks no service from us," says a wise and holy man, "which does not promote our highest welfare, and no glory in which we, His creatures, do not share. God seeks His glory in our happiness." Hence the simple words which we find on the first page of the little Catechism express the highest wisdom: "We are in this world to do the will of God and thereby to gain everlasting happiness in H eaven." 2. GOD'S WILL THE BASIS OF MORALITY I. To give glory to God by doing His holy will: this is the end, the purpose of human life. All our actions should be directed to this end. Every action that brings us nearer to this end is a i good action; every action, on the other hand, that leads us away [ from this end, is a bad action. Because "only one is good, God" , (Mark 10,18), all morality, all moral goodness is based on Him; only that is good which corresponds to His holy will. But God is also the Creator, the Lord of heaven and earth, and therefore He alone can impose His will on mankind, from Him alone comes all moral obligation. 2. That our actions are morally good or morally bad according as they agree or disagree with the divine will, is clearly taught in Scripture. "N ot everyone that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of My Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 7,21 ) ."If thou wilt enter into life," Christ said to the rich young man, "keep the commandments" (Matt. 19,17). For the Son of God Himself the will of God is the rule of life and action. "Did you not know that I must be about My I. Father's business ?" he said to His Mother, who had gently up- i braided Him for remaining behind in the temple. -~~ INTRODUCTION 3 3. For the Apostles, too, the �ulfillment of the divine will is the only rule of action. "Be not con�ormed to this world," St. Paul tells the Romans, "but be ye trans�ormed by the renewing of your mind, so that ye may find out what is the will of. Go~, what is good, well-pleasing and per�ect" (Rom. 1;2,2) .It IS his earnest and unceasing prayer that his converts "may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, that they may walk worthy of God in all things" (Col. I,9-1O). St. John calls those liars who say they know God, but do not keep Hi& commandments. "But he that keepeth His word, in him in very deed the love of God is perfected" (I John 2,5). THE CALL OF CHRIST "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt. 16, 24) 3. CATHOLIC MORAL SCIENCE That part of the science of religion which teaches us how to direct our actions to God, our last end, is called Catholic Ethics or Catlwlic M oral Science. It is based on Christian principles and draws its conclusions �rom divine revelation. As a part of the Christian doctrine-the doctrine of the things we must do, doctrina faciendorwn-it is confided to the keeping of the Catholic Church. Hence the Catholic Church can, in virtue of the divine assistance granted to her, in�allibly define what is good and what is bad, what is permitted and what is �orbidden. k -~~ ;,~,,?:-:::c~~~~~ 4 GENERAL MORAL The general principles of morality are common to all men; but Christian moral differs essentially from purely natural moral : a) Christian moral directs man to a supernatural end, which can be at- tained only by supernatural means, based upon faith and grace ; b) It holds out motives for right conduct of which unaided reason is either totally ignorant or has only an imperfect knowledge ; c) It establishes most of its conclusions on divine revelation, while natural moral derives its principles from the native power of reason alone ; d) It offers means of which natural moral knows nothing. Hence Catholic moral is incomparably more sublime, far-reaching, certain, and effectual than merely natural morality. The history of mankind shows that "morality lives by faith and dies by infidelity." "What Greek culture did for the intellect, Christ did for morality: the human race owes its moral power to Him" (CHAMB~IN). Catholic Moral is divided into "General" and "Special". General Moral treats of the conditions of morality and of moral good and moral evil; Special Moral applies the general principles of morality to the various circumstances of individual and social life. The conditions of morality are freedom of will, law, and conscience: fr?edom is the basis, law is the external, and conscience the internal norm of morality. SUGGES I. What is the purpose of our life ? Briefly explain your answer. How does the Our Father answer this question ? 2. What kind of submission to God's will should we cultivate ? Are we children or slaves of God? 3. Was ever a human will in perfect harmony with the divine will ? Would not such a Person be a perfect model for us ? Show how the God-Man Jesus Christ is such a model. + When are our actions good ? When are they bad ? Prove your answers from Holy Scripture. S. Wha,t is the science called which teaches us how to direct our actions to God? 6. How is CiN"istian Moral divided ? What does each division treat of ? 7. What are the conditions of morality ? If you had no free will, could you perform a moral act; that is, an act for which you could be held responsible ? 8. Reading: I mitation of Christ, Bk. III, ch. 9, "That all things must be referred to God as the final end."