Transcript Chapter 5: The First Three Commandments

Chapter 5: The First Three
Commandments
OUR MORAL LIFE IN CHRIST
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
ANTICIPATORY SET
After reading the story of Peter and Rebecca, respond in writing
to the following question, and then be prepared to discuss it:
❏ Did Peter do the right thing by breaking up with Rebecca?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
BASIC QUESTIONS
❏ What are sins against faith?
❏ What are sins against hope?
❏ What are sins against charity?
❏ What is the basis of the sins against religion?
KEY IDEAS
❏ The five sins against faith are voluntary doubt, schism, heresy, apostasy, and
atheism.
❏ The sins against hope are despair, which is the deficiency of hope, and
presumption, which is the excess of hope.
❏ The sins against charity include indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness,
spiritual sloth, and hatred of God.
❏ The sins against religion are deviations from the recognition of the one, true
God as the only source of supernatural life.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is faith according to CCC 1814?
It is “the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has
said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief.”
❏ How does free will relate to the virtue of faith?
God offers this gift to every person, but it is up to each individual to accept
it or reject it.
❏ How is the gift of faith available to a person who has not even
heard of Christ or God?
Through grace, God gives every person the possibility of knowing him and
accepting him.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ Why is it not unreasonable to demand that a Catholic humbly
accept a point of doctrine he or she cannot understand?
Because the Church possesses an infallible teaching authority and because
some of the content of Revelation exceeds the capacity of reason, it is
reasonable to accept the Church’s direction over one’s own, limited
understanding.
❏ Why is it important for an uninformed Catholic to avoid reading
just anything?
Even though every challenge to the Faith can be successfully answered, an
uninformed Catholic could have his or her faith damaged or even destroyed
by reading bad material.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to examine and explain the following
statement:
❏ The theological virtues “have God for their origin, their
motive, and their object.”
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What are the two parts of the Decalogue?
The first three Commandments deal with love of God. The final
seven deal with love of neighbor.
❏ What is the essence of the First Commandment?
It is complete love for God.
❏ Why is the obligation to love God above all things more
than a mere command for Christians?
Because God has loved us first and drawn near to us, we should
respond to him with love.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Human tyrants often make themselves into “gods,” plastering their images everywhere,
taking credit for everything good, blaming others for everything that goes wrong, and
even making children sing songs about their greatness.
Below is a poem written about Joseph Stalin, a Soviet dictator and one of the greatest
tyrants in history.
O great Stalin, O leader of the peoples,
Thou who broughtest man to birth.
Thou who fructifies the earth,
Thou who restorest to centuries,
Thou who makest bloom the spring,
Thou who makest vibrate the musical chords.. .
Thou, splendor of my spring, O thou, Sun reflected by millions of hearts.
With this in mind, discuss the following question:
❏ Why should we worship God?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What attribute of God does the virtue of hope give us the
capacity to trust?
We can trust in God’s mercy.
❏ What do we trust will be the result of God’s mercy on us?
We trust that God has the mercy to give us all the graces we need
to reach salvation and achieve full union with him.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the following question:
❏ Why does it make sense that the First Commandment of the
Decalogue is both the First and the Greatest?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What gives us the power to believe in, trust, and love God beyond our
natural powers?
Sanctifying grace provides the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
❏ Besides trust in God, what does the virtue of hope require from us?
It requires our voluntary efforts to use all the means at our disposal and rely
strongly on God’s assistance.
❏ How does hope, which is focused on the future, help us in the present
according to Pope Benedict XVI?
We can accept and live the difficulties of the present if we see them as leading to
a great goal in the future. Extension: To live as Christ wants involves struggle in
the present. The promise of salvation makes it worthwhile to undertake this
struggle.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What are sins against hope?
Despair is the defect of hope, and presumption is the excess of hope.
❏ What is despair?
The loss of hope in God is caused by doubting in his fidelity, care for people,
or power to save a sinner.
❏ Why is despair a sin?
It is a voluntary loss of hope due to pride. We subordinate God’s mercy to
our own perception of the magnitude of our sin or to our own opinion of
the extent of God’s love.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is presumption?
Presumption is the sin either of (a) expecting salvation without personal
effort or (b) trusting solely in one’s own efforts to be saved without God’s
aid.
❏ Why is presumption a sin?
Either one presumes that God will save the individual without the person
making an effort, or the person does not think he or she needs God’s help.
Both flow out of pride.
❏ How is despair an unreasonable lack of hope and presumption an
unreasonable excess of hope?
Despair assumes that one’s sins are too grave to be forgiven. Presumption
assumes one’s sins are too unimportant to be condemned.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / write / share on the following question:
❏ Of the five sins against faith, which do you consider the most
serious, and why?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Have the students fill out the following to organize their knowledge of
sins against faith.
Name of Sin
Sins against Faith
Definition
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
Heresy
Apostasy
Sins against Faith
Definition
Intentionally calling into question the truth of some aspect of Divine
Revelation.
Refusal to submit to the authority of the pope or the bishops in
communion with him.
Denial by a baptized person of one or more tenets of the Catholic faith.
A total repudiation of the Catholic faith.
Atheism
Denial of the existence of God.
Name of Sin
Voluntary
Doubt
Schism
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is charity?
It is the theological virtue by which a Christian loves God above
all things for God’s own sake and loves his or her neighbor as
himself or herself for the love of God.
❏ What does the virtue of charity demand of us?
It demands love as Jesus Christ loves his Father and every human
being, to the point of laying down his life.
❏ Why should we love God above all things?
It is the proper response to his having loved, created, and
redeemed us.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on how the following is a sin of presumption:
❏ A Catholic girl decides to have sexual relations with her boyfriend on
Friday night, reasoning that she will just go to Confession on Saturday to
take care of the sin.
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read Matthew 27:3–5 and free write on the following question:
❏ Why does Judas seem to be guilty of the sin of despair?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
Guided Exercise
Complete the following graphic to take apart CCC 1818 in terms of
the positive qualities hope fosters and the negative qualities hope
diminishes.
Hope in CCC 1818
Hope fosters:
Hope diminishes:
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
Hope in CCC 1818
Hope fosters:
Happiness
Human hopes
Heavenly expectation
Hope diminishes:
Discouragement
Abandonment
Selfishness
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is the virtue of religion?
It is rendering to God the worship that is due to him.
❏ Why should we worship God?
Worship of God is the natural and proper human response to
God due to his exalted and transcendent dignity and for his
infinite love for us.
❏ Where does the work of evangelization normally take
place?
It takes place in the family, in the workplace, and in social
relations.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to identify each of the five sins against charity,
define it, explain briefly why it is wrong, and provide a “symptom” of
that sin. For example:
❏ Indifference
Definition: A lack of commitment in the exercise of the Catholic Faith.
Why it is wrong: Jesus Christ and our faith should be the first priority in
our lives.
Symptoms of the sin: Skipping Mass or not praying because it seems
not important.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Perform a paragraph shrink on the paragraph beginning, “Which love
should be given priority...” (p. 134).
GUIDED EXERCISE
Memorize the following mnemonic device to remember the four kinds
of prayer that come under the virtue of religion:
PART
P = petition
A = adoration
R = reparation (or contrition)
T = thanksgiving
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
Guided Exercise
Complete the following graphic to organize your knowledge about
the sins of irreligion.
Sin
The Sins of Irreligion
Definition
Example
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
Sin
Tempting
God
Sacrilege
Simony
The Sins of Irreligion
Definition
Example
Testing God’s goodness and power
Praying for a good grade rather
by an unreasonable expectation of
than studying.
God’s assistance without making
the needed personal effort.
Serious disrespect, insensitivity or
Receiving Communion in a state of
malicious action against holy
mortal sin.
things.
Buying or selling spiritual goods.
Attempting to sell an indulgence.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the following question:
❏ What is behind divination according to CCC 2116?
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the following question:
❏ Into what forms of idolatry are teenagers tempted to fall
today?
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is the basis of sins against religion?
The basis of sins against religion is some deviation from the
recognition of God as the only source of supernatural life.
❏ What is idolatry?
It is dealing with or addressing a finite being as if it were divine,
including giving it our primary allegiance.
❏ Why is the Catholic veneration of images of God and the
saints not a form of idolatry?
Catholics show respect and honor to the person the image
represents, not the image itself.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ What is superstition?
It is an irrational religious belief or practice founded on fear or ignorance. Various
forms, such as good-luck charms, omens, divination, and magic, are forbidden by the
First Commandment as improper worship of God.
❏ What is wrong with superstition?
Superstition indicates the belief that objects or practices have powers in themselves
and can be used to manipulate God’s infinite wisdom and love.
❏ What is divination?
It is the use of occult powers and practices in an attempt to predict the future or to
obtain information that cannot be discovered through normal channels.
❏ Why are some legitimately able to know the future or read people’s souls?
Some saints could foretell future events or read hearts through a special divine
illumination.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
❏ If a person attempts to gain hidden information from a source
other than God, with whom is he or she likely to be dealing?
They are demonic powers.
❏ What is irreligion?
It is disrespect and, in many instances, mockery of God’s goodness and
sacred dignity. The more common sins of irreligion are tempting God,
sacrilege, and simony.
❏ What is satanic worship?
It is direct worship of the Devil.
❏ What is the gravity of the sin of satanic worship?
It is a horrific sin to worship an evil being who is the enemy of God and
who wishes to destroy the possibility of our salvation.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph summarizing each of the sins against religion.
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
❏ Study Questions 1–15 (p. 157)
❏ Practical Exercises 1–14 (p. 158)
❏ Workbook Questions 1–26
❏ Read “The Grandeur of God’s Name” through “Sins Against
the Second Commandment” (pp. 137–141)
1. Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion (pp. 128–136)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Complete Practical Exercise 11 (p. 158), analyzing the kinds of
prayer found in the Our Father.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
ANTICIPATORY SET: A mini-lecture on the word “lord” in
the Scriptures.
❏ The English word “lord” translates a number of words from
the original languages of the Bible.
❏ In a general sense, “lord” is man of rank.
❏ LORD (small capitals) is used in place of the translation of the
tetragramaton (four letters), referring to God’s revealed name, “I AM
WHO AM.”
❏ In the New Testament, “the Lord” refers to Jesus Christ.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
BASIC QUESTIONS
❏ Why should we show respect for God’s name and for holy persons and things?
❏ What are the conditions for a valid oath?
❏ What are the conditions for a valid vow?
❏ What are the sins against the Second Commandment?
KEY IDEAS
❏ The use of a person’s name reflects our attitude toward that person. Therefore, we
should use names respectfully and give God’s name—including the name Jesus
Christ—supreme respect. This respect extends to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints,
and all holy things.
❏ An oath must be taken in truth, necessity, and justice.
❏ A vow requires a promise and commitment, a serious obligation, and free will in
order to be valid.
❏ Sins against the Second Commandment include blasphemy and ridicule of the
Faith. Blasphemy is the act of speaking contemptuously of God or his perfections.
Ridicule of the Faith involves irreverent dispositions in the form of sarcastic remarks
or caricatures with respect to Christian customs or moral behavior.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the following question:
❏ What are examples of good uses of the name of God and of Jesus?
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
Guided Exercise
Have the students complete the following graphic to organize
their knowledge of the valid conditions for an oath.
Condition
Conditions for a Valid Oath
Explanation
Example
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
Condition
Truth
Necessity
Justice
Conditions for a Valid Oath
Explanation
The thing sworn about must
be true.
It must be a serious matter
to warrant calling on God as
witness.
The goal of the oath must
be good in itself.
Example
I tell what I saw on the
night of the murder.
I am asked if I am entering
this marriage freely.
I promise to support the
Constitution in my new job
as U.S. Senator.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
❏ What is the difference between an oath and a vow?
One takes an oath to another person with God as the witness, while one makes a vow
to God with another person as the witness.
❏ What did Christ demand of his followers in regard to oaths?
He demanded that his followers go beyond the Second Commandment’s prohibition
of swearing falsely and avoid all unnecessary oaths. We should have enough integrity
that our “yes” or “no” is sufficient proof of the truth of our words.
❏ What kinds of oaths should be refused?
When an unjust authority demands it or when the oath requires evil action, an oath
should be refused.
❏ What is an example of when the fulfillment of a vow is not binding?
A vow to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land as long as my health is good would
cease to be binding if my health declined.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
❏ What is God’s revealed name in the Old Testament?
God’s revealed name is “I AM WHO AM.” This is written as YHWH
(Yahweh or Jehovah).
❏ Why is it a sin to use God’s name carelessly or
irreverently?
This “use” reflects a careless or irreverent attitude toward God
himself.
❏ How have Jews historically shown supreme reverence for
God’s revealed name?
They refused to speak the name out loud.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share:
❏ Why is the common expression “swear to God” usually not an
oath, and why should it be avoided?
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
Guided Exercise
Complete the following graphic to organize your knowledge of
the valid conditions for a vow.
Condition
Conditions for a Valid Vow
Explanation
Example
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
Condition
Promise and Commitment
Serious Obligation
Free Will
Conditions for a Valid Vow
Explanation
A vow involves the
expressed commitment to
fulfill what is stated in the
promise as an act of
devotion and service to
God.
The person making the vow
incurs, before God, a
serious obligation to live
according to his or her vow.
The vow is made with
complete freedom and
should be made with joy.
Example
I intend to carry out the
promises of my marriage
vows.
If I break my marriage
vows, I will commit a grave
sin.
I get married because I
want to; no one or nothing
is forcing me.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
❏ What is ridicule of the Faith?
It is irreverent dispositions in the form of sarcastic remarks or ridiculous
caricatures with respect to Christian customs or moral behavior.
❏ What are some ways Christians should respond to ridicule of the
Faith?
They should make an act of contrition, reparation, or adoration, write letters
to editors, compose editorial pieces, sign petitions, take part in
demonstrations, and other such activities. Our responses should always be
peaceful and reasonable.
❏ What is blasphemy?
It is the act of speaking contemptuously of God or his perfections or
contempt directed against any of the saints. It is an intrinsically evil act.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to list the various forms of blasphemy
identified in CCC 2148.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph on the sins against the Second Commandment
and how Christians should respond to attacks on the name of
God or the Faith.
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
❏ Study Questions 16–26 (p. 157)
❏ Practical Exercises 15–21 (p. 159)
❏ Workbook Questions 27–51
❏ Read “Why is It Necessary to Pray?” through “The Battle of
Prayer” (pp. 141–145)
2. The Holy Name of God (pp. 137–141)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Crude language is uncultured but is not in itself sinful.
Obscene language is sinful but not blasphemous.
Blasphemy is contemptuous speech against holy persons or
things.
Many people have developed the habit of using blasphemous
language. Work with a partner to come up with a list of things
you could do to change this habit.
For example, make an act of adoration, contrition, or reparation
each time you hear or use blasphemous language.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Choose a Scriptural passage and use it as the basis of the class’s
opening prayer, leading your students through the four steps of
the lectio divina below.
Step
Lectio
Meditatio
Oratio
Contemplatio
How to Pray the Lectio Divina
Method
Read a Scriptural passage slowly, focusing on what the Word of God
is saying.
Use your reason to reflect on the Scriptural passage, both what it
means and how it applies to your life.
Talk to God about what you learned or experienced in your meditation.
Silently listen for God’s response.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
BASIC QUESTIONS
❏ Why is it necessary to pray?
❏ What kind of dialogue is prayer?
❏ What are the major difficulties in prayer?
KEY IDEAS
❏ Prayer is a two-way dialogue between God and each person.
❏ Prayer is a dialogue with God that initiates the eternal
communion the soul is called to and for which it longs.
❏ Difficulties in prayer include lack of time, distractions, and
spiritual dryness.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
❏ What ultimately happens through prayers?
One enters into communion with the Blessed Trinity.
❏ How often should a Christian pray?
One should “pray constantly.”
❏ Why is the “Our Father” called “the Lord’s Prayer”?
Jesus Christ, the Lord, taught it to his disciples.
❏ Why is the “Our Father” a perfect prayer?
It sums up the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Have the students work with a partner to complete the following table
on forms of Christian Prayer.
Form
Blessing and
Adoration
Petition
Intercession
Thanksgiving
Praise
Contrition or
Reparation
Definition
Concrete Example
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
Form
Blessing and
Adoration
Forms of Christian Prayer
Definition
Concrete Example
We bless and worship God because he
is God.
The Gloria prayer from the Mass.
Petition
We request the good things God wants
to give us.
“Please help me do my best in the
game this afternoon.”
Intercession
We pray for others or ask others to
pray for us.
“Our Lady, please ask your Son to
cure my uncle who has cancer.”
Thanksgiving
We express gratitude for the good
things God has given us.
“Thank you for the good friends you
have given me, especially Lucy.”
Praise
Joyful giving glory to God because of
his greatness.
Contrition or
Reparation
Sorrow due to our or other’s sins and
offenses against God.
“God, you are infinitely great
because you have created a universe
which has produced a mindbogglingly incredible assortment of
beings.”
“I am sorry for people who make and
look at pornography, which degrades
the people depicted and the ones who
view it.”
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
❏ What are the three traditional expressions of prayer in the spiritual
life?
Vocal prayer is simple conversation with God. Meditative prayer is prayer of
understanding. Contemplative prayer is a resting in God’s presence.
❏ What best categorizes vocal prayer?
This is the use of words, spoken or unspoken, to talk with God.
❏ What are some examples of vocal prayer?
The Rosary and the Mass are vocal prayers. Anyone can use his or her own
words to express anything to God.
❏ What is the aim of meditation?
One attempts to gain a greater understanding of the life of Christ or of a
particular mystery of the Faith and how these insights could be applied to the
Christian life.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
❏ What are some texts used for meditation?
The Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of
the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, nature
itself, and human history are used.
❏ What is contemplation?
This prayer consists of being in God’s presence to share in his love.
❏ How is contemplation like the experience of a couple who love one
another?
A couple who love one another often does not need to speak words. They
simply enjoy being together. In contemplation, the Christian simply enjoys
being with God, whom he or she loves and who loves him or her.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / write / share:
❏ What might Pope Benedict XVI have meant when he said,
“Being human is essentially about relation to God”?
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table on difficulties
in prayer.
Difficulty
Lack of Time
Distraction
Spiritual
Dryness
Definition
Remedy
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
Difficulty
Lack of Time
Difficulties in Prayer
Definition
Being too busy to pray or
running out of time.
Remedy
Pray at a set time, often in the
morning.
Distraction
People or our own minds keep
taking us off course.
Find a quiet place to pray and
keep refocusing your mind on
God.
Spiritual Dryness
A feeling of abandonment by
Perseverance in prayer.
God or the uselessness of prayer.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
CLOSURE
Have each student write a paragraph that summarizes the three
major expressions of prayer and three of the particular forms of
prayer.
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
❏ Read “The Sabbath in the Old Testament” through “The
History of the Christian Sunday” (pp. 146–149)
3. Lord, Teach Us to Pray (pp. 141–145)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Work with a partner to develop an apologetic argument
explaining the seeming discrepancy between Christ’s promise God
will give whatever one asks (cf. Jn 14:13–14) and the experience
often God does not seem to answer prayers.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Justin Martyr’s First Apology was written in the middle of the second
century.
Read an excerpt in Supplementary Reading 4 (p. 153).
Identify which elements you recognize from the Mass celebrated today.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
BASIC QUESTIONS
❏ What is the Sabbath?
❏ Why do Christians worship God on Sunday and not the
Sabbath?
KEY IDEAS
❏ God gave the Sabbath to the Chosen People as a day to rest
from work and to worship him with sacrifices.
❏ Christian worship moved from the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day
to the Lord’s Day exclusively.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to contrast the two meanings of the Sabbath
in Exodus and Leviticus. Are they in contradiction?
GUIDED EXERCISE
A class discussion:
How would our practice of Christianity look different today if
the Romans had not destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and if
the Council of Jerusalem had not dispensed Gentile converts from
obeying the Mosaic Law?
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
❏ Why did the early Christians worship God on Sunday and
not on the Jewish Sabbath?
The Resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
both took place on Sunday, the first day of the week.
❏ What is the Lord’s Day?
It is the name Christians gave to Sunday, the day of the
Resurrection.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
❏ Why do some scholars think the Genesis creation was narrated in
seven days?
This highlights the importance of the seventh day and the obligation to
dedicate this day to divine worship.
❏ What sets of laws did God establish for Sabbath worship?
God instituted laws for the priesthood, the construction of a Temple,
principal feasts, practices of worship, and, above all, the celebration of the
Sabbath.
❏ What were some actions forbidden on the Sabbath by the Mosaic
Law?
To cook food, light a fire, collect firewood, carry burdens, travel, or do
business were forbidden.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
❏ How did the first Christians carry on a “dual” worship?
The first Christians continued their Jewish practices of worship in the
synagogue and Temple on the Sabbath and then celebrated the Eucharist
in private homes on the first day of the week.
❏ What does St. Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Magnesians
reveal about Sunday worship?
St. Ignatius said, “They who walked in ancient customs came to a new
hope, no longer living for the Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day.” He refers to
the first Christians who received a new hope in Christ and who now lived
not for the Sabbath but for the Lord’s Day.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to ponder the following question:
❏ Given that God had no actual need to rest—unlike human
beings who get physically and mentally tired from work—why
might God have rested on the Sabbath?
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read the selection from the Didache (Supplementary Reading 3) and
then work with a partner to identify elements of worship you
recognize today.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
❏ What changes in Sunday practices did Emperor Constantine
enact when he converted to Christianity?
He outlawed servile work on Sunday and eventually forbade other public
business, such as judicial proceedings, on that day.
❏ What is the origin of non-Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist?
The Church enacted solemnities to celebrate important events in Christ’s
life—such as his birth—and to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and the
martyrs.
❏ From where is the obligation for Catholics to attend Mass on
Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation derived?
The Third Commandment requires us to keep the Sabbath holy.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph explaining why Christians worship God on
Sunday.
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
❏ Study Questions 27–30 (p. 157)
❏ Workbook Questions 52–58
❏ Read “The Obligation to Attend Holy Mass” through
“Conclusion” (pp. 149–152)
4. The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (pp. 146–149)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Using the principle behind Christ’s declaration that the Sabbath was made
for man, not man for the Sabbath, free write on other areas of life in
which man tends to become a slave to ideas, institutions, rules, and laws,
rather than those things being at man’s service.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
ANTICIPATORY SET
A class discussion based on Practical Exercise 25 about not
attending Mass because one “gets nothing out of it” or because
one can pray “just as well at home as at Church.”
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
BASIC QUESTIONS
❏ Why does the Church make attendance at Sunday Mass obligatory?
❏ What are Holy Days of Obligation?
❏ What is the consequence of refusing to attend Mass when it is required?
❏ Why does the Church want us to rest on Sunday?
KEY IDEAS
❏ In her maternal care for the faithful, the Church makes attendance at Sunday
Mass obligatory because of the tremendous spiritual benefits for those who
participate.
❏ Holy Days of Obligation commemorate important events in the life of Christ
and his Mother and important mysteries of the Faith.
❏ Freely and knowingly failing to fulfill one’s Mass obligation without a serious
reason is a mortal sin.
❏ The Third Commandment requires us to rest in order to facilitate the worship
of God, to help replenish lost energies, and to make time for enriching human
activities.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
❏ What are other reasons for the celebration of special solemnities
throughout the year?
They teach the faithful about the most important mysteries of the Faith.
❏ What is the second major reason Catholics are required to attend
Mass?
It is due to the importance of the Eucharistic sacrifice in which Christ’s
redemptive Death is “re-presented.”
❏ How many Holy Days of Obligation are there in the universal
Church?
Ten.
❏ How many Holy Days of Obligation are obligatory in the United
States?
Six.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to explain how the obligation to attend Mass
derives from the natural law.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
❏ Is the failure to attend Mass without a serious reason a sin?
The person who knowingly and freely refuses to attend Mass without a
serious reason commits a mortal sin.
❏ What are two “serious” reasons the Catechism cites as excusing
one from attending Mass?
It cites being ill or caring for an infant.
❏ How else can one be excused from Mass?
One’s parish priest can dispense with the requirement to attend Mass.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
❏ Even though it is legitimate to attend Sunday Mass on Saturday
evening, what must the faithful remember nevertheless?
Keep Lord’s Day as a day of rest.
❏ According to the Code of Canon Law, what two things are
required of the faithful on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation?
Participation at Mass and abstention from servile work are required.
❏ What are examples of servile work?
Work or business that would inhibit the worship of God, the joy proper
to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body is servile.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
❏ What is meant by “maternal care” in the statement, “In her
maternal care for the faithful, the Church makes attendance at
Sunday Mass obligatory”?
The Church is like a mother who cares for her children. The Church
understands the Mass is very important for the faithful, so she requires them
to attend.
❏ Why is rest a part of the Christian Sunday?
Rest facilitates the worship of God by eliminating the expenditure of energy
and distractions connected with work. Rest is also a requirement of the
human condition because it replaces lost energies and makes time for
activities that enrich the human spirit and deepen fraternity and friendship.
❏ What work is permitted?
Work that is required for the welfare and safety of the individual and for the
common good of society is permissible on Sunday.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
❏ What are some examples of permitted work besides those mentioned
in the text?
Plumbers, locksmiths, and other tradesmen need to provide emergency services.
❏ What work must be curtailed on Sunday?
Curtail any activity that impedes attendance at Sunday Mass.
❏ How can employees who are required to work on Sunday witness to
the Gospel?
They can insist that their employers make provision for them to attend Mass
either on Saturday evening or on Sunday.
❏ What is a problem about Sunday rest in today’s society?
People often treat it like any other day and make little or no provision for God.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Do a focused reading of the paragraph beginning, “The Sunday
requirement...” (p. 151) using the following question:
❏ Why is it permitted to attend Sunday Mass on Saturday
evening?
GUIDED EXERCISE
One evening, view the film Chariots of Fire (1981) in which one
of the two main characters experiences conflict over the meaning
of the Sabbath.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the following question:
❏ Dies Domini declares, “The Lord’s Day is lived well if it is marked from the
beginning to end by grateful and active remembrance of God’s saving work.”
What can we do to live the spirit of Sunday better?
GUIDED EXERCISE
“Blue laws” is the term for legislation curtailing or banning certain activities on
Sunday.
Do an Internet search using the phrase “blue laws” to learn something about how
in the past—and even today—civil laws can support Sunday rest.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph arguing that it is reasonable for the Church to
require Catholics to attend Mass every Sunday.
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
❏ Study Questions 31–37 (p. 157)
❏ Practical Exercises 22–27 (p. 160)
❏ Workbook Questions 59–67
5. Observing the Lord’s Day (pp. 149–152)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Free write for five minutes on reasons why prohibiting work on
Sunday is in accord with reason, even excluding religious
arguments.
The End