Chapter 3Law as a Guide to Freedom

“I thought a king could do whatever he wants.” Simba

Chapter 3Law as a Guide to Freedom

“The grail cannot pass beyond the great seal.” Wise Knight

Freedom and Responsibility

• Because we are made in God’s image we have the power to think and choose.

• We can search for truth.

• We are the masters of our own actions.

• We have the ability to love.

Freedom and Responsibility

• Freedom makes us responsible for our choices and actions.

• How we use our freedom determines if we will grow in holiness or if we will sin.

• DETERMINISM: denies that humans are free to choose.

• Our faith does NOT agree with determinism.

Kinds of Freedom

• External Freedom• Freedom from factors

outside of ourselves that threaten or destroy our power to make choices.

• Internal• Freedom from internal

factors that limit our choices.

Internal or External

Internal or External   

            

              

FreedomDo we measure freedom by the number of

choices we have?Are we more free if we have more choices?

Human Freedom

• Is not absolute

• Is limited

• Unlimited freedom is License.

• License is: unbridled, excessive, undisciplined freedom that abuses true liberty.

Abuses Against Freedom

• Abuse of freedom = sin.

Open NotebookWorksheet Quiz

Limits of Freedom

• Physical

• Intellectual

• Emotional

• Experiential

• Psychological

• Social

Limits of Freedom

• Impediments– Can limit our responsibility for some actions.

IgnoranceInadvertenceDuressInordinate AttachmentsFearHabit

ADVENT

Historical Advent

• God made a promise.

• The Jewish people WAIT for the Messiah.

Physical Advent• God made a promise.

• Mary waits for her child’s birth.

Personal Advent

• God made a promise.

• We wait for his coming for us.

Eschatological Advent

• God made a promise.

• Jesus will return for us.

Spiritual Advent• God made a promise.

• We wait to find God in: prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, in ourselves and in the poor.

Liturgical Advent

• God made a promise.

• Our church waits.

Advent: the time to listen for footsteps - you can't hear footsteps when you're running yourself.Bill McKibben

Feast of St. AndrewWho are your friends?

Limits of Freedom

• Spiritual practices such as prayer and self denial help us to gain freedom.

• Self denial: saying “no” to some wants in order to say “yes” to a greater want.

• Delaying gratification for a greater reward.

Saying “NO” in order to say “YES!”

Eat Healthy!

Say “no” in order to say “yes.”

EXERCISE

Saying “no” in order to say “yes.”Success in School

Saying “no” for a greater “yes.”

• Being trustworthy

Saying “no” for a greater “yes.”

Drive Safely

Saying “no” in order to say “yes.”

• Being faithful

Historical AdventPhysical AdventLiturgical Advent

Spiritual AdventEschatological Advent

Personal Advent

“May you find something worth living for, even worth dying for.” Ita Ford

ResponsibilityWith freedom comes responsibility.• We are accountable for our actions.

• We own our actions. (imputable)

• We are responsible for the consequences.

Feast of St. Nicholas

Remember the Economically Poor

                                                        

                                            

 

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Mary and Anne and Joachim

Emotions and Morality

• Emotions are morally neutral.

• Emotions need to be directed toward good.

• Use your will to direct your emotions.

• This makes one free.

What Are Emotions?

Emotions, often called feelings, include experiences

such as love, hate,

anger, trust, joy, panic,

fear, and grief.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence refers to people's ability to monitor their own and other people's emotional states and to use this information to act wisely in relationships.

Emotional intelligence has five parts:

1.Self-awareness: recognizing internal feelings

2. Managing emotions: finding ways to handle emotions that are appropriate to the situation

3.Motivation: using self-control to channel emotions toward a goal

4.Empathy: understanding the emotional perspective of other people

5.Handling relationships: using personal information and information about others to handle social relationships and to develop interpersonal skills

Emotional Intelligence

Researchers are beginning to develop tests that can measure emotional intelligence. Scientists who study emotions generally believe that people with high emotional intelligence usually work well in cooperative situations and are good at motivating and managing others. People with low emotional intelligence often misinterpret emotional signals and have difficulty with relationships.

Although emotional intelligence probably has an inherited component, many psychologists believe that people can be guided into making better use of the emotional intelligence that they possess.

Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

Law and Morality

• Good law guides human freedom.

• Moral Law comes from the Trinity.

• It is reasonable, for the common good, from competent authority, and promulgated.

NATURAL LAW

• The light of understanding in each one of us given to us at creation by God.

• NL is universal, permanent and unchanging. Applies to all peoples.

REVEALED LAW

• Made up of Old Law and Law of the Gospel, the Civil Law and Church Law.

The OLD LAW

• The Law of Moses

• The Decalogue---Ten Commandments.

The New Law

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ– The Two Greatest Commandments.

• The Sermon on the Mount

Church Law

• The Six Precepts of the Church– The minimal obligation of faithful Catholics.

Canon Law: officially established rules for governing the Church.

Civil Law

• Taking natural law and applying it to society.