MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
● Focuses on attitudes and affections
that give rise to moral actions.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
A CALL TO COMMUNION WITH GOD
2A NATURE OF DIVINE-POSITIVE LAW
TOPIC OUTLINE
● Divine: "It takes origin from God.”
1 DIVINE POSITIVE LAW AND CHARITY ● Positive: "It comes to the knowledge
of man through supernatural
2 THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
revelation."
3 FAITH ● These laws guide our moral and
spiritual journey toward perfection,
4 HOPE with love at the center. (Veritatis
Splendor, 15)
5 CHARITY
6 RELIGION THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
7 ATHEISM
"I am the Lord your God; you shall not
have strange gods before me."
DIVINE POSITIVE LAW AND CHARITY
● Requires acknowledging God as the
1A CONCRETE MORAL NORMS one true Divine Being.
● In other words, To acknolwedge him
Positively “Commanding their to be the unique Divine Being that he
Realization” is
Negatively “Forbidding their
1B FOUR RELATED VIRTUES
Transgressions”
2A SOURCES OF DIVINE-POSITIVE LAW 1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Charity
Ten Commandments
4. Religion
● Revealed by God to Moses on Mount
Sinai. FAITH
● Focuses on external actions.
● The supernatural virtue that enables
Beatitudes
us to accept as true all that God has
revealed and the Church teaches.
● Precepts and exhortations given in
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 1
MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
● Not because of intrinsic evidence but not adhere to depending on
on the account of the authority of their conscience.
God's revelation. ○ Cafeteria Catholicism → Selective
acceptance of Church teachings
1C Key Aspects of Faith (The Source of based on personal preference.
Moral Life) ■ Practicing the faith, taking
from the Magisterium those
teachings one agrees with,
● Faith must be firm → Admits no
while setting aside those
voluntary doubts.
others which do not coincide
with one’s views
● Faith must be total → Accepts all that
God reveals and teaches by the
Church. HOPE
1C Sins Against Faith ● A supernatural virtue that leads us to
rely on the never-failing help of God
to reach heaven.
● Incredulity → Willful refusal to believe
revealed truths.
● It enables us to strive for communion
○ Heresy → Post-baptismal denial of
with God, relying on Christ’s strength
a truth of divine and Catholic faith,
and not our efforts.
or obstinate doubt about it.
○ Apostasy → Total rejection 1D Fruits of Hope
(repudiation) of the Christian faith.
1. Confident expectation of divine
○ Schism → Refusal of submission to blessings and the vision of God.
the Roman Pontiff or communion
with Church members under him. 2. Awareness of our sinfulness and
inability to love God without His
● Weakening of Faith grace.
○ Religious Indifferentism → Belief
that all religions are equal and
2D Sins Against Hope
that Church teachings are mere
opinions.
○ The belief that all religions ● Despair → Losing hope in salvation,
are the same, and the view divine help, or forgiveness.
that the teachings of the ● Presumption →
Church Magisterium on faith ○ Relying only on oneself (or his
and morals are merely one own capacities) for salvation,
more opinion among the rest, without God.
which the faithful may or may
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 2
MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
○ Assuming God’s mercy will
1F Characteristics of True Religion
grant salvation without
conversion and glory without
merit. ● Worship is rendered to God alone.
● Is both internal (faith, devotion) and
external (acts of worship).
CHARITY
● Must be practiced individually and in
society.
● The supernatural virtue that enables
us to love God above all things and
2F Sins Against Religion
our neighbor for God’s sake.
● We render homage to God as the ● Idolatry → Divinizing something that is
supreme and absolute Good. not God.
● Divination, Magic, and Sorcery →
1E Most Excellent Virtue
Seeking supernatural knowledge or
power unlawfully. It is also an
● It alone unites us perfectly to God. unhealthy curiosity about the future.
● All other virtues lead to union with ● Sacrilege → Profaning or treating
God only when inspired by charity. sacred things unworthily.
2E Sins Against Charity ● Simony → Buying or selling spiritual
goods.
● Lukewarmness → Spiritual laziness,
being sluggish, and having mediocrity
in faith and spiritual duties. ATHEISM
● Hatred of God → Questioning divine ● Denial or rejection of God’s existence.
providence and Rebellion against God ● Forms of atheism:
due to suffering or misfortune. 1. Practical Materialism → Focus on
material things, ignoring spiritual
● Disorderly love of creatures → Loving reality.
things in a way that leads to 2. Atheistic Humanism → Belief that
disobedience to God. man is self-sufficient and does not
need God.
RELIGION
3. "Liberation" Atheism → Seeking
human freedom through economic
● A virtue that inclines us to worship and social liberation rather than
God as Creator and Redeemer. God.
● Through religion, we acknowledge
God’s sovereignty over all creation.
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 3
MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
2. Taking God as Witness (Oaths and
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
Promises)
TOPIC OUTLINE ● To take an oath is to invoke God’s
truthfulness as a pledge of the truth
1 KEY PRINCIPLE of what we say.
● Calling upon God to punish us if we lie
2 VIRTUE OF RELIGION AND THE 2ND makes an oath a serious moral
COMMAND obligation.
3 WAYS TO HONOR GOD’S NAME
3. The Practice of Conferring a Christian
4 SINS AGAINST THE HONOR DUE TO Name
GOD’S NAME ● In Baptism, the name given to the
person is sanctified by God.
KEY PRINCIPLE
4. Making the Sign of the Cross with
Devotion
"You shall not take the name of the Lord
● Strengthens us in temptations and
your God in vain."
difficulties.
● A visible sign of our desire to glorify
Key Principle: God in all that we do.
● The name of God must be used with Sins Against the Honor Due to God's Name
respect and reverence because any
honor given to God’s name is honor 1. Profanity
rendered to God himself.
● Thoughtless and casual use of God's
name, especially in irritation or
The Virtue of Religion and the Second surprise.
Commandment
● Governs our use of speech in sacred 2. Blasphemy
matters. ● Speaking words of hatred, reproach,
● Emphasizes the need to preserve a or defiance against God, whether
sense of the sacred by treating inwardly or outwardly.
everything related to God with
reverence and respect. 3. The Magical Use of God’s Name and the
Names of Saints
Ways to Honor God's Name
● Using divine names in superstitious or
1. Instructing Others in the Faith magical practices.
● Teaching others about God and His 4. Oaths that Misuse God’s Name
salvific plan increases His honor. ● Swearing falsely or making an oath in
a dishonest or frivolous manner.
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 4
MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
III. The Decalogue in Sacred Scripture
TEN COMMANDMENTS READING
● Origin and Meaning of the Decalogue
I. Introduction (2056)
○ “Decalogue” means "ten words"
● Question from the young man: “What ○ Revealed by God on Mount
must I do to have eternal life?” (2052) Sinai
● Jesus' response: Fully understood in the New
○ Recognizing God as the Covenant with Christ
supreme Good
○ Keeping the Commandments ● The Decalogue as a Path to Freedom
○ Summarizing them in love of (2057-2058)
the neighbor
○ Given in the context of the
II. Jesus' Teachings on the Commandments
Exodus
● Following the Commandments and ○ Provides conditions for a life
Seeking Perfection (2053) free from sin
○ Commands such as honoring
○ Keeping the Law remains the Sabbath emphasize
essential liberation
○ Call to follow Jesus, embracing
poverty and chastity ● The Decalogue as God’s Law and
○ The Commandments and the Covenant (2059-2062)
evangelical counsels are
inseparable ○ Given directly by God in a
● The Spirit of the Law and theophany
Righteousness (2054) ○ Written on two stone tablets as
○ Jesus' teaching surpasses that the "Testimony"
of the Pharisees ○ Moral obligations as a response
○ Deeper moral demands beyond to God's love
the literal meaning
● Personal and Communal Dimensions
● The Greatest Commandment: Love of of the Law (2063)
God and Neighbor (2055) ○ Addressed personally to
individuals ("I am the Lord…
○ Love as the fulfillment of the you")
Law ○ Prepares people for friendship
○ Summation of all with God and harmony with
commandments in love others
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 5
MORALS REVIEWER
THL 113 2ND SEMESTER | FATHER ALFRED | SY. 2024-2025
IV. The Decalogue in Church Tradition ● Union with Christ and Fulfillment of
the Law (2074)
● Continued Importance in Christian ○ Spiritual fruitfulness depends
Teaching (2064-2066) on abiding in Christ
○ Recognized by the Church as ○ Love as the ultimate
foundational commandment
○ Used in catechesis since St.
Augustine
○ Different numbering traditions
(Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant)
● Structure of the Commandments
(2067-2068)
○ First three: Love of God
○ Remaining seven: Love of
neighbor
○ Council of Trent affirms their
obligatory nature
V. The Unity and Natural Law Basis of the
Decalogue
● Interconnectedness of the
Commandments (2069)
Breaking one affects all others
○ Integrates religious and social
responsibilities
● Relationship to Natural Law
(2070-2071)
○ Reflects moral principles
innate to human nature
○ Clarifies obligations obscured
by sin
VI. Obligation and Application of the
Commandments
● Moral Gravity and Universality
(2072-2073)
○ Always binding and immutable
○ Some offenses vary in severity
NOTES BY AMDC PAGE 6
