The Catholic Church encourages that special veneration be given to Mary. This honor is due to her as Mother of Christ, as Mother of the Church, and as our spiritual Mother. This veneration is to be shown to others by word and example. Pope Paul VI solemnly brought the third session of Vatican Council II to a close on November …

We know the duties that flow from the love of God and man by: (1) the Ten Commandments of God, (2) the Sermon on the Mount, especially in the Beatitudes, (3) the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, (4) the Theological and Cardinal Virtues, and (5) the laws of the Church. 1. We know the duties that flow from the …

We have the life-long duty, as Christians, to love and serve God. This means: (1) we must put the will of God first on the list of our personal values, and keep it there throughout our lives; (2) our attitude towards God must be that of a devoted son or daughter towards an all-loving Father; (3) we must never think …

We sin against God’s honor: (1) by putting anyone or anything in God’s place, (2) by blaspheming God or perjuring ourselves, (3) by failing to show respect for persons, places, and things consecrated especially to God, (4) by atheism, heresy, and schism, and (5) by missing Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. 1. We sin against God’s honor …

As Christians, we must show our love for all people. We do this when we: (1) are concerned about our neighbor’s rights—his freedom, housing, food, health, and right to work, (2) show to others the justice and charity of Christ—that is, reaching out in the spirit of the Beatitudes to help others, to build up a better society in the …

We show to others the justice and charity of Christ by reaching out in the spirit of the Beatitudes to help others, to build up a better society in the local community, and to promote social justice and peace throughout the world. We show the justice and charity of Christ to others by letting our Catholic faith, with its beautiful …

Our judgments of others and our speech should follow the standard of Christ’s charity–which is due to all those created in the image and likeness of God. God commands us to think kindly of others. Jesus said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will …

We show our love for our neighbor when we obey all lawful authority, whether it be in the home, in civil society, or in the Church. With respect to lawful authority in the home, the Fourth Commandment of God says: “Honor your father and your mother” (Deuteronomy 5:16; Exodus 20:12). St. Paul wrote: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, …

We sin against our neighbor in four general areas, namely: (1) justice, (2) God’s gift of life, (3) speech, and (4) sexuality. 1. Sins against our neighbor in the area of justice. The Seventh Commandment of God is, “You shall not steal”, and the Tenth Commandment is, “You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor” (cf. Exodus 20:15, …

Our responsibilities toward self are: (1) to be an example of Christian goodness; (2) to be humble and patient with ourselves; (3) to be simple in the use of the things of this world; (4) to be pure in thoughts, words and actions; and (5) to avoid pride, laziness, envy, and intemperance in food and drink. 1. Our responsibilities toward …