Moral-Theology-The-new Law-of-Grace-RCIA-2012

Session Title Moral Theology II – The New Law of Grace, the Sermon on the Mount and Rm. 12-15

references/sources

• Mt. 5
• Rm. 12-15
• Pinckaers, Servais.
  • Morality The Catholic View, Servais Pinckaers, O.P. South Bend: St. Augustine’s Press, 2001.
  • The Sources of Christian Ethics. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2001.

Content

• “The sermon contains all the precepts needed for our guidance in the Christian life.” -St. Augustine
• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus matures the understanding of the law from an external consideration to an internal guide… almost like a moral spiritual director. The internal and external result of this is the growth of the Kingdom of God.

  In Christ we find the perfect meeting of the Law, the Prophets, Greek thought… in a word, true sapientia (hagia Sophia) – He himself becomes our law

• The sermon is the first of the 5 discourses that give structure to Matthew’s entire Gospel. As the first, it contains the major principles of the rest in concentrated form.
• Mt. 4:17 Jesus begins his public ministry: “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
  • Already fully realized in the incarnation
  • Not Yet fully realized in our own humanity
  • The kingdom of God – his rule and not merely his rules… he now reigns/governs
• Mt. 5: 1-12 The Beatitudes - Note form: Blessed are…they will be (establishes a hope and its fulfillment) Our inability to fulfill these hopes completely [on earth] demands of us a radical and total dependency on God… itself a fulfillment of the X
  • Blessed – satisfies Gk. Demand for eudaimonia
• vv13-17 -Salt of the earth… light of the world Our dependence on God, our blessedness is to be lived out loud… in the world.
• vv20-ff e.g. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
  • Jesus presents us with a maturing sense of righteousness (justice) or “right relationship with God… directly in opposition of the scribes and Pharisees… the establishment, known for their public displays and their concern for external law w/ no regard to the internal.
  • “You have heard it said… but I say to you…”

    Christ is speaking with a remarkable authority…putting himself on par with Moses But more than this, note the integration of internal and external he is proposing. Improving the unity of body and soul makes us more excellent human beings

  • Links in with virtues as the building blocks of our morality
• Mt 6:1-8 The 3 primary foci of our moral action are then reviewed by Christ
  • Mutual aid = almsgiving
  • Asceticism = fasting
  • Prayer = prayer
  • We do all so that the FATHER may see… all a gift for the Father. All rooted in love of God.
• vv9-15 the Our Father The opening lines of any dialogue between the believer and the Father
• Augustine’s reflections on the Sermon - The beatitudes are 7 (the eighth is a summary) – representing steps in the growth of the Christian, culminating in martyrdom

Each step corresponds to a gift of the Holy Spirit as enumerated by Isaiah in Is. 11 as well as a petition of the Our Father.

Gift	Beatitude	Explanation
Fear of the Lord	Poverty/humility	It makes the heart humble and contrite… alerts us to our human condition showing the need to accept the cross.
Hallowed be thy name…
Piety before God	Meekness	docility to Scripture builds the Kingdom
Thy Kingdom come…
Knowledge	Weeping/mourning	Reminds us that we are sinners and teaches us how to improve… teaches us to love for love’s sake and reminds us to be hopeful and not despair.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…
Fortitude	Hunger for justice	Sustains the efforts of those fighting for justice b/f God… true justice comes to the Christian through crucifixion… and so leads us to the Love of the Trinity.
Give us this day our daily bread (sustainence for the fight)
Counsel	Blessed are the merciful	The Lord advises us always to be as merciful to ourselves as we are to others. Recall our goal is love of God and neighbor.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…
Understanding	Purity of heart	The pure of heart have a clearer vision of the mysteries of God.
Lead us not into temptation
Wisdom	Peacemakers	Christ is himself the ultimate wisdom… total union with him is the only way to achieve true peace within the self and with others.
Deliver us from evil.
The eighth beatitude presents humanity in its perfection and so contains within itself all the others.

• Romans 12-15
  • A moral exhortation in the Spirit by one who has taken the journey himself (Paul) Nb. A deeply personal approach by Paul
  • Paraklesis – exhortation in the Spirit (parakletos) vs. paranesis – which is, roughly, a basic recommendation
  • Paul is laying out factors in the development of a moral life over time.
    • 12:1 – frames Christian life as a liturgical act …offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
    • 12:3-8 – as with any liturgical act, life is to be led in an ecclesial context… within the Body of Christ, the Church… each member fulfilling his/her given role based on given talents etc.
    • 12:9-13 – the love lived within the Church as we generously give ourselves has certain characteristics outlined here.
    • 12:14-21 – recalling the Sermon on the Mount, Paul discusses the blessing of one’s enemies… the ultimate agape lived, as Christ lived it from the cross.
    • 13:1-10 – living the moral life within civil society… obedience to the state
    • 13:11-14 – eschatological goal
    • chapters 14-15… not leading your brothers to sin … discussion of dietary issues.

Terms

• XX