Oct

September Summary

Human freedom is a gift from God; it allows us to choose actions.
We are morally responsible for our choices — good or bad.
Choices align us more closely with God when we act in virtue; when we choose sin, we alienate ourselves from God and others.
Forming a well-informed conscience is essential: through Scripture, Church teaching, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and moral reflection.
We can ask God’s grace to help us choose what is good.

God’s moral law is revealed through Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and natural law (the moral order written in our hearts).
The Ten Commandments (and other precepts) express God’s will and help direct our actions.
The law is a guide, not a burden; it protects us and helps us grow in holiness.
Jesus fulfills the law and often deepens its meaning (e.g. in the Sermon on the Mount).
Obedience to God’s law is an act of love — loving God and neighbor.

Loving God is primary — it orients our whole life.
Loving others is inseparable from loving God: when we love others, we serve Christ.
Christian love (charity) means self-sacrifice, service, forgiveness, compassion.
The virtues (especially the theological virtue of charity) help us live that love.
We are called to see the face of Christ in every person, especially those in need or marginalized.

Divine Revelation: God makes Himself known to us through both Scripture and Tradition.
Scripture is the written record of God’s self-disclosure and relationship with us.
Tradition is the living handing on of the truths Christ taught, through the Church.
The Church guards and teaches this truth throughout all ages.
The Holy Spirit is active in guiding the Church and helping us understand divine revelation.
Because of revelation, we can trust that God is not remote or hidden — He invites us into relationship with Him.

The Blessed Trinity is the doctrine that there is one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Each Person of the Trinity is fully God, yet there is only one God.
The Trinity is a central mystery of the Christian faith and not fully comprehensible by human reason.
We encounter the Trinity in our lives:
- God the Father as Creator and source of all life
- Jesus the Son, who reveals God and redeems us
- The Holy Spirit, who sanctifies, guides, and dwells within us
The Sign of the Cross is a prayer gesture invoking the Trinity.
We are called to live in relationship, mirroring how the Persons of the Trinity exist in relationship (unity, love, communion).

God is our loving Father — not distant, but caring, protective, and intimately involved in our lives.
As Father, God created everything freely and out of love; He continues to sustain creation.
God’s fatherhood also means He cares for our needs, listens to us, forgives, and guides us.
Through Jesus, we learn more deeply about God’s fatherly love (e.g. how Jesus prayed to the Father)
We are called to respond by trusting God, obeying Him, and relating to Him as children.
God’s promises (covenants) throughout scripture show His faithful love to His people.

The creation stories in Genesis teach religious truths, not scientific facts.
God created everything out of love and called it “good.”
Humans have a special role as caretakers of the earth and stewards of God’s creation.
The Sabbath reminds us to rest and praise God for His work.

Original Sin is the first sin committed by humans when they turned away from God.
Sin damages our relationship with God, with others, and with creation.
Despite human disobedience, God’s love never ends.
We can seek forgiveness through prayer, repentance, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

God’s covenant is a promise of love and faithfulness.
The stories of Noah, Abraham, and others show God’s continuing care for humanity.
The promise of a Redeemer (Jesus Christ) begins to unfold in these early stories.
Jesus fulfills God’s plan of salvation through His life, death, and Resurrection.