St. Mary's Academy of Sto. Niño

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 7

St. Mary’s Academy of Sto.

Niño
STO. NIÑO SUBDIVISION, CITY OF MEYCAUAYAN, BULACAN
*PAASCU Re-Accredited (Level II) * CEAP and RVM-EAP Member

THIRD QUARTER
CHRISTIAN LIVING 9

MODULE NO. 4: God Calls Us: To be Pure in Heart and Work for Unity

I. INTRODUCTION

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. – Matthew 5:8.

In our contemporary world today, a sense of selfishness and personalistic attitude


persists. It is even aggravated by technological progress that isolates the human person
in a virtual reality as if he or she was the only one living in a world created and organized
by him/her.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male
and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28. Jesus always worked
for the unity and equality of all people: men, women, children, adults, and various groups
and communities. No one is isolated in the Kingdom of God. Even those who opposed
and tested are welcomed because we are all children of our heavenly Father.

In this module, you will be able to understand the Christian mission of civil society
to uphold social justice, gender equality, and spirituality.

II. OBJECTIVES

In this module, you will learn the lesson:

Call to be Pure in Heart and Work for Unity:


Single-heartedness and equal dignity in unity.
Live-out life for holiness and purity of heart
Establish connections for unity and equality and build an ideal society.

III. CONCEPT SUMMARY:

● Chastity comes from the Latin castigare meaning to castigate or to tame. We need
to tame all our thoughts, words, and actions. in his letter, St. Paul exhorts the

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 1 of 7
Galatians to cultivate the true freedom expressed in deeds conforming to the Spirit,
in self-giving and love
● Civil society exists for the common good, and hence is concerned with the interests
of all in general, albeit with individual interests also in their due place and degree.
It is therefore called a public society, because by its agency, as St. Thomas of
Aquinas says, “Men establish relations in common with one another in the setting
up of commonwealth.”
PRE-ASSESSMENT: Reflect!
In a society that is full of material and even physical pleasures, where anything
and everything goes and everything is okay, we ask ourselves: is everything okay?
Who can help us understand what is truly good and moral? What can help us to
make right decisions and choices in life?

IV. LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Through the gift of God’s redemptive creations, we can become what we truly are
and share in God’s creative power and goodness. God gave us the capacity to control all
our desires and actions.
Freedom for Service
My brothers, remember that you have
been called to live in freedom – but not a
freedom that gives free rein to the flesh. Out of
love, place yourselves at one another’s service.
The whole law has found its fulfillment in this
one saying: “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.” But if you go on biting and tearing one
another to pieces, take care! You will end up in
mutual destruction! My point is that you should
live in accord with the Spirit, and you will not
yield to the craving of flesh. In contrast, the fruit
of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience
endurance, kindness, generosity, faith,
mildness, and chastity. Against such there is
no law! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified their flesh with its passions and
desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow
the Spirit’s lead. Let us never be boastful, or
challenging, or jealous toward one another.
Galatians 5:13-16, 22-26
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 2 of 7
Church Teaching: The Virtue of Chastity
The Church clarifies that we are called to achieve the integration of personhood. This
vocation is a major decisive factor in growing up as Christians.
1. Positively, what is called for is purity of heart, or the virtue of chastity. All Christians
have the vocation to chastity (cf. CCC 2348). Chastity here refers to the
wholesome integration of one’s sexuality within one’s person. This creates in us
an inner harmony and unity of body and spirit that grounds our integrity as persons
and in our self-giving in love (cf. CCC 2337-47). CFC 1093.

2. Admittedly, chastity is a difficult virtue, but it surely is not just a series of negative
don’ts which some pretend it to be. John Paul II wrote:
In the Christian view, chastity by no means signifies rejection of human sexuality or lack
of esteem for it: rather, it signifies spiritual energy capable of defending love from the
perils of selfishness and aggressiveness, and able to advance it towards its full realization
(FC 33). CFC 1094.
3. Chastity deals with our external acts but precisely as expressing the inner
“yearnings of our heart.” At the root, purity of heart is a positive power for authentic
human freedom and love, not a repressive denial of the true value and exercise of
our sexuality. This is proclaimed in the Sixth Beatitude, “Blessed are the pure-
hearted, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). The “pure of heart” designates those who
direct their hearts, bodies, and mind toward God, in charity, or purity of heart (cf. 2
Tim 2:22); in chastity, or purity of body (cf. Col 3:5). CFC 1095.

4. Chastity or purity of heart, then, can be a major, decisive factor in Christian


“growing up.” The self-control developed by a chaste heart frees us from our selfish
self-centeredness and opens us to the penetrating realization of our need for
others. Whether we fulfill this need through marriage or a celibate life, does not
alter the basic truth: our sexuality clearly tells us we are incomplete without others.
Growing up to being fully a man or woman means learning to respect and nourish
positive attitudes towards others. Thus, St. Paul urged the Galatians: “Let us do
good to all men — but especially those of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10). If
we do not seek the good of others, we harm the Body of Christ. To respect and
nourish relations with others means being willing to sacrifice our time and selves
for them, encouraging them, helping them when we can. CFC 1097.

5. Growing up to full maturity involves discernment. We learn when to say “yes” to an


opportunity for positive growth and fuller relationships, and when to say a definite
“no” to the dark urges playing on our vulnerable weaknesses. Being a mature man
or woman involves the ability to discern true, authentic love from its many
counterfeits of infatuation, desire, or simple lust. Christian purity of heart,
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 3 of 7
strengthened and supported by a fervent sacramental and prayer life, greatly helps
this discernment by its simplicity, its greater clarity of understanding and firmness
of will, and its genuine openness to the other as gift. CFC 1098.
True chastity requires the transformation of the heart. True chastity is when we come
to the point when we can look straight at a thing or person and not be easily swayed nor
distracted by what we see nor be enslaved by it.
Chastity is not about loving less but it is about loving more. It is knowing our capacity
to put into place all the things that will help us and others especially the ones we love. It
embraces not only areas of sex, but all the areas of our life. It is exerting our efforts to live
chastely, by seeking to do God’s will in prayer, by disciplining our feelings and
imaginations, and by shunning impure thoughts when they come our way.
Church Message
The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that God inscribed in the humanity of
man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and
communion.
1. Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul.
It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a
more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others. CCC
2332
2. Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.
Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward
the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple
and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs,
and mutual support between the sexes are lived out. CCC 2333
3. Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus
the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's
belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and
truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in
the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity
therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift. CCC
2337
4. Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one
hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings
as man and woman. "Being man" or "being woman" is a reality which is good and
willed by God: man and woman possess an inalienable dignity which comes to
them immediately from God their Creator. Man and woman are both with one and
the same dignity "in the image of God". In their "being-man" and "being-woman",
they reflect the Creator's wisdom and goodness. CCC 369

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 4 of 7
5. Man and woman were made "for each other" - not that God left them half-made
and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons, in which each
can be "helpmate" to the other, for they are equal as persons ("bone of my
bones...") and complementary as masculine and feminine. CCC 372
Building Unity in Chastity
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church or CSDC embraces the
equal dignity of all people as it stated that “God shows no partiality”, since all people have
the same dignity as creatures made in his image and likeness.
Since something of the glory of God shines on the face of every person, the dignity of
every person before God is the basis of the dignity of man before other men. Moreover,
this is the ultimate foundation of the radical equality and brotherhood among all people,
regardless of their race, nation, sex, origin, culture, or class.
1. Only the recognition of human dignity based on the initial status of man with
pure heart and mind can make possible the common and personal growth of
everyone. To stimulate this kind of growth it is necessary to sustain such purity
and dignity in helping the least, effectively ensuring conditions of equal
opportunity for men and women and guaranteeing an objective equality
between the different social classes and before the law.
Also, in relations between peoples and States, conditions of equality and parity are
prerequisites for the authentic progress of the international community. Despite the steps
taken in this direction, it must not forget that there still exist many inequalities and forms
of dependence. Together with equality in the recognition of the dignity of each person and
of every people there must also be an awareness that it will be possible to safeguard and
promote human dignity only if this is done as a community, by the whole of humanity.
Only through the mutual action of individuals and peoples sincerely concerned for the
good of all men and women can a genuine universal brotherhood be attained; otherwise,
the persistence of conditions of serious disparity and inequality will make us all poorer.
2. Woman is the complement of man, as man is the complement of woman: man
and woman complete each other mutually, not only from a physical and
psychological point of view, but also ontologically. It is only because of the
duality of “male” and “female” that the “human” being becomes a full reality. It
is the “unity of the two”, or in other words a relational “uni-duality”, that allows
each person to experience the interpersonal and reciprocal relationship as a
gift that at the same time is a mission: “to this ‘unity of the two' God has
entrusted not only the work of procreation and family life, but the creation of
history itself”. “The woman is ‘a helper' for the man, just as the man is ‘a helper'
for the woman!”: in the encounter of man and woman a unitary conception of
the human person is brought about, based not on the logic of self-centeredness
and self-affirmation, but on that of love and solidarity.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 5 of 7
Aside from prayers, what will help strengthen the virtue of chastity in us are the following:
voiding temptations that might lead us to the misuse of sexuality: for example,
avoiding pornographic sites when surfing the net;
knowing ourselves well enough to know what might lead us to lose self-control;
practicing the works of self-denial to strengthen our wills;
practicing the moral virtues, especially acts of charity for others;
striving to live all of God’s commandments;
praying daily for God’s graces; and
receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist frequently.
If we really desire to have a pure heart all we need to do are purify our hands and cleanse
ourselves from every sin of speech and action.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 6 of 7
VI. REFERENCES

1. LYFE 9
2. Enjoying our Journey of Discipleship
3. Echoes of God’s Love
4. HOLY BIBLE
5. CFC and CCC
6. https://bit.ly/3xkFNsy
7. https://bit.ly/3AIY1c6
8. https://bit.ly/3loWY9M
9. https://bit.ly/3imSmPQ
10. https://bit.ly/3imKNby
11. https://bit.ly/3yyogy8
12. https://bit.ly/3rOjURf
13. https://bit.ly/2WEysan
14. https://bit.ly/2VpG53V
15. https://bit.ly/3ls2Q1Z

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, mimeograph, photos, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from St. Mary’s
Academy, Sto. Nino.
Christian Living 9_Learning Module 4_THIRD Quarter-Page 7 of 7

You might also like