CL REVIEWER
Jacob Alexander Ordona
10 - St. John
Jesus Calls Us To Conversion
Love for God is a virtue that enables us to recognize God’s goodness and desire to be a better
person.
“Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”
Acts 3:19
What is Conversion?
Conversion means change. This change is understood in relation to the Greek word “metanoia”
which means change of heart, change of the inner man, repentance.
Change?
Change means change in the way we live our lives.
John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand” (Matthew 4:17)
Interior Conversion
Interior conversion “is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion of God with
all out heart, an end of skin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions
we have committed”
Conversion involves aligning our lives with the Will of God. It is a firm resolve to hate evil.
Jesus Calls Us in Freedom and Faithfulness
Being responsible is exercising one’s freedom in pursuit of what is true and good.
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love, and
self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
What is freedom?
Freedom is the capacity to act or not to act. It is the power to perform or not to perform, to do or
not to do.
Liberty, then, as we have said, belongs only to those who have the gift of choosing or
intelligence.
Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to
perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will, one shapes one’s own life.
“Agere sequitur esse” (To act follows to be).
Laws - help direct the free will and intellect toward the good and the truth.
-The law of God liberates and brings peace and joy.
Jesus Exemplifies the Law of Love
Love is a virtue of willing the good of another person.
“Love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12
What is the basis for the morality of the act?
The bases for the morality of the acts are law and conscience.
St. Thomas of Aquinas describes law as “an ordinance of reason, promulgated by competent
authority for the sake of the common good”.
Ordinance- Law is not a request or appeal, it’s a command, an order. It’s something we have to
follow.
Reason- Laws are thoroughly and carefully thought out so that they truly protect and uphold the
dignity of every person.
Promulgated- to make widely known. It’s for the knowledge and awareness of all.
Competent Authority- Law is made by individuals who have sufficient knowledge and skills
and legitimate power.
Common Good- Law is intended for the good of all not of the few.
Why do we have laws?
Basically, laws keep our relationship with God, others, and nature growing and
maturing–characterized by respect, peace, harmony, and love.
Two characteristics of natural law are: universal and immutable.
NATURAL LAW
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Universal—--Immutable
Natural law is universal. This means that all of us have this law present in our hearts. Thus, all
of us know that murder is evil, and that forgiving is good. However, it must be noted that the
application of natural law varies greatly.
The natural law is immutable. It is unchanging. What was discerned to be good or evil a
thousand years ago remains the same today.
Jesus Invites Us to Form Our Conscience
Prudence is a virtue that enables us to discern and choose the best means to an end.
“Some, by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith.”
1 Timothy 1:19
Practical
Conscience does not only enable us to recognize whether the act is good or evil but upon the
recognition, it summons us to choose and do the good and avoid evil.
Judgment of reason
Conscience is a capacity that arises from our reason to determine and evaluate the quality
(good or evil) of the concrete act in relation to the law. It points out whether the law applies to
the concrete act of a person in a particular situation and so be able to deem it as good or evil.
Concrete act
Conscience cannot judge a human act as good or evil unless it is done in a particular situation.
To talk about stealing, whether good or evil, three elements have to be evaluated: the act
chosen, intention, and circumstances.
The different types of conscience?
The types of conscience are lax, doubtful, certain, scrupulous, erroneous, and true.
