Symbolon: Part 2: Session 6: A CATHOLIC MORAL VISION: Virtue, Grace, & the Path to Happiness
Symbolon: Part 2: Session 8: A Love That Lasts: God's Plan for Sexuality
Please note: use the document enclosed in the Questions and Comments from the Two Symbolon Participant's Guides field to more effectively prepare for our discussions and to develop your own questions, comments, and observations!!!
Additional Documents:
God’s Law,
The Beatitudes,
The Virtue of Faith,
The Virtue of Hope,
The Virtue of Charity,
Virtuous Living,
Errors of Modern Culture, and
What is Sin?
Please note: Use the Additional Documents field, of this webpage, to find referenced material Please print these articles, review them (include all questions, comments, and/or observations upon reading these excellent articles) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class).
Lives of the Saints and Conversion Stories:
St. Maria Goretti.
Please note: Use the Lives of the Saints and Conversion Stories field, of this webpage, to find referenced material. Please print these articles, review them (include all -- hey! that sounds like ?????, questions, comments, and/or observations upon reading these excellent life stories) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class).
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 27,
Psalm 37,
Psalm 95, and
Psalm 146.
Please note: Use the Psalms and Canticles field, of this webpage, to find referenced material. Please print these articles, review them (include all -- questions, comments, and/observations upon reading these excellent scripture passages) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class).
Litanies and Prayers
Prayer to Obtain Virtue
Please note: Use the Litanies and Prayers field, of this webpage, to find referenced material. Please print these articles, review them (include all -- questions, comments, and/observations upon reading these excellent prayers) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class). Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) Assignment:
26
1699
2011
2090-2094
142-169
1813
2067
2196
1696
1817-1829
2087-2089
2656
Please note: Use the CCC articles references above to help build your understanding of this gathering. Please review them (include all -- questions, comments, and/observations upon reading these excellent CCC statements) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class).
Small Group Questions The Virtue of Faith — Suggested Questions for Discussion: 1. What is the virtue of faith? Why is faith not a blind leap, as many suppose? 2. Why doesn’t God just show himself directly and obviously to us so that we could more easily believe in him? 3. How is faith the beginning of human salvation? What do we mean by the response of faith? 4. How can the Deposit of Faith be a sure foundation for our personal faith? 5. How can suffering and trials test our faith? 6. If faith is a personal act, how can we say that a person does not believe alone? 7. Why does the modern culture often seem closed to the possibility of faith in God?
The Virtue of Hope — Suggested Questions for Discussion: 1. How does our understanding of God’s love inspire us to hope? How are despair and presumption sins against hope? 2. What would life be like if we did not have hope of Heaven, or of anything beyond death? 3. How would you say the quotation: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight” (Prv 3:5) sums up the virtue of hope? 4. Why is wishing for things different from the theological virtue of hope? 5. How can hope help us to cope with our trials, difficulties, and sufferings?
The Virtue of Love — Suggested Questions for Discussion: 1. How is Jesus our model who helps us understand the qualities of true Christian charity? 2. What does the Church mean when she teaches us to hate the sin, but love the sinner? 3. What are some of the biggest challenges that I face when trying to live a Christian life of charity? 4. How do I show love to people I don’t like, people who don’t like me, or people who have hurt me? Is it enough to just pray for someone I don’t like or even detest? 5. What is the difference between God’s divine love and our human love? Is loving in a divine way possible for a human? 6. Why is love the greatest of the theological virtues? Why is love the measure by which we will be judged? 7. Why is it necessary to speak about the Holy Spirit when speaking about charity?
Please note: Use the Small Group Questions listed above for this gathering. Please review them (include all -- questions, comments, and/observations upon reading these excellent discussion topics!) and bring them with you to the next OCIA gathering (class).