How We Live
As Catholic Christians we are called to live out our faith. Scripture shows us the way, as God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments and Jesus presents the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. Jesus is the Way, and he calls us to respond to his invitation, “Come, Follow Me.”
The Church also helps us in this mission, through the emphasis on living the virtues, as well as the gift of our Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describe Catholic Social Teaching as a “central and essential element of our faith.” They go on to say we are “called to reach out and build relationships of love and justice.”
Themes of Catholic Social teaching include:
- The Life and Dignity of the Human Person
- The Call to Family, Community and Participation
- Solidarity
- The Dignity of Work
- Rights and Responsibilities
- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
- Caring for God’s Creation
Using the following as a Guide:
- The Ten Commandments
- The Great Commandment
- Corporal Works of Mercey
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead. - The Precepts of the Catholic Church
To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation and resting from servile work;
To observe the days of abstinence and fasting;
To confess our sins to a Priest at least once a year;
To receive Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at least once a year during Easter Season;
To contribute to the support of the Church. - Spiritual Works of Mercey
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offenses willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the Living and the Dead. - Theological Virtues
Faith, Hope and Charity - Cardinal Virtues
Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance