The Challenge of

Following Christ

Heb 12:7 - Endure

your trials as the
discipline of God,
who deals with

Through revelation, God makes himself known

as well as his plan of

salvation

Gods revelation comes to us even

through
the most ordinary circumstance of
our life.

Revelation is Gods initiative.

Through revelation God establishes a relationship
with humanity

Divine revelation can only be accepted by FAITH

FAITH
enables us to see Gods intervention even in
human history

we learn of a God who is active in human affairs

Not a God who watches from a distance

Where am I going

The Story of the Rich Young Man

Someone came to Him
For the young man, the question is not so
much about rules to be followed, but about the full
meaning of life. This is in fact the aspiration at the
heart of every human decision and action, the quiet
searching and interior prompting which sets freedom
in motion.
This question is ultimately an appeal to the
absolute Good which attracts and beckons us; it is
the echo of a call from God who is the origin and
goal of mans life.
In order to make this encounter with Christ
possible, God willed His church.

Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?

It is essential and unavoidable question for the life
of every man, for it is the moral good which must be done,
and about eternal life.
People today need to turn to Christ once again in
order to receive from Him the answer to their questions
about what is good and what is evil.
There is only one who is good.
The answer to the question, What good must I do to
have eternal life?, can only be found by turning ones mind
and heart to the ONE who is good; only God can answer
the question about what is good, ultimately means to turn
towards God.

If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments

God has already given an answer to this question. He did so by
creating man and ordering him with wisdom and love to his final end,
through the law which is inscribed in his heart. The natural law is no
other than the light of understanding infused in us by God, whereby we
understand what must be done and what must be avoided. God gave
this light and this law to man at creation.
The Ten Commandments are part of Gods revelation. At the same
time, they teach us mans true humanity. They shed light on the
essential duties, and so indirectly on the fundamental rights, inherent
in the nature of the human person.
Without love of neighbor made concrete in
commandments, genuine love for God is not possible.

keeping

the

Jesus brings Gods commandments to fulfillment, particularly the

commandment of love of neighbor, by interiorizing their demands and
by bringing out their fullest meaning.

Our Challenges as Followers of Christ

The present generation is characterized by

the extraordinary increase and gravity of
threats to life

THE THREATS TO LIFE DIRECTLY

AFFLICT
THE WEAK AND THE DEFENSELESS

THREATS TO LIFE:
A.WHATEVER IS OPPOSED TO LIFE

Murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide

B. WHATEVER VIOLATES THE INTEGRITY OF

THE HUMAN PERSON

mutilation, torments inflicted on body and mi

C. WHATEVER INSULTS HUMAN DIGNITY

Subhuman living conditions

slavery
imprisonment
human trafficking
disgraceful working
conditions

ALL THESE ARE:

Poisons to human society
Against the will of God

THEY ARE:
Expanding with new prospects
Opened up by scientific technological progress

IRONY

Progress in science and

technology
Regress in moral life

GRAVE CONCERN:
Broad sectors of public opinion
JUSTIFY certain crimes against life

HOW?
By invoking the rights of individual freedom
and
By obtaining exemption from punishment
even authorization by the state, so that
these crimes can be done with total freedom

IT IS GRAVE AND DISTURBING THAT CONSCIENCE

IS DARKENED BY WIDESPREAD CONDITIONING
AS A RESULT,
IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT
TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

SYMPTOMATIC OF MORAL DECLINE

C. ROOTS AND SOURCES OF CONTEMPORARY MORAL TREN

1. Profound Crisis of Culture
CULTURE
pattern of human knowledge,
customary belief, and behavior of a racial, religious, or social group
the characteristic features of everyday existence
shared by people in a place or time
the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices

MAN FINDS HIMSELF LOST

2. Interpersonal difficulties

Aggravated by the complexity of society where

people
no longer want to take responsibility for their
neighbors

3. Situations of Acute Poverty, Anxiety or Frust

CONCLUSION:
Our greatest challenge is to make THE CHOICE TO
DEFEND AND PROMOTE LIFE , DEMANDING US
sometimes TO REACH THE POINT OF
HEROISM