Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Thursday, September 29, 2011

From generation to generation, under the aegis and vigilance of the pastors, the "deposit" of Christian moral teaching has been handed on, a deposit composed of a characteristic body of rules, commandments, and virtues proceeding from faith in Christ and animated by charity.
- CCC No. 2033

Reflection: We can't figure this all out on our own in the small amount of time we've been given--we're not supposed to. That's why the Church preserves the wisdom of the saints and the teachings of the Bible for each generation to learn from and to add to it.


Prayer: Lord, raise up teachers for your Church.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Thursday, September 22, 2011

The natural law is a participation in God's wisdom and goodness by man formed in the image of his Creator. It expresses the dignity of the human person and forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.
- CCC No. 1978

Reflection: Being in God's image we have an innate sense of right and wrong which does not change from time to time or person to person but is fundamental to beings made in God's image, for it is based upon the nature of who God is.


Prayer: Father, open our eyes to see the wonders of your law.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Monday, September 19, 2011

Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience.
- CCC No. 1903

Reflection: Although the Catechism, following the Bible, directs Christians to be obedient to those in authority, it is careful to point out that one need not remain under an unjust authority.

Prayer: Lord, inspire leaders to desire the good for those in charge.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Friday, September 16, 2011

To promote the participation of the greatest number in the life of a society, the creation of voluntary associations and institutions must be encouraged "on both national and international levels, which relate to the economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs."
- CCC No. 1882

Reflection: Just as animals gather in herds or flocks, so human beings are meant to form groups. Whether it is softball leagues or the museum society, human beings are meant to be joiners.


Prayer: Lord, strengthen the bonds of the body of Christ.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Sin creates a proclivity to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root.
- CCC No. 1865

Reflection: Just as virtue is habitual, so sin becomes a default setting for those who are not vigilant enough to guard against it. It is easy to go downhill, and few things are easier than to sink slowly, imperceptibly into vice and addiction.


Prayer: Lord, save us from our own evil inclinations.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment.
- CCC No. 1863

Reflection: We should always prefer God to the things he has created. But as we drift away from God, we become more and more self-centered and our desires slide lower and lower on the scale until mere things become more important to us than even the people we love.


Prayer: Father, help us to prefer you over everything else.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Temperance...ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion.
- CCC No. 1809

Reflection: The ancients spoke of "leisure with dignity," acknowledging the difficulty inherent in the human experience of fulfilling our desires without being controlled by them. Temperance controls and directs our freedom so that we can reach our full potential.


Prayer: Lord, strengthen us until we are stronger even than our own desires.

From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Friday, September 02, 2011

Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called "cardinal"; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.
- CCC No1805

Reflection: The ancient philosophers who lived long before Christ articulated four commands for those who wanted to live a virtuous (i.e., strong) life: be wise, be fair, be brave, be self-controlled. The Church has always confirmed the wisdom of these counsels.


Prayer: Spirit of God, strengthen us to live the cardinal virtues.



From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)

Scripture, Reflection & Prayer for Thursday, September 01, 2011

A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.
- CCC No. 1803

Reflection: The virtuous are in the habit of choosing correctly, until one day it is just natural for them to do the right thing. For the virtuous person, doing good is the default setting.


Prayer: Holy Spirit, set our hearts on fire with a love of holy wisdom.



From: Day by Day with the Catechism (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York)