THE JOURNEY

OF

CONTEMPLATION

ON GOING

CONTEMPLATIVE

FORMATION

*THEME: SIN AND ITS

EFFECTS IN

CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE

FIRST LESSON

DEFINITION1. Sin is an offense against

reason.

2. Sin is an offense against Truth

3. Sin is an offense against Right

Conscience.

4. Sin is failure in genuine love for

God and neighbour caused by

perverse attachment to certain

things.

DEFINITION5. Sin is an offense against

God.

6. Sin is a disobedience, a

revolt against God through

the will to become like gods.

7. Sin is love of oneself even

to the contempt of God.

(Cf. CCC 1849-1850)

8. Sin is deed contrary to eternal law. 9. Sin is utterance contrary to eternal law. 10.Sin is desire contrary to eternal law. [NOTE: Eternal law is the wisdom of God that governs the whole universe.]

DEFINITION

SIN AND GUILT

The concept of sin is closely related to that of guilt.

Sin always involves moral guilt, and moral guilt always presupposes sin.

Both always coexist together. Sin expresses that a wrongful

act is morally evil and an offense against God.

SIN AND GUILT

Guilt on the other hand denotes the fact that a person is liable for the evil he has done and that it is attributed to him/her as the responsible agent.

[NOTE: Moral guilt should be distinguished from guilt feeling, resulting from wrong education and social taboos.]

THE SCRIPTURE AND THE

NATURE OF SIN OLD TESTAMENT: Sin as transgression. Lev. 26:14-39,

Deut. 11:26-28, Deut. 28:15 Sin barricade our prayers. Isaiah

59:1-2 Sin as hatred towards God Ex. 20:5,

Deut. 5:9, Ps 139:21 Sin as an Ingratitude. Is 1:2-4,

Jer. 3:19-25, Jer. 16: 10-13, Ez 16:59

THE SCRIPTURE AND THE NATURE OF SIN

NEW TESTAMENT: Sin begins in the heart. Mk. 7:1-23, Mt.

23:25, Sin is an offense against love. Lk 7:47,

1 Jn 4:7,26 Sin as refusal of light. Jn 3:19, 1

Jn 2:8-11, Eph 5:14-18 Sin as refusal of Truth. Jn 8:44, Rom

1:18,25 Sin as lawlessness. 2Thes 2:3,8; 1Jn 3:4

THE SCRIPTURE AND THE NATURE OF SIN

NEW TESTAMENT cont.:

Sin as disobedience against God. Rom. 11:30-32, Eph. 5:6,

Sin as denial of Glorification due to God. Rom 1:18-32, Rom 8:7, Rom 5:10-12, Eph 2:1,4, Col 1:21

Sinners are excluded from the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9, Gal 5:19-21

THE SCRIPTURE AND THE NATURE OF SIN

NEW TESTAMENT:

The Christian ought to be a Temple of the Holy Spirit, but sin desecrated it and that is why it is so abject. 1 Cor. 3:16f, 1 Cor 6:19f

Sin as unbelief towards the messianic mission of Jesus. Jn 3:18; 12:37-50; 16:8-10

THE EFFECTS SIN

It wounds the nature of man.

Sin injures human solidarity.

Sin divides man within himself.(Gaudium Et spes 13)

Sin lowers the dignity of man.

THE TRIPLE INJURY OF SIN An injury against the

sinners himself. An injury against fellow

men. An injury against God. Objectively, these triple injury is always effected in every sin.

THE INHERENT CONTRADICTION OF SIN

The possibility of sin lies in the character of man’s free will.

In his free will; man strives after the good.

Man is so bent on the good that even where he wants to do evil, he do it only under the appearance of good.

TRUE GOOD AND ILLUSORY GOOD

Good is always encountered in the particular good.

Man/Woman can regard the true good as less valuable and prefer a lesser or illusory good, even though he knows in the depth of his conscience that it is only a transitory, and not real lasting good.

TRUE GOOD AND ILLUSORY GOOD

The reason is simply that the finite reason and will of man cannot grasp the infinite good fully and completely. Hence, man/woman

deceives him/herself.

EXERCISE

READ HOSEA 1-3 Meditate and mirror your entire life on earth with these passages and compose a prayer of forgiveness suitable for your state.

SECOND LESSON

CLASSIFICATION OF SINS

In the practical

judgment, everybody

knows that not all sins

are of the same gravity.

SECOND LESSON

Some sins are said to

bring about a radical

breaking with God and

loss of Divine favour.

Deut 27:15-26, Ez 18:10-

18, Lev 18:6-23

THE IDEA OF

CLASSIFICATION OF SINS

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

SECOND LESSON

Some sins that receive a

mild judgement that can

be atoned for by rules of

purification or good

work. Lev. 4: 1-end.

THE IDEA OF

CLASSIFICATION OF SINS

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

SECOND LESSON

Serious sins which

deserves death. Rom

1:28-32, 1Jn 3:14f.

Sins that deprive one

heaven. 1Cor 6:9f. Gal

5: 19-21, Eph 5:3-5,

Rev.22:15.

CLASSIFICATION OF SINS

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

SECOND LESSON CLASSIFICATION OF SINS

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Sin against the Holy

Spirit Mk 3:29.

Mortal sin (hardening of

the heart and refusal of

faith) 1 Jn 5: 16f.

Sin unto death and sin

not unto death 1Jn 5:17.

SECOND LESSON MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN

From the old and New

Testament we can boldly

classify sin into mortal and

venial sin.

The Council of Trent declares

that all mortal sins must be

confessed, because those who

are guilty of such sins are

“children of wrath”. (Eph. 2:3).

(DS 1650).

SECOND LESSON MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN

Venial sins do not

destroy the state

of grace. (DS

1537)

Note: DS=Denzinger

Schonmetzer

SECOND LESSON SUMMARY

We commit a mortal sin when we

transgress God’s law in an

important matter with full

advertence and with a wholly free

will.

We commit a venial sin.

1. When we transgress God’s law in a

small thing.

2. When we transgress God’s law in

an important thing, but without full

knowledge or without full freedom

of the will.

SECOND LESSON THE SINS THAT AFFECT THE

CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE MOST

The sins that

affect the life of

contemplation the

most are called

internal sins.

SECOND LESSON THE SINS THAT AFFECT THE

CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE MOST

We can group them into four

parts:

• Mental complacency in sinful

imagination.

• Sinful joy in an accomplished

evil deed, be it one’s own or

another person’s sin and sinful

regret of not having performed

an evil deeds.

SECOND LESSON THE SINS THAT

AFFECT THE

CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE

MOST

Evil Desires

Prejudice or bias

SECOND LESSON MENTAL COMPLACENCY

Mental complacency in sinful

imaginations takes pleasure

in sinful fantasies and

thought without the desire

to bring them into act.

This is different from

“intellectual preoccupation”

Eg. Duty of physician,

counsellor or confessor.

SECOND LESSON SINFUL JOY/ SINFUL

REGRET

Sinful joy in an

accomplished evil deed, be

it one’s own or another

person’s sin, and sinful

regret of not having

performed an evil deeds are

sinful themselves.

SECOND LESSON

EVIL DESIRE

Evil desire is

the wish to

perform a

sinful action.

SECOND LESSON PREJUDICE OR BIAS

This is the tendency to

eliminate from one’s

consideration and

decision data which

are perceived to be a

potential threat to

one’s well-being.

SECOND LESSON PREJUDICE OR BIAS

We have individual bias and

group bias.

The Effects of bias

Racism

Imperialism

Sexism

Unjust Social

Structure

SECOND LESSON THE CAPITAL SINS

They are the root of

many other sins.

They are: pride,

avarice, envy, lust,

gluttony, sloth and

anger.

SECOND LESSON PRIDE OR VAINGLORY

It is inordinate

desire of honour,

distinction and

independence. It is

opposed to the

virtue of humility.

SECOND LESSON AVARICE

It is the inordinate

pursuit of material

goods and is

contrary to the

virtue of liberality

and equity.

SECOND LESSON ENVY

It is discontent over the

good of one’s neighbour

which is considered as

a detriment to one’s

own person. It is

offense against

brotherhood and

magnanimity.

SECOND LESSON LUST

It is the

inordinate craving

for sexual

gratification and

is against the

virtue of chastity.

SECOND LESSON GLUTTONY

It is excessive

enjoyment of food

and drink, the

opposite virtues are

temperance and

sobriety.

SECOND LESSON ANGER

It is the intemperate

outburst of dislike

with the inordinate

desire for another’s

punishment. It is

contrary to patience

and meekness.

SECOND LESSON SLOTH

Sloth in the wider sense is

laziness and is opposed to

diligence.

In the narrower sense, it

means spiritual sloth, a turning

away from spiritual things

because of the effort which

they require. It contradicts the

virtues of piety and love of

God.

NOTE

“The mental pleasure in

good deeds, the joy at

the good done (by

oneself or others), and

the desire to imitate and

to do the good are ways

to engraft the good in

one’s heart.”

THIRD LESSON

THE JOURNEY TO TRUE

FREEDOM

Sin in its multiform appearance

is frightful, threatening reality.

Its vanquishing seems an

insurmountable task.

But our hope of victory has

become a reality in Jesus Christ.

The freedom of man

is centred on man

as rational being

and man’s dignity as

a person.

Man’s Freedom

God created man a

rational being,

conferring on him the

dignity of a person who

can initiate and control

his own action.[CCC

1730]

Man’s Freedom

God willed that man should

be left in the hand of his

own counsel, so that he

might of his own accord

seek his creator and freely

attain his full and blessed

perfection by cleaving to

him. [GS 17]

Man’s Freedom

Freedom is the

power rooted in

reason and will to

perform deliberate

action on one’s own

responsibility.

What is

Freedom?

Human freedom is a

force for growth and

maturity in truth and

goodness – It attains its

perfection when directed

towards God our

happiness.

What is

Freedom?

The more one does what

is good, the freer one

becomes.

There is no true

freedom except in the

service of what is good

and just.

What is

Freedom?

The choice to

disobey and do evil

is an abuse of

freedom and leads

to “the slavery of

sin”.

What is

Freedom?

Conversion.

Knowledge of the

Good or good/Being

or being.

Grace.

Virtue.

FOUR STEPS TO TRUE

FREEDOM

A call to conversion is

a joyful message to

the sinner.

• It is an invitation to

return to the home of

his Father.

CONVERSION

• Conversion is the

means for recovery from

the sickness of sin.

• Conversion is the way

to salvation. Repent, for

the kingdom of God is

at hand (Mt 4:17).

CONVERSION

Fasting: 1 Sam 7:6, 2 Sam

12:6, Jonah3:7

Wearing of Sackcloth and

sitting in ashes: 2Kg 19:1-

end, Is 22:12, Is 58:5, Jonah

3:5-8.

Washings: Nu 8:7, Nu 19:7-

10.

External Sign of Conversion

in the Old Testament

God delight in the sincerity of

heart. Ps 51:6

The wedding garment as

internal conversion. Mt 22:11-13.

Penitent woman: Lk 7:36-50

Conversion of Zaccaeus: Lk

19:5-9.

The Prophet Revealed the

Incompleteness of External

Conversion and Called us for

Internal Conversion

True conversion is

achieved when the

external sign of

conversion is a

manifestation of a

broken heart of

internal conversion

NOTE:

Repentance of past evil

deeds.

Reconciliation and

forgiveness.

Journey from Human will to

the will of God.

Dying and Rising to New

man.

Concrete actions in the

Journey to True Conversion

Returning to the

Father

Lk 15:11-24,

Dan 9:4-19

REPENTANCE OF

PAST EVIL DEEDS

Reconcile and forgive

yourself with yourself.

Reconcile and forgive

yourself with one

another.

Reconcile and forgive

yourself with God.

RECONCILIATION AND

FORGIVENESS

Knowledge of the evil of

human will.

Knowledge of the freedom

and sweetness of the Divine

will.

1st . God

2nd

. Other Order of Preference.

3rd

.Oneself

JOURNEY FROM HUMAN

WILL TO THE WILL OF GOD

Fear of doing ones

will.

Dying to ones will.

Leaving/surviving

only on the will of

God.

JOURNEY FROM HUMAN

WILL TO THE WILL OF GOD

Dying is humility.

Dying is to be crushed, to be

trampled underfoot, to be

nurtured and to be purified.

Dying is to overcome the

weakness of cultural

influence, temperament and

strong evil habit.

Rising to New man is to

become another Christ.

DYING AND RISING TO NEW MAN

FOURTH LESSON

KNOWLEDGE OF THE

GOOD/BEING

“Teacher, what Good

must I do…?”. [Mt

19:16-21]

THREE MAJOR

DIVISION OF BEING

THE BEING WHICH HAS NO

BEGINNING AND NO END;

NAMELY – GOD.

THE BEING WHICH HAS

BEGINNING AND NO END;

NAMELY – ANGELS AND SOULS.

THE BEING WHICH HAS

BEGINNING AND END; NAMELY –

ANIMAL/MAN, MATTER, ETC.

THE CREATURE CALLED MAN

In the beginning, God created man in

His own image…male and female He

created them.

In creating man, male and female,

God created a being inwardly

capable of receiving our Lord’s own

divine life.

God cannot become incarnate in a

pig or cow or ape because these

creatures of His are not inwardly

capable of being divinized.

The divine image is present in every

man.

THE COMPOSITION

OF MAN

Man, though made of

body and soul is a

unity.

Hence, man is a

composite of body

and soul.

THE BODY

The body sums up in man all the

element of the material world.

Man attains perfection in the

struggle of the body.

In body, we give a fitting praise

to God.

Hence, we are obliged to regard

our body as good and to hold it in

honour since God has created it

and will raise it up on the last

day.

THE BODY

Again, man has been

wounded by sin and he finds

by experience that his body

is in revolt.

Now, his very dignity

requires that he should

glorify God in his body; and

not allow it to serve the evil

inclinations of his heart.

GS. 14

THE SOUL

The soul is the principle of life in

a being.

In sacred scripture, the term

soul often refers to human life or

the entire human person. Gen. 2:7,

Mt 16:25-26, Jn 15:13, Acts 2:41.

The soul is the innermost aspect

of man, that which is of greatest

value in him, that by which he is

most especially in God’s image.

CCC 363.

THE SOUL

Sometimes the soul is

distinguished from the

spirit. 1Thes 5:23.

The church teaches that

this distinction does not

introduce a duality into the

soul.

[CCC 367, Cf. Council of

Constantinople IV]

THE SOUL AS FORM OF

THE BODY

The unity of soul and body is so

profound that one has to consider

the soul to be the form of the body.

This means that it is because of its

spiritual soul that the body made

of matter becomes a living human

body.

Note: Spirit and matter in man are

not two natures united, but rather

their union form a single nature.

CCC 365

THREE KINDS OF

HUMAN DIGNITY

Dignity as being

created by God.

Dignity as intellectual /

free being.

Dignity as a child of

God.

THE ULTIMATE

PURPOSE

Since the origin of man is in

God, man has also in God his

ultimate purpose.

Man is created for God’s

glory. Is 43:7, Is 42:12, Jer

13:16, Mal 2:2.

Man is created for fellowship

with God. Ps 84:10

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

Man is created for the

Glorification of the Father

in Heaven. Jn 8:49, Jn

15:8, Lk 2:14, 1Cor 10:31,

Eph 1:12, Col 3:17.

The Church join all men in

this act of Glorifying God.

Phil 4:20, Eph 3:20, 1 Tim

1:17, Jude 1:25.

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

God created man for the

Kingdom. Mt 13:44-46, Mt

22:1-14, Mt 25:1-12, Lk

11:2.

God create man a sojourn

(Strangers and pilgrims

here on earth). 2 Cor 5:8,

Phi 3:20, Heb 11:13-16, Col

1:15-20.

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

The city of man is

the New Jerusalem.

Rev. 21:2-10,

2Pet3:12

The New city is

here and within us.

EXERCISE

Open your bible and

identify at least 3 places

where the scripture

speaks about the

kingdom within or the

kingdom here and now.

Write down the

quotations.

FIFTH LESSON

KNOWLEDGE OF THE

BEING/GOOD

THE FREE CHIOCE OF

MAN

THE FREE CHOICE OF MAN

A central truth of Christian

revelation is that human person

created in the image and likeness

of God has the power of free

choice.

In order to create a being to

whom he could give his own life,

God created persons (Angels and

humans) who has the power to

make or break their lives by their

own free choice.

THE FREE CHOICE

OF MAN

Persons are of themselves

in their own power or

dominion.

The reality of free choice

so central to the biblical

understanding of man is

stated in Sir 15:11-20.

HUMAN ACT / ACT OF MAN

Human acts (actus humani) are

actions that proceed from insight

into the nature and purpose of

one’s doing and from the consent

of free will.

Human acts are acts which

proceed from insight and free

will.

Acts of man (Actus homonis) are

acts performed without the

intervention intellect and free will.

HUMAN ACT / ACT OF MAN

Acts of man is mere what

happened to a person.

Hence, human action is the

adoption of choice of some

intelligible proposal and the

execution of this choice through

some exterior acts.

I become an adulterer when I look

at a woman with lust, when I

adopt by choice the proposal to

commit the act. Mt 5:28.

IN FREE CHOICE WE BECOME OUR

OWN PARENTS AND IN CERTAIN

WAY CREATE OURSELVES

All things subject to change and

becoming never remain constant, but

continually pass from our own state

to another, for better or worse…

Now, human life is always subject to

change; it needs to be born ever

anew… But here birth does not come

about by foreign intervention, as with

the case with bodily beings… It is

the result of free choice.

IN FREE CHOICE WE BECOME

OUR OWN PARENTS AND IN

CERTAIN WAY CREATE

OURSELVES

Thus, we in certain way are

our own parents creating

ourselves as we will, by our

decisions.

[Cited in V.S 71, but from St.

Gregory of Nyssa: De vita

Moysis, II; 2-3]

ST. THOMAS ON FREE

CHOICE

St. Thomas put the matter: It

is only through free choice

that human persons are

masters of their own actions

and in this way beings made

in the image and likeness of

God.

[Summa Theologiae: 1-2 prologue.]

POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II ON

FREE CHOICE

St. Pope John Paul II posits that,

“Freedom is not only the choice of

one or another particular action;

it is also within that choice a

decision about oneself and a

setting of one’s own life for or

against the Good, for or against

the Truth, and ultimately for or

against God”.

[Veritatis Splendor, no. 65]

FREEDOM OF THE WILL IN

THE HOLY SCRIPTURE

OLD TESTAMENT:

God created man in freedom. Sir

15:14f,

Man has the freedom of choosing

from Good and evil. Deut. 30:15-

20.

God warns man not to abuse the

freedom. Is 1:19f; Jer. 11:6-8; Ez

18:21-28.

FREEDOM OF THE WILL IN

THE HOLY SCRIPTURE

NEW TESTAMENT:

Jesus wept for the abuse of

freedom. Mt 23:37.

Man will reap the fruit of his

freedom. Mt 16:24; Mt 25: 31-

46.

Man will be judged according

to his deeds. 2 Cor 5:10, Gal

6:7f

FREEDOM AND MORALITY

Freedom makes man a moral

subject.

THE SOURCE OF MORALITY

The morality of human acts

depends on:

The Object

The end in view or intension.

The circumstances of the

action.

FREEDOM AND MORALITY

The Object of the human act is

that effect which an action

primarily and directly causes. (finis

operis).

The circumstances are particulars

of the concrete human act which

are not necessarily connected

with its objects.

The end of the purpose (finis

operatis) is the reason for which

the agent undertake an act.

THE DIGNITY OF THE INTELLECT,

OF TRUTH, AND OF WISDOM

Man, as sharing in the light of the

divine mind, rightly affirms that by his

intellect he surpasses the world of

mere things.

The Testimony of Science and

discovery proof this fact.

The intellectual nature of man finds at

last its perfection, as it should, in

wisdom.

Wisdom gently draws the human mind

to look for and to love what is true

and good.

THE DIGNITY FO THE INTELLECT,

OF TRUTH, AND OF WISDOM

Filled with wisdom man is

led through visible realities

to those which cannot be

seen.

Hence, it is by the gift of the

Holy Spirit that man through

faith come to contemplate

and savour the mystery of

God’s design.

EXERCISE

Recall a situation in your life,

where you are not free to do

what you want.

What parts of your being suffers

most during those times your

freedom is restricted.

Is it possible to avert this pain?

Share your life story with your

best friend here.

Listen to his/her Admonition.

SIXTH LESSON

KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOOD/BEING

CONSCIENCE

Conscience is the judgement of

reason whereby the human

person recognises the moral

quality of a concrete act that he

is going to perform, is in process

of performing. CCC 1778.

CONSCIENCE

Following Aquinas, conscience is

not a habitus, that is, a lasting

ontic quality of man.

Conscience is Actus, an event in

execution.

Conscience can be regarded as

anamnesis or synderesis in the

ancient and scholastic era.

Anamnesis (synderesis) is

described as an inner repugnance

to evil and attraction to the good.

THREE ACTS OF

THE CONSCIENCE

RECOGNISING

BEARING WITNESS

JUDGING

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND

CONSCIENCE

OLD TESTAMENT

The word conscience, in Greek

syneidesis, is of Hellenistic

origin.

The word conscience did not

occur in the Old Testament

except for Wisdom 17:11.

The reality of conscience is

known and felt in many ways.

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND

CONSCIENCE

Conscience denotes as mind or

heart: Ps 26:2, Jer 11:20, Jer

17:10, Jer 20:12, Gen 20:5, Ps

7:10, Ps 24:4, Jer 17:1, Jer 31:32.

The phenomenon of the

conscience which condemns man

after sin: Gen 3:7-10, Gen 4:9-14,

2 Sam 24:10.

Conscience which praises man

for his justice: Job 27:6, Ps 17:3.

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND

CONSCIENCE

NEW TESTAMENT:

Conscience is the light in man:

Mt 6:23, Lk 11:36.

Conscience as heart that

condemns or reassures a person:

1Jn 3:19-21.

St. Paul borrows the Greek word

(syneidesis): 2Cor 4:2, 2Cor 5:11,

Rom 13:5.

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND CONSCIENCE

Conscience as witness: Rom

2:15, Rom 9:1, 2Cor 1:12, 1Cor

8:7-13, Cf. 1Cor 10:23-30.

The phenomenon of the

conscience which condemns

man after sin: Gen 3:7-10, Gen

4:9-14, 2 Sam 24:10.

Conscience which praises

man for his justice: Job 27:6,

Ps 17:3.

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND

CONSCIENCE

Conscience as accessory

and defending thought: 2Cor

1:12, Rom 2:15.

Pure conscience: Acts

24:16, 1Tim 3:9, 2Tim 1:3.

Good conscience: Acts 23:1.

Corrupt conscience: Tit

1:15.

THE GOAL OF THIS

LESSON ON CONSCIENCE

The aim of this formation of

conscience is to awake:

Love that issues from pure

heart,

Love that issues from good

conscience.

Love that issues from sincere

faith.

1Tim 1:5, Cf. 1Tim 1:8f, 1Tim 3:9

CONSCIENCE REVEALS THE

NATURAL LAW

Deep within his conscience, man

discovers a law which he has not

laid upon himself but which he

must obey.

Its voice ever calling him to love

and to do what is good and to

avoid evil.

His dignity lies in observing this

law and through it he will be

judged. GS 16

CONSCIENCE IS THE INNER

SANCTUARY OF MAN

Conscience is man’s most

sacred core and his sanctuary.

There he is alone with God

whose voice echoes in his

depth.

The more a correct conscience

prevails, the more do persons

and groups turn aside from

blind choice.