Struggling with Moral Evil: SIN

- - single greatest obstacle to authentic freedom

- - refusing God’s love revealed to us in moral law

- - rejecting the good our conscience directs us

Despite the difficulty of following Christ that our weaknesses, limitations and sin create us, we

realize . . . . .

CFC 1761 “ The primary reality for Christians is not human suffering and sin but God’s healing and forgiveness of sin”

SIN has an “I” in the middle.

Occasions of sins are moments when we fail to love others because we think only

of ourselves.

PAGKAMAKASARILI or SELF-

CENTEREDNESS

our pagkamakasarili touches us both the:

-Personal Level--Social Level

is at the heart of broken families, bullying and abusive name-calling, abusing own

sexuality, backbiting, academic dishonesty, etc.

PERSONAL LEVEL – when we are tempted

to act selfishly

SOCIAL LEVEL - when individualistic attitudes

and acts in society influence our actions

CFC 762 “ By being self-

centered, we ultimately

deceive and destroy our very selves.

The sad irony of sin is this:

ROM 6:23 “ The wages of sin is death”

- Following Christ means having an accurate “sense

of sin.”

- Saints are very much aware of their own sins

and self –centered tendencies.

DOWNPLAYING THE EXISTENCE and GRAVITY OF SIN

- Sometimes, we understand sin to be merely a stage in our personal growth, a sociological or statistical element in the process of self-becoming or simply as a bothersome guilty conscience. - “ Sin is part of growing up, growing up is good. We’re growing up. Therefore sin is good for us” Denies the reality that sin is evil.

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH SIN ANYWAY EVERYBODY’S

DOING IT?”- Thinking about sin “too little”- Some people view sin merely as a state of mind or act of thoughts that create feelings of guilt.

OVERSTRESSING THE EXISTENCE OF SIN

- Some people may overstress the power of sin to a pint that they lose hope in

God’s power to save them from sin.

EVIL - - is constantly publicized, good remains

hidden.Because of this, we fail to see the

immense capacity for doing good that

is actually operating in our

daily life.

SIN exists in the world not because of God but because we abuse our freedom

by choosing what is EVIL. The goodness of God never

ceases to work through persons, inspiring them to

exercise their freedom, in doing what is truly loving and

empowering them to follow the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior through whom salvation has become a reality now and

hereafter – already present but not yet fully complete.

God offers to all persons his constant and abundant mercy as well as the grace to ultimately triumph over

evil.

JESUS CHRIST and SIN- Fix our eyes on the crucifix to understand the extent and depth of human sinfulness as well as the depth and greatness of reconciling love.

- Looking at the image allows us to see “the evil and ugliness of sin and its power in creating poverty, disease, hunger, ignorance, corruption and death.” CFC 527

Christ’s death and Resurrection form the climax of a lifetime of calling all persons, through his

words and deeds, to turn away from sin and return to God’s loving

embrace.By healing those who were sick

(considered sinners during Jesus’ time) and forgiving the

sinners…Jesus showed us how sin

hinders us from truly loving God and others.

ORIGINAL SIN- -refers to both the sinful act commited by our first parents, Adam and Eve-- and the sinful state resulting from their sinful act

GENESIS 3 - - about Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge

of Good and Evil -- the first sin of humankind became the start of evil and condition of sinfulness we

experience even today

- - When we describe original sin as kasalanang mana, it does not mean

that from birth, we carry within ourselves the sinful act of our first parents like a “dark stain on our souls,” something received in a

biological way or inherited.What we have inherited is the sinful condition which was the

consequence of the first sinful act, a condition which we experience within ourselves and in our world.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM- - cleanses us from all sin,

gives us new life, and incorporates us into the

Church.- - water used in Baptism does not

physically wash away any black stain of original sin.

The water poured and used in Baptism symbolizes the new life brought by the

Holy Spirit who empowers both Baptized and the witnessing community to reject the lures of

sin and to support one another in following Christ.After Baptism, we remain in

this sinful world, “ our valley of tears.”

ORIGINAL SIN

The Sinful act of our first

parents described in Genesis 3

(ORIIGINATING SIN)

The sinful condition resulting from it

(kasalanang mana) which we experience

(ORIGINATED SIN)

Within ourselves(concupiscence

)

In the world (termed sin of the world,

Jn 1:29)

CONCUPISCENCE: Our Weakened State Within

St. Paul gave a clear description of concupiscence when he disclosed his

own inner spiritual condition in a letter to his friends in Rome.

Rom 7:15,17-24 “SIN OF DEATH”“What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I what I hate...”

Rom 7:15,17-24 “SIN OF DEATH”

Although we feel obliged by our consciences to do the good and avoid evil, like St. Paul we also experience

within ourselves an attraction to sin.

In our hearts, we “delight in the law of God,” but , at the same time, we also

have an inclination toward sin.

CONCUPISCENE refers to the disorder of our natural desires that attracts as to

sin.

- - It forms an inner obstacle to the authentic exercise of our

freedom

- - It is not a free moral choice, hence, it is not a sin

in itself.

Blessed Virgin Mary was “preserved immune from all stains of original sin.” This is why we venerate Mary as

“Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.” God the father chose Mary to take part in His plan to save our

sinful world in and through Jesus Christ.

Mary – is the living proof of the creative powers of the redeeming grace of the Jesus

Christ in which we all share.

Mary did not experience the inner disorder and attraction to sin that we do nor was she an influence

for others to sin. This was because Mary experienced in her person the fullness of God’s redemptive grace.

“The Sin of the World” - it refers to the effects of the first sinful act which not only disturbed the inner disposition of the first humans, but also affected their prosperity at all levels of

human relationships.

- -LEVELS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIP- -

FRIENDS RELATIVES

IMMEDIATE COMMUNITYSOCIETIES

NATION

“The Sin of the World” Gn 4:1-16

- -The sinful act of Adam and Eve paved the way for Cain’s jealousy and the murder of his own brother

Gn 6-9- -The sin of Cain grew to become the sinfulness of Noah’s

people

Gn 11:1-9--The pride of the people of the Tower Babel brought about the spread of sin to all nations

Sin narrative enlighten our understanding of the reality of sin.

WAYS WHEN WE EXPERIENCE SIN OF THE WORLD

*When personal sin influences others

*When sin attacks the dignity of human person

*When sin alienate groups

*When sin creates unjust social structures

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL SINPERSONAL SIN results when we freely

choose to give in to our self-centered tendencies.

- evil inclinations (dis-values) are called capital/root sins.

•Lust•Anger

•Gluttony•Envey•Pride•Sloth

•Covelousness

SOCIAL SIN refers to negative moral attitudes and acts or failure to act which run counter to the common good.

Example: *Discrimination* Indifference*Materialism*Commercialism

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Original sin means “everybody’s need to forgiveness and for

Christ” (CFC 376)

“GOD SAVES US”

*Jesus Christ, Sacrament of God’s Reconciliation

Jn .9:1-39 Man blind from birth Jn .4:4-42 Samaritan woman

Lk. 19:1-10 Tax collector

Lk. 15:11-32 Jesus revealed to us that God is a loving; Forgiving Father, one who runs to meet and accept his wayward son back into his home at the first sign of repentance.

BY DYING ON THE CROSS AND RISING TO A NEW LIFE CHRIST:

1. Loved to the fullest (CF Jn 15:12)

2. Empowers us to transcend our sinful tendencies by sending his spirit of love (CFC 573)

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you... Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose

sins you retain are retained ” (Jn 20:21-23)

RECONCILATION: A Misunderstood Sacrament

- celebrates the love of God who calls us to rebuild our broken relationship with him, with one another, and with ourselves.

“WHY DO I HAVE TO CONFESS MY SINS TO A PRIEST?”

“WHY CAN’T I CONFESS DIRECTLY TO GOD?”

* Erroneous Notions about the Sacrament’s Meaning*

- The disillusionment with the sacrament arises from the fact that

some who receive it still repeatedly fall into the same sins over and over

again.

- It seems as though the Sacrament of Reconciliation has no observable

effects.

2. As embodied persons, we need to “express” our sorrow for our sins and

purpose of amendment and “hear” that we have been forgiven.

1. It is important to realize the words and actions involved in the act of confessing to a

Priest are “sacramental.”- it seems as though the Sacrament of

Reconcilation has no observable effects.

3. Not just a “GOD and Me” - remember that it is not only our

relationship with God that is hurt when we sin but also our relationship with one

another.

CFC 1776 “The Church herself needs to be both forgiven and

forgiving, reconciled and reconciling.”

4. A renewed understanding of the Sacrament of

Reconciliation puts emphasis on our need for “constant, ongoing conversation”, for depending our sorrow for sins and especially our purpose of

amendment. -true reconciliation entails reparation for the sins

of firm resolve to become truly loving person.

* Correct the misconception that the confession box is like a “shower room”

where our own sins get washed away so we are free to allow in sin.*

MORALS

Following Christ involves confronting the reality of sin in our lives, both

personal and social. In the light of our relationship with God, others, and

ourselves, sin is our rejection of Christ’s call to love, hindering our moral growth,

and damaging our most basic relationships.

SUMMARY

1. Following Christ involves developing a “Christian sense of sin.” We need to guard ourselves from downplaying the existence and real evil of sin, or on the other hand,

overstressing sin.

2. Christ’s rejection of sin and unceasing offer of reconciliation communicate to us our need to be aware of how sin works

within us as well as among our relationships.

3. ORIGINAL SIN refers to both the sinful act committed by our first parents , whom we know from the Bible as Adam and Eve

(originating sin) and the sinful state or condition resulting from their sinful act: concupiscence, our interior disordered

drives that attract toward sin, and “sin of the world,” the situation of sinfulness in the

world in all its basic relationships.