At-Home Lesson#7

Part 3. Unique and Infinitely Valuable: THE HUMAN PERSON

Topic 1: The Dignity of the Human Person [1]

Behind DOCAT

We spend a lot of time talking about groups of people—different communities, age groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, the poor, the sick, etc. But we can’t forget that these groups are made up of individual persons. Most importantly, each individual person is made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore each person has equal, inviolable dignity. The dignity of the human person is the basis for all of the Church’s social teaching. All of the rights, freedoms, and responsibilities of the human person are rooted in that God-given dignity.

Read DOCAT

Read the content under DOCAT# 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62 (numbers in blue circle) from DOCAT p.60~p.70. [2]

What Does DOCAT Say?

1. According to DOCAT#51, what are the two dimensions of every sin?

2. What does the Church mean by the unity of the human person?

3. What is the goal or purpose of man’s freedom?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

What Does the Bible Say?

1. Read 1 John 3:1-2. According to 1 John 3:1-2, what makes us children of God?

2. Read 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. What does 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 teach us about how we should treat ourselves and others?

3. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12. What do you think St. Paul is saying about freedom? What kinds of things might be “lawful” but not “helpful”?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

DO Reflect

A lot of pop psychology focuses on “finding yourself.” To find myself, I need to understand my emotions and motivations, accept myself for who I am, live up to my full potential, and so on. Do you see a theme here? It’s all “me, me, me!”

The Church offers a different approach to fulfillment, and it’s something we can’t accomplish all alone. It’s all about loving one another as God has loved us. Vatican Il’s Gaudium et Spes says that the “likeness between the union of the divine Persons, and the unity of God’s sons in truth and charity. . . reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth that God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (no. 24). God is a Trinity of Persons, a community of love. Since we are created in his image and likeness, we cannot find fulfillment without learning to give ourselves to others in love.

1. Do you think that understanding our identity as children of God is an important step to loving others? Why or why not?

2. Does being in community lead us closer to ourselves? What does it mean to be closer to yourself?

3. Think of all the communities of which you are a part. What principle of unity unites you with each of these communities? How does each community help shape you into who you are?

Answer the above reflection questions [Click Here]

DO Chat

1. Do you think that it is important to recognize and respect your own dignity before you can recognize and respect the dignity of others? Why or why not?

2. DOCAT#51 says, “To recognize and to name the sin is the first step in freeing oneself from it.” What does this mean? What does this look like practically?

3. In what ways (if any) are men and women the same? In what ways (if any) are they different?

4. If we do not train our conscience properly, it will not be a trustworthy guide for our choices. What are some ways a person might fail to train his or her conscience? What can you do to form your conscience well?

        Answer the above questions [Click Here]

DO Challenge

Reach Out:    Who do you know who might be feeling isolated or excluded? Find a way to reach out to them to acknowledge their dignity and help them find an experience of community.

Learn:    Choose one or two of the ways to form your conscience discussed in DO Chat no. 4 and work on forming your conscience this week.

References / Citations

[1] DOCAT Study Guide. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2016.

[2] DOCAT: What to do? The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2016.

[3] BibleGateway (online bible). https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Good-News-Translation-GNT-Bible/