Chapter 8 Journal

By: Dan Baxter

1.         A key idea which I wanted to remember from this chapter is the Sermon on the Mount.  I believe the Sermon is one of Jesus’ most important teachings because it sums all of them up and is when he fulfills the previous laws by adding to them and completing them.  I have also found through personal reflection that Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon are not always the natural response.  One example of this is to love your enemies.  That is certainly not a natural response.  Another is to turn the other cheek.  From personal reflection and the in class questionnaire I concluded that the natural reaction is to lash out in anger.  Jesus taught instead to accept it and not become angry.  He taught that “everyone who grows angry with his brother will be liable for judgment” and that a person must reconcile his anger with his brother before attending services. 

The questionnaire that we completed in class showed me that I am in fact not very Christ-like in my actions.  My initial responses are often the most natural ones.  For example, when I see a fight break out, more often than not I shrink back, too afraid to break it up as Christ would want.  I do not believe that my initial actions are inherently immoral because they are the natural reaction in the case.  I would say however that they are not exactly Christ-like.  The questionnaire about the Sermon on the Mount’s teachings has taught me that the natural reaction in fact is not the Christ-like reaction.

2.        

3.         A key idea from this section is that the principles of Jesus’ morality focused on love and forgiveness.  In O’Malley’s article, “The Moral Practice of Jesus,” he explains this.  The key to Jesus’ moral practice is the humility to admit one has done wrong, and to return to God just like in the story of the Prodigal Son.  Jesus taught that “the only requisite to unconditional amnesty [is] admitting one’s need for forgiveness.”  Despite this, if we have no inclination to apologize, Jesus does talk of punishment.  I hope to remember this because I believe it is central to Jesus’ teachings.  To remember the core of his teachings helps to integrate the rest of his teachings into my life.

Another key idea from this section is the five precepts of the Church.  They are:

1)                  To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation

2)                  To confess one’s sins at least once per year

3)                  To receive Eucharist at least during the Easter season

4)                  To observe days of fasting and abstinence set aside by the Church

5)                  To provide for needs of the Church according to one’s abilities

I wish to remember these five precepts of the Church because I believe they are keys to leading a Christian life.  They seem to me to be the most basic requirements of a Catholic.  I hope that if I can follow these I will become a better Christian because I know that now I do not follow them very well.  I routinely fail at four of these.  I hope that by remembering them I can help to integrate them into my life.

4.         What is the purpose of the Beatitudes?

            The purpose of the Beatitudes is to lead to perfection.  They fulfill the Ten Commandments.  When thinking of the Beatitudes I think of story of the rich man.  He asks Jesus, “What must I do to get into heaven.”  Jesus responds by telling him to follow the Commandments.  The rich man proclaims that he already does this and asks what more he can do.  Jesus responds by telling him to give up everything and follow him.  This is similar to the Beatitudes.  We need to follow Ten Commandments to get into heaven but in order to achieve perfection we must live the Beatitudes.