SCHOOLYEAR: 2021- 2022 THIRD QUARTER: MODULE 4

SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION 9 “WE ARE FULLY ALIVE IN

CHRIST’S LAW OF LOVE”
TERMINOLOGIES law- this is an ordinance of reason, promulgated by competent authority for the sake of the
common good.
law of Moses, law of the Covenant – this is the first stage of the revealed Law which its moral
instructions summed up in the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments
moral law – it is given to people as a rule of conduct that leads them to the beatitude or
happiness that God promises them

REFERENCES: Live Your Faith Everyday Series in Responsible Freedom in Christ

Phoenix Publishing House
Efren Jone J. Oleden

INTRODUCTION: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you
(falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus, they
persecuted to prophets who were before you.

STANDARDS: At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Understand Christ’s New Law of Love
Appreciate the gifts of Christ
Explain the importance of the Church Teachings and the New Law of Love

TRANSFER: In the end of this module, students will be able to appreciate and abide God’s loving law.

TARGET PVMGO/ SCHOOL’S VISION and RESPONSIBLE

CORE VALUE: Gives purpose to our existence as a Catholic School and promotes active cooperation to every
people in the community to develop the sense of belongingness and solidarity.

ACTIVITY 1: Answer the following questions in not more than 7 sentences.

1. In your own words, what is the meaning and significance of Christ’s New Law of Love?
2. If you are to promote the values of Beatitudes, what will you do to make our modern world
closer to the Kingdom of God?
3. What will you tell God about His gift of the New Law of the Gospel or Law of Love? What
will you do in return?

DISCUSSION/SUMMARY

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

The biblical passage from the Gospel of Matthew declares the liberating power of the New Law, or the Law of the Gospel
or Good News, proclaimed by Christ in His Sermon on the Mount.
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and
he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted. Blessed are the meek, or they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will
see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – Mt 5:1 – 12

THE NEW LAW OR THE LAW OF THE GOSPEL

CCC further elaborates on the meaning of the Beatitudes, or the Law of the Gospel or Good News:
1. The New Law, or the Law of the Gospel, expressed by Christ in His Sermon of the Mount (cf. Mt5-7), is the perfection
of the divine law here on Earth in and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, making it an Interior Law of charity.
2. It “fulfills”, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection (cf. Mt. 5:17 – 19), which is shown in the Beatitudes as
the fulfillment of the Divine promises by inviting to the Kingdom of God the poor, the humble, the afflicted, the pure
heart, those persecuted on account of Christ, marking out the surprising ways of the Kingdom.
3. It fulfills the commandments of the Old Law (e.g., Ten Commandments), not abolishing or devaluing the moral
prescriptions of the Old Law, by proceeding to reform the heart where faith, hope, and charity are formed and with them
the other virtues, and moving people to imitate the divine generosity of the Heavenly Father through forgiveness of
enemies and prayer for persecutors.
4. If the Old Law (of Moses) is summed up in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, the New Law is summed up in
Christ’s greatest Commandments: to love God with all of one’s heart, one’s soul, and one’s mind; and to love one’s
neighbor as oneself (cf. Mt. 22:37 – 40).
5. The New Law is called the following:

Teacher: Abigail F. Gumabay / 09752436791 | Page 1

 a. A law of love, because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear;
b. A law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the Sacraments;
c. A law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observance of the Old Law, inclines us to act
spontaneously by the prompting of charity; and
d. A such, it elevates our condition from “servants”, who “do not know what their master is doing”, to that of “friends”
of Christ, when He said, “For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15), and even to
the status of child of God and heir of the Kingdom (cf. Jas 1:25; Jas 2:12; Gal 4:1-7, 21-31, Rom 8:15).

LAW IN SCRIPTURE
CFC expounds on the following points:
1. When asked which commandment in the Old Law is the greatest, Christ replied in saying, “You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two
commandments” (Mt 22:37-40). This brings together two well – known precepts of the Old Testament (cf. Dt 6:5; Lev
19:18) in a fresh manner.
2. Christ’s Great Commandments reflect progress for the following reasons:
 He brought the inner bond between love of God and love of neighbor, expressing that both are absolutely
inseparable (cf. 1 Jn 4:7 – 21; 5:2; 13:34, 1 Jn 4:7-21).
 He exemplified loving God with all of one’s heart, one’s soul, and one’s strength or might (cf. Dt 6:5) in His life
and teachings. For instance, in His triple temptation in the desert, Christ first refused to satisfy His own basic needs
in view of an undivided heart for God’s word; in refusing divine intervention, He then risked His soul for God,
exhibiting total dependence on Him; and ignoring all enticements of the devil, Jesus committed all His strength to
God alone (cf. Mt 4:1 – 11).
 He gave a radically new interpretation to “neighbor” by talking about everyone: (a) those in need, as taught by the
parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:30 – 37); (b) even our enemies (cf. Mt 5:44); and (c) going as far as
identifying Himself with everyone, when He said, “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers you did it for
me” (cf. Mt 25:40)
 He summed up the whole Law of Moses and the prophets of Old to this: love of God and love of neighbor,
because the Law of Love is at the heart of each of the Commandments, the source of their value and obligation. For
example, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not kill,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet”, and
whatever other Commandments there may be are summed up in the instruction, “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself,” for “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:9 – 10).
3. To love both God and neighbor is empowering, because
 God’s own love “has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5)
 Christ gave His own command out of love, when He said, “This is my commandment: love one another as I have
loved you” (Jn 15:12).
 Christ overcame the greatest weakness of the Old Law, which is showing people what sin was, without
empowering them to avoid it.
4. Christ’s Law of Love is liberating, for to be conformed to the law of Christ, is to know freedom through the Holy
Spirit.
 It carries the commands of the law beyond the mere external moral behavior, and beyond even a sense of
obligation.
 It touches the spirit of the law, rather than the letter of the law.
 It leads to a change of heart, from which a change in behavior will follow.
 It facilitates a self- giving openness to God and to others, making all the Commandments easy to accept, and
changing them from a constricting chain into a force which liberates our true selves.
5. As we abide by Christ’s Great Commandments, faith then becomes alive because of our active loving like that of
Christ, a participation in God’s own love which comes to us through His Son; thus, love is the summary of the whole law
because it is the reflection of God’s very being in our human loving. As it is said, “Beloved, let us love one another
because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God” (1 Jn 4:7-8)
6. This “new basis” for moral life is graphically portrayed in Christ’s poetic sketch of those “blessed”, the Beatitudes,
which oppose the ways of the world (cf. 1 Cor 1:20) such as materialism, the cult of wealth, the lust for power, ruthless
competition, the ethic of success. In God’s Kingdom, these values are reversed.
7. In the Beatitudes, Christ described those who are truly happy in the kingdom of God:
 Instead of sensory satisfaction and many possessions, detachment (or poverty of spirit), meekness, and
compassion bring us true happiness;
 Instead of completely self-centered activities, thirsting for justice for all and merciful forgiveness offer authentic
human interpersonal relationships;
 Instead of withdrawing from the problems and concerns in the world to seek contemplation, those who are single
– minded or clean of heart, and who work for peace among all, will find God; and
 Such lives will undoubtedly bringing trials and persecutions because of our sinful selves and the world; but it is
the life of faith, hope, and love that makes us disciples of Christ.

There are people who generally do not like rules and laws because in their view these only restrict their actions and
desires. These people usually say, “What are rules for in the first place? They only tell us which things are allowed and
which are not, right? Who would want something that prohibits the things that we want to do, or compels us to do
something that we do not want?” No wonder, movies or songs that contain themes on rebellion or freedom are very
appealing to young people. These simply express for them their general sentiment toward rules and laws.

Teacher: Abigail F. Gumabay / 09752436791 | Page 2

 Usually, we hate having to follow rules, especially when they restrict and prevent us from doing things that we want.
However, when the following statements come across our awareness, they are sure to bring us profound satisfaction,
making us find hope and celebrate the goodness in humanity.
“We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. – 2 nd Paragraph, Declaration of
Independence, United States of America, 1776. “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due
process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.” – Section 1, Arcticle III, Bill of Rights,
The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: Thus, not all precepts of laws elicit negative rections from
people. There are some that bring optimism, vitality, and freedom.
The same can be said about the New Law, expressed by Christ in His Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7). Reading the
Beatitudes initially does not make us think that we are exploring a law. Rather, it appears first as a declaration of the good
news, unfortunate people – namely, the poor, the humble, the afflicted, the pure of heart, those persecuted on account of
goodness. On a second look, we begin to realize that it actually sets a guideline foe people who are considered “blessed”
or truly happy in the Kingdom of God. If we want to be blessed or happy ourselves, we only need to follow what the
Beatitudes tells us to do. Therefore, it is a law of sorts, but it is the kind that inspires people.
CCC 1966-1972 explains that the New Law of the Gospel or Good News is the perfection of the Divine Law here
on earth, in and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, making it an interior Law of Charity or love. Because of this, it
“fulfills”, refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law (of Moses) to its perfection (cf. Mt 5:17-19). Revealed in excitement
of the good news and driven in the spirit of charity or love, this fresh renewal is portrayed in the Beatitudes as the
fulfillment of the divine promises by inviting to the Kingdom of God the poor, the humble, the afflicted, the pure of heart,
those persecuted on the account of Christ, marking out the surpassing ways of the Kingdom. It does not, however, mean
abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law; instead, it fulfills the commandments of the Old Law
(e.g., the Ten Commandments) by proceeding to reform the heart where faith, hope and charity are formed and with them
the other virtues, and moving people to imitate the divine generosity of the Heavenly Father through forgiveness of
enemies and prayer for prosecutors. If the Old Law is summed up in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, the New Law
is summed up in Christ’s greatest commandments; to love God with all one’s heart, one’s soul, and one’s mind; and to
love one’s neighbor as oneself (cf. Mt 22:37-40).
In CFC 812-823, when asked which commandment in the Old Law is the greatest, Christ replied by saying, “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the
first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets
depend on these two commandments.” (Mt 22:37-40). This brings together two well- known precepts of the Old
Testaments (Dt 6:5 and Lev 19:18) in a fresh manner. As explained earlier, Christ’s Great Commandments reflect
progress and are both empowering and liberating. As such in CCC 1965- 1972, the New Law is called a law of love
because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear. It is a law of grace because it
confers strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the Sacraments. It is a law of freedom because it sets us free from
the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, and it inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity. It
elevates our condition from “servants”, who “do not know what their master is doing,” to that of “friends” of Christ, when
He said, “For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn 15:15), and even to the status of child
of God and heir of the Kingdom (cf. Jas 1:25; Jas 2:12; Gal 4:1-7, 21-31; Rom 8:15). What could be more inspiring and
empowering than this?
Again, according to CFC 812-823, this “new basis” for moral life is graphically portrayed in Christ’s poetic
sketch of those “blessed”, the Beatitudes, that oppose the ways of the world (Cf 1 Cor 1:20) such as materialism, the cult
of wealth, the lust of power, ruthless competition, the ethics of success; in God’s Kingdom, these values are reversed. In
the Beatitudes, Christ described those who are truly “happy” in the Kingdom of God. Instead of sensory satisfaction and
many possessions, detachment (or poverty of spirit), meekness, and compassion bring us true happiness. Instead of a
completely self – centered activity, thirsting for justice for all and merciful forgiveness offer authentic human
interpersonal relationships. Instead of withdrawing from the problems and concerns in the world to seek contemplation,
those who are single – minded or clean of heart and work for peace among all will find God. Life undoubtedly brings
trials and persecutions because of our sinful nature and the world; but it is the life driven by Christ’s Great
Commandments and guided by the Beatitudes that can make us true disciples of Christ.
As a result, out faith then is not some fossilized artifact that has been frozen in time. On the contrary, as we abide
by Christ’s Great Commandments and the Beatitudes, faith then becomes alive because of our active loving like that of
Christ, a participation in God’s own love which comes to us through His Son. Love, therefore, is the summary of the
whole law because it is the reflection of God’s very being in our human loving. As it is said, “Beloved, let us love one
another because love is God, everyone who live is begotten of God and has knowledge of God” (1 Jn 4:7-8). As such, the
values of prophetic witness to the Gospel values and faith shine out even more if we are to put out most importance of
Christ’s New Law of Love.

EVALUATION Think of an object that you can associate on Christ’s New Law of Love. Draw and explain why
you chose such object.
Example:

Red Apple – to symbolize the passion that each believer must have to be an effective witness of
the message of the Gospel.

Teacher: Abigail F. Gumabay / 09752436791 | Page 3