Let us remember

that we are in the

most holy presence
of God.
In the name of the
Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen!
Matthew 14:13-21
SAINT OF THE DAY
St. ___________________________

● Pray for us

Miriam of Nazareth
● Teach us your ways and lead us to Jesus
 3rd

Quarter :Lesson 2
Connect my moral Recognize the Enumerate steps to
decision making importance of the grow in my prayer
and Christian elements in Christian life to develop
virtues to the truth moral decision making further my
about Christ’s life and developing virtuous Christian virtues
and Christ’s love in becoming more like that help me in my
for me. Christ. moral decisions.

OBJECTIVES
Studying for an important exam

Hanging out with friends you haven’t

seen for a long time
 Drinking carbonated drinks

Drinking alcoholic beverages

Cheating to get good grades

Being honest even if it means to

fail
 Defend the one being bullied and
be called loser

To join in bullying a classmate to be

accepted in a popular group
Joining a long-awaited weekend
getaway with close friends

Attending a crucial family

event.
a. Is it easy to come up with a decision
given the circumstances above?
Why or why not?
b. What do your decision tell you of
your personality or characteristics?
c. Do you think your values align with
what is generally accepted by
society, or do you have your own
unique perspectives?
d. What are the factors you consider
in coming up with a decision?
As a human person gifted with intellect, freedom and
freewill, we are often afforded several options to
choose from.

We are always called to make decisions in many

circumstances in our life. Some may not be as
morally challenging as the others but still urge as to
act, to choose and to decide.

The decisions we come up with in all our choices

reflect the kind of person we are, the virtues we have
imbibe and the principles we live by.
 Describes any
point in life when
you need to make
a decision , when
you need to
choose between
two choices with
corresponding
consequences.
 Making Good
Decisions
▪ We are shaped by our choices.

▪ Every moral choice we make

reveals the kind of person we
are and forms the kind of person
we will become.
What virtue helps us to arrive at a sound moral decision?
➢ It is an intellectual
virtue which directs
in the choice of
means most
appropriate, under
existing
circumstances, for
the attainment of a
due end.
 Why do we need to make moral decisions more
carefully?

▪The choices before us involve

conflicting values.
▪ There is uncertainty and
doubt
▪ Peer pressure
▪ Possible negative
consequences
How do you make
decisions in your
everyday life?

Looking back at the decisions

that you have made, is there any
major decision that you have
made that you are happy about
or you have regretted about?
 What are the different ways by
which people make moral decisions?
What are the different ways by
which people make moral
decisions?
St. Ignatius of Loyola, patron of retreats and prayer, is
best known for the Spiritual Exercises, a manual or
guide for prayer and discernment in the context of a
thirty-day retreat.

Discernment
• is a decision-making process that honors the place of God's will in our
lives.
• It is an interior search that seeks to align our own will with the will of God
in order to learn what God is calling us to.
• Every choice we make, no matter how small, is an opportunity to align
ourselves with God's will.
Examine the jumbled letters given to form a word.
Recall our last discussion.
Jumbled Letters

DNEERUPC
Jumbled Letters

CENDTERMSIN
Jumbled Letters

LAMOR SINICONED
Jumbled Letters

HOESCOI
 Different ways by which people
make moral decisions:

a. There are those who allow chance, external events

and circumstances to decide for them.

b. Other people fail to realize that we are all persons-in-

community.

c. HOLISTIC Decisions
Different ways by which people make moral decisions:
a. There are those who allow chance, external events
and circumstances to decide for them.

▪ “toss-coin” decisions
▪ “bahala na”
▪ “ene-minie-mienimo”

❖ We fail to recognize our inherent capacity to

think and to choose freely when we let fate
determine how we should act.
Different ways by which people make moral decisions:

“Bible-cutting” or randomly opening the Bible to a verse

and interpreting its message as God’s will.
• This isolates the intended text from its true intended
purpose, historical context, and overall Christian message.

❖We need to understand the context and the

meaning of the passage that we deem relevant to
our situation.
 Different ways by which people make moral
b. Other people fail to decisions:
realize that we are all persons-in-
community.
EXTREME INDIVIDUALIST PASSIVE CONFORMISTS
• Or Individualistic decisions decides • Passive conformist decisions are
based only on one’s prejudices or putting too much emphasis on
preferences without regard for the good what others say without
of others or the wisdom of moral norms. considering one’s emotions and
• - this can lead to the danger of the guidance of one’s
“rationalizing away” (excusing) even conscience.
clearly morally evil acts
• Leave the decision making to
Example: their “barkada” or authority
A student may rationalize his resolve figure.
to cheat in the exam by dwelling on his
need to pass.
Different ways by which people make moral decisions:
C. HOLISTIC Decisions

▪ Decisions that recognizes and affirm

individual capacity to make choices in
relation to others and to Christ.
▪ Consider all the important elements of
making good moral decisions:
✔ Clarifying the facts;
✔ Turning to the guidance of others, Scripture,
and norms;
✔ Using one’s imagination;
✔ Listening to one’s emotions; and
✔ Seeking for God’s grace in prayer.
How can we develop the skill of making
HOLISTIC DECISIONS ?
Authentic Christian decision making
is making moral decisions in relation
to the person of Jesus Christ.

▪ We are called to develop the

“spontaneous” habit of checking on
Christ’s example and teaching as well as
how he love God and others, and seek
from Him the grace to make decisions.
 INVESTIGATE the facts and the moral act.
INQUIRE about the moral norms affecting your act.

IMAGINE the alternative ad consequences.

INTROSPECT. Listen to your emotions.
IMPLORE God’s help in prayer.
IMPLEMENT the judgment of your conscience.

What are the Important Elements in

Making Moral Decisions?
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions

1. INVESTIGATE the facts and the moral act.

⮚ We must have a clear awareness and assessment of reality.

⮚ This relates to the proper exercise of our conscience.

⮚ Our conscience judges the moral goodness or evil of the three (3)
dimensions of every moral act namely:

1. The object of nature of the act;

2. One’s intention for doing the act; and
3. The circumstances surrounding the act
 Three (3) Dimensions of every Moral Act:

1. The object or nature of the act

▪ The object refers to what one has actually done or considering is
doing.
▪ The fundamental question is “What is the act involved?”
Examples:
a. The act involved in maligning the good reputation of a classmate by
spreading gossip is lying, or SLANDER.

b. A person who takes another person’s possession is guilty of

STEALING.

c. A married person who has intimate relations with someone other than
one’s spouse commits ADULTERY
 Three (3) Dimensions of every Moral Act:

2. Intention of the act (one’s intention in doing the act)

▪ refers to the person’s intended goal for committing the act
▪ can be the motive or reason for doing the act
▪ “Why are you doing it? Why did you commit the act?
An important principle in moral decision making:
“ A good end does not justify a morally evil means”
--It means that good intentions can never justify a morally evil means.
Example:
⮚ When a student lets a friend copy from his own paper during an exam, his
goal is to help a friend pass the subject.
---But the seemingly “noble” end of helping a friend does not, however change,
the nature of the committed act.
 Three (3) Dimensions of every Moral Act:

3. Circumstances of the act

▪ Refers to the events, occasions, or conditions that make the act concrete. And
do not change the nature of the act.
▪ Can be understood by asking, “What are the important factors involved in
the act? “
▪ Several other questions related to the circumstances of the act: who, where,
with what means, how, and when.
Take note:
Circumstances can increase or decrease a person’s culpability or responsibility
for the act committed. But, theft is wrong in both case
Example: Stealing is wrong. but more seriously wrong in the first
case. from a
Stealing the last money from a poor person, however is much more serious
millionaire. In the first case, you might be guilty of placing the poor person in jeopardy
especially if that money represents food and therefore, life. In the second case, the
millionaire might not even miss a small amount of money.
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions

2. INQUIRE about the moral norms affecting your act.

⮚ As persons-in-community in making moral decisions, we have

the duty to turn to :

▪ Our moral norms (Divinae, Church, Civil Laws)

▪ The guidance of others as well as their wisdom

⮚ We are to be responsible for our free acts, and never pass on the
task of making a correct decision to others.
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions

3. IMAGINE the alternative and consequences.

⮚ We have the capacity to imagine or foresee both the possibilities and
consequences of our actions because we are rational beings.

⮚ We need to identify the immediate or short-term as well as the long-term

consequences of our choices.

Example:
Fishermen who employ illegal fishing methods
----may at first gain large profits
----but its long term effect can lead to sharp decreases in fish populations , etc.
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions
4. INTROSPECT. Listen to your emotions.
▪ We need to understand the value of our emotions or affectivity
in making moral decisions;
▪ Listen to your emotions.
▪ Often, our feelings give us an “instinctive” clue to the moral
goodness or evil of our acts and help us more to be objective
and responsible.
Example:
We experience a sense of outrage when we witness acts of injustices or violence and
we feel a sense of joyful triumph when people are rightfully awarded something they
truly deserve.
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions
INTROSPECT. Listen to your emotions.

▪ The proper formation of conscience, therefore, means educating not only our
mind but also our affectivity or emotions.
What does it entail to educate or orient our feelings?
1. Being aware of our emotions as we experience them;
2. Striking a healthy balance between repressing them and giving them free rein;
3. Ordering our impulses and motivations reasonably;
4. Becoming sensitive to other people’s emotions; and
5. Nurturing our relationships.
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions

5. IMPLORE God’s help in prayer.

▪ We ought to seek God’s guidance in prayer before,
during and after making our moral decisions.
▪ We can grow more in our life of prayer by doing the
following:
✔ reading and praying using Bible
✔ visiting the Blessed sacrament
✔ Exercising the examination of conscience
✔ Journaling
 Important Elements in Making Moral Decisions

6. IMPLEMENT the judgment of your conscience.

▪ We must have the courage and resolve to do what one

has decided upon.
▪ Even if one has made a thorough discernment by
going through the first five elements of moral
decision making, choosing to do what one has clearly
discerned is another step, requiring a firm resolve
and much courage.
Summary:
a. Moral decision making can be challenging. We need to consider different
elements when facing our crossroads like:
INVESTIGATE the facts of the moral act.
INQUIRE about the moral norms affecting your act.
IMAGINE alternatives and consequences.
INTROSPECT. Listen to your emotions.
IMPLORE God’s help in prayer.
IMPLEMENT the judgment of your conscience.
***There is no definite order in considering the important elements in making good moral
decisions, what is important is we can understand our moral situation and discern the good which
we are called.

b. As Christians who strive to do what Christ wants us to in our particular situation, we

are guided and inspired through grace, to grow into Christ’s likeness and develop the
virtues that Christ Himself exemplified.
c. We are called to make moral decisions as persons-in-community in the context of our
loving relationship with God and we look to Christ’s example and His Indwelling Spirit to
guide in facing our own moral dilemmas.
 Reflect and Answer:
1. Try to recall the decisions that you have made in the past months,
how did you make the moral decision?

✔ Authentic Christian decision making is not merely following a

series of steps or principles but it is making moral decisions in
relation to the virtues which Christ lived.
✔ We call these the Christian virtues which are classified as
theological—faith, hope, and love (charity) and cardinal---
prudence, fortitude, justice, and temperance.