Topic 6: The Human Being, Image of God
Man is the only creature capable of knowing and loving what transcends the material and finite world. God has created us with a spirit, so that we may know and love Him. The creation of man in the image of God implies the possibility of a relationship of mutual intimacy. The human being, created in the image of God and participating in the One who is love, is a being capable of love.
Topic 7: Human Freedom
The Church sees freedom as an eminent sign of the divine image in man. Our participation in God’s beatitude is such a great good and so desired by divine Love that God has willed to take the risk of human freedom. In the moral sense, freedom is not so much a natural property of the person as a conquest, the result of education, of the moral virtues possessed and of God’s grace.
Topic 8: Care for Creation
God has given human beings dominion over the world and has commanded them to exercise this authority. Care for the environment is a moral duty for each individual and for all humanity. Ecology is one of the areas in which dialogue between Christians and the followers of other religions is particularly important, so as to bring about mutual cooperation.
Topic 11: The Witness of the Gospels
Jesus sent the apostles into the whole world to “preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15) The content of that Gospel is what Jesus said and did in his earthly life. The four accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the result of a long process of composition. The Gospels are not books that present Jesus as a figure of the past: they are a living word, and in them Jesus is always alive.
What is the social doctrine of the Church?
On the path of the salvation of each person, the Church is concerned about the entire human family and its needs, even in the material and social sphere. For this reason, it develops a guide, a social doctrine that forms consciences and helps the faithful live according to the Gospel and human nature itself.
September Recollection Kit (2022)
A recollection is a “mini-retreat,” a few hours of quiet prayer when we look at our lives in God's presence. This guide can help us spend an hour or two in loving conversation with God, right where we are.
“It is worthwhile!” (II): Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
Sacred Scripture does not give us a theoretical definition of fidelity, but rather tells us who is faithful.
New Mediterraneans (V): "To Jesus, Through Mary" (with audio)
As a young priest, Saint Josemaria grasped with new depth a truth he had always known. “Yesterday I discovered another Mediterranean: if I am a son of my Father God, then I am also a son of my Mother Mary.”
“It is worthwhile!”(I): A Force That Conquers Time
Fidelity is the virtue that arises in relationships between people – and therefore also with God – when we trust in the love of the other person.
August Recollection Kit (2022)
A recollection is a “mini-retreat,” a few hours of quiet prayer when we look at our lives in God's presence. This guide can help us spend an hour or two in loving conversation with God, right where we are.