The Sacraments

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments - Intro

There are seven sacraments celebrated in the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. These sacraments, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, are efficacious* signs of grace perceptible to the senses . Through them divine life is bestowed upon us (Comp 224). 
*capable of producing the desired effect


Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies... (CCC 1127).

..."the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant [i.e. priest] or the recipient [i.e. you], but by the power of God." From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it, independently of the personal holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them (CCC 1128).

Further Study
The Sacraments
Not Magic: On the Fruitful Reception of the Sacraments
Are Sacraments Necessary for Salvation? (video)
These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen (entire book; read "The Sacraments")

Study the Catechism

#218-250

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part 2, section 1
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Baptism

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments: Baptism

In Baptism we are welcomed into the family of God. We are united to Christ and His Church. We become adopted children of God. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Original sin and all personal sins are forgiven. Compendium: see #251-264



For further study, see part I of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen

Study the Catechism

#251-264

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part 4, section 2, chapter 1, article 1
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Confirmation

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments - Confirmation



For further study, see part II of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen

Study the Catechism

#265-270

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part 2, section 2, chapter 1, article 2
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"Do This In Memory of Me"

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments - Eucharist

When we go to mass every Sunday, or any day, we participate in something so incredible! God is making the sacrifice of his son, this sacrifice that washes us of all our sins, present to us! It's almost like we're entering a time-machine, being taken before the cross of Christ so to witness this event being applied to us firsthand!! When the priest holds up the host and the bells ring, we can imagine Jesus obliterating sin as he hangs on the cross. We then most humbly and intimately receive this sacrifice, under the appearances of bread and wine, for the forgiveness of all our sins and failures committed to date. Granted that we are not in the state of mortal sin (in which we need the sacrament of Confession), we walk away from that altar with a clean slate before God. What an enormous gift!! How awesome it is to know that the most holy sacrifice, in every tabernacle around the world and offered at every mass, is always there to restore and strengthen us to that level of holiness necessary for our ultimate salvation.

The Church teaches that the Eucharist is

"the source and summit of the Christian life" (CCC 1324). 

These are words worth pondering. She also teaches:

• Jesus Christ is actually present body, blood, soul and divinity. 
• When we partake in this sacrament worthily, we unite ourselves more fully with Christ. 
• We also unite ourselves more fully with the Church, his mystical body.
• We are strengthened in our charity, which is the essence of the Christian life (CCC 1374, 1394, 1396, 1416)

Jesus at the Last Supper:

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Lk 22:19-20).

Jesus teaching on the Eucharist:

"this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:53-58)

Do we realize the great benefits of partaking in the Eucharist? Do we see, being made present before us, our Lord and eternal salvation?

Additional Reading

These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen (see part III)

The Real Presence
Christ in the Eucharist
Five answers to five common questions (Catholics Come Home)
Cara Study 2008 (see p54-56)

Study the Catechism

#271-294

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part 2, section 2, chapter 1, article 3
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Confess

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments: Penance (also commonly know as Confession, Reconciliation)

Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism. Consider the following verse (takes place after Christ's resurrection):

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”(Jn 20:19-23)

As shown in other Scripture passages, Christ gives his apostles authority on Earth (see Mt 16:13-20) . We are an apostolic church, which means we believe that that authority has been passed down to the present day. 

For some good apologetics (how to defend and explain the faith) see: Catholics Come Home: The Sacrament of Confession
Has it been awhile since your last confession? A Guide to Confession 
For further study, see part IV of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen

Study the Catechism

#295-312

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part 2, section 2, chapter 2, article 4
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Anointing of the Sick

Pillar Focus The Sacraments: Anointing of the Sick

See part V of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen 

Study the Catechism

#313-320

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part 2, section 2, chapter 2, article 5
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Holy Orders

Pillars Focus The Seven Sacraments - Holy Orders


For further study, see part VI of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen

Study the Catechism

#321-336

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part 2, section 2, chapter 6, article 6
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What God Has Joined Together

Pillar Focus The Seven Sacraments: Matrimony

For what ends has God instituted Matrimony?
The marital union of man and woman, which is founded and endowed with its own proper laws by the Creator, is by its very nature ordered to the communion and good of the couple and to the generation and education of children. According to the original divine plan this conjugal union is indissoluble, as Jesus Christ affirmed: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mark 10:9). (Compendium #338)

Why is the Christian family called a domestic church?
The Christian family is called the domestic church because the family manifests and lives out the communal and familial nature of the Church as the family of God. Each family member, in accord with their own role, exercises the baptismal priesthood and contributes toward making the family a community of grace and of prayer, a school of human and Christian virtue and the place where the faith is first proclaimed to children. (Compendium #350)

.

For further study, see part VII of this book: These are the Sacraments by Fulten J. Sheen

Study the Catechism

#337-350

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part 4, section 2, chapter 3, article 7
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Other Liturgical Celebrations

Pillar Focus Other: Other Liturgical Celebrations

This chapter comes right after the part of the Catechism which explains each of the Seven Sacraments (the primary liturgical celebrations). Since it's a short chapter, the Compendium version is presented here in its entirety.

THE SACRAMENTALS

Single-decade Rosary

What are the sacramentals?

St. Benedict Medal

These are sacred signs instituted by the Church to sanctify different circumstances of life. They include a prayer accompanied by the sign of the cross and other signs. Among the sacramentals which occupy an important place are: blessings, which are the praise of God and a prayer to obtain his gifts, the consecration of persons and the dedication of things for the worship of God (CCCC 351).

What is an exorcism?
When the Church asks with its authority in the name of Jesus that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called an exorcism. This is done in ordinary form in the rite of Baptism. A solemn exorcism, called a major exorcism, can be performed only by a priest authorized by the bishop (CCCC 352).

What forms of popular piety accompany the sacramental life of the Church?
The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in the various forms of piety which accompany the sacramental life of the Church such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross and the rosary. The Church sheds the light of faith upon and fosters authentic forms of popular piety (CCCC 353).

CHRISTIAN FUNERALS

What is the relationship between the sacraments and the death of a Christian?

source

The Christian who dies in Christ reaches at the end of his earthly existence the fulfillment of that new life which was begun in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and nourished in the Eucharist, the foretaste of the heavenly banquet. The meaning of the death of a Christian becomes clear in the light of the death and Resurrection of Christ our only hope. The Christian who dies in Christ Jesus goes “away from the body to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8) (CCCC 354).

What do funeral rites express?
Although celebrated in different rites in keeping with the situations and traditions of various regions, funerals express the paschal character of Christian death in hope of the resurrection. They also manifest the meaning of communion with the departed particularly through prayer for the purification of their souls (CCCC 355).

What are the main moments in funerals?
Usually, funeral rites consist of four principal parts: welcoming the body of the deceased by the community with words of comfort and hope, the liturgy of the Word, the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and the farewell in which the soul of the departed is entrusted to God, the Source of eternal life, while the body is buried in the hope of the resurrection (CCCC 356).

Further Reading
Introduction to Sacramentals (fisheaters.com)
Sacramentals: What are they? (ewtn.com)
The Holy Rosary

Read the Catechism
Sacramentals
   In Brief
Christain Funerals
   I. The Christian's Last Passover
   II. The Celebration of Funerals

The Dignity of the Human Person (Part 1)

Pillar Focus Other

Over the next three weeks, we'll be looking at a section in the Catechism titled "Dignity of the Human Person." The entries on this topic will come from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

MAN THE IMAGE OF GOD

358. What is the root of human dignity?
The dignity of the human person is rooted in his or her creation in the image and likeness of God. Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free will, the human person is ordered to God and called in soul and in body to eternal beatitude.

OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE [Eternal Happiness]

359. How do we attain beatitude? 
We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.

[CLICK HERE to learn about the beatitudes]

360. Why are the beatitudes important for us?
The beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching and they take up and fulfill the promises that God made starting with Abraham. They depict the very countenance of Jesus and they characterize authentic Christian life. They reveal the ultimate goal of human activity, which is eternal happiness.

361. What is the relationship between the beatitudes and our desire for happiness?
The beatitudes respond to the innate desire for happiness that God has placed in the human heart in order to draw us to himself. God alone can satisfy this desire.

362. What is eternal happiness?
It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the grace which leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.

Study the Catechism

#357-362

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part 3, section 1, ch 1, articles 1&2
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The Dignity of the Human Person (Part II)

Pillar Focus Other

source

From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

MAN'S FREEDOM

363. What is freedom?
Freedom is the power given by God to act or not to act, to do this or to do that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. Freedom characterizes properly human acts. The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. Freedom attains its proper perfection when it is directed toward God, the highest good and our beatitude. Freedom implies also the possibility of choosing between good and evil. The choice of evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to the slavery of sin.

364. What is the relationship between freedom and responsibility?
Freedom makes people responsible for their actions to the extent that they are voluntary, even if the imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or sometimes cancelled by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, inordinate attachments, or habit.

365. Why does everyone have a right to exercise freedom?
The right to the exercise of freedom belongs to everyone because it is inseparable from his or her dignity as a human person. Therefore this right must always be respected, especially in moral and religious matters, and it must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and a just public order.

366. What place does human freedom have in the plan of salvation?
Our freedom is weakened because of original sin. This weakness is intensified because of successive sins. Christ, however, set us free “so that we should remain free” (Galatians5:1). With his grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to spiritual freedom to make us free co-workers with him in the Church and in the world.

367. What are the sources of the morality of human acts?
The morality of human acts depends on three sources: the object chosen, either a true or apparent good; the intention of the subject who acts, that is, the purpose for which the subject performs the act; and the circumstances of the act, which include its consequences.

368. When is an act morally good?
An act is morally good when it assumes simultaneously the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances. A chosen object can by itself vitiate an act in its entirety, even if the intention is good. It is not licit to do evil so that good may result from it. An evil end corrupts the action, even if the object is good in itself. On the other hand, a good end does not make an act good if the object of that act is evil, since the end does not justify the means. Circumstances can increase or diminish the responsibility of the one who is acting but they cannot change the moral quality of the acts themselves. They never make good an act which is in itself evil.

369. Are there acts which are always illicit?
There are some acts which, in and of themselves, are always illicit by reason of their object (for example, blasphemy, homicide, adultery). Choosing such acts entails a disorder of the will, that is, a moral evil which can never be justified by appealing to the good effects which could possibly result from them.

THE MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS

370. What are the passions?
The passions are the feelings, the emotions or the movements of the sensible appetite - natural components of human psychology - which incline a person to act or not to act in view of what is perceived as good or evil. The principal passions are love and hatred, desire and fear, joy, sadness, and anger. The chief passion is love which is drawn by the attraction of the good. One can only love what is good, real or apparent.

371. Are the passions morally good or bad?
The passions insofar as they are movements of the sensible appetite are neither good nor bad in themselves. They are good when they contribute to a good action and they are evil in the opposite case. They can be taken up into the virtues or perverted by the vices.

THE MORAL CONSCIENCE

372. What is the moral conscience?
Moral conscience, present in the heart of the person, is a judgment of reason which at the appropriate moment enjoins him to do good and to avoid evil. Thanks to moral conscience, the human person perceives the moral quality of an act to be done or which has already been done, permitting him to assume responsibility for the act. When attentive to moral conscience, the prudent person can hear the voice of God who speaks to him or her.

373. What does the dignity of the human person imply for the moral conscience?

The dignity of a human person requires the uprightness of a moral conscience (which is to say that it be in accord with what is just and good according to reason and the law of God). Because of this personal dignity, no one may be forced to act contrary to conscience; nor, within the limits of the common good, be prevented from acting according to it, especially in religious matters.

374. How is a moral conscience formed to be upright and truthful?

An upright and true moral conscience is formed by education and by assimilating the Word of God and the teaching of the Church. It is supported by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and helped by the advice of wise people. Prayer and an examination of conscience can also greatly assist one’s moral formation.

375. What norms must conscience always follow?

There are three general norms: 1) one may never do evil so that good may result from it; 2) the so-called Golden Rule, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12); 3) charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience, even though this does not mean accepting as good something that is objectively evil.

376. Can a moral conscience make erroneous judgments?

A person must always obey the certain judgment of his own conscience but he could make erroneous judgments for reasons that may not always exempt him from personal guilt. However, an evil act committed through involuntary ignorance is not imputable to the person, even though the act remains objectively evil. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

Study the Catechism

see: part 3, section 1, chapter 1, articles 3-6

The Dignity of the Human Person (Part III)

Pillar Focus Other

From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

THE VIRTUES

377. What is a virtue?

A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God” (Saint Gregory of Nyssa). There are human virtues and theological virtues.

378. What are the human virtues?
The human virtues are habitual and stable perfections of the intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They are acquired and strengthened by the repetition of morally good acts and they are purified and elevated by divine grace.

379. What are the principal human virtues?

The principal human virtues are called the cardinal virtues, under which all the other virtues are grouped and which are the hinges of a virtuous life. The cardinal virtues are:

Prudence     Justice     Fortitude     Temperance

380. What is prudence?

Prudence disposes reason to discern in every circumstance our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it. Prudence guides the other virtues by pointing out their rule and measure.

381. What is justice?

Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give to others their due. Justice toward God is called “the virtue of religion.”

382. What is fortitude?

Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It reaches even to the ability of possibly sacrificing one’s own life for a just cause.

383. What is temperance?

Temperance moderates the attraction of pleasures, assures the mastery of the will over instincts and provides balance in the use of created goods.

384. What are the theological virtues? 

The theological virtues have God himself as their origin, motive and direct object. Infused with sanctifying grace, they bestow on one the capacity to live in a relationship with the Trinity. They are the foundation and the energizing force of the Christian’s moral activity and they give life to the human virtues. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being.

385. What are the theological virtues?
The theological virtues are:

Faith    Hope    Charity

386. What is the virtue of faith?
Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has revealed to us and that the Church proposes for our belief because God is Truth itself. By faith the human person freely commits himself to God. Therefore, the believer seeks to know and do the will of God because “faith works through charity” (Galatians 5:6).

387. What is hope?
Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire and await from God eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit it and to persevere to the end of our earthly life.

388. What is charity?
Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity the new commandment, the fullness of the law. “It is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14) and the foundation of the other virtues to which it gives life, inspiration, and order. Without charity “I am nothing” and “I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

389. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions which make us docile in following divine inspirations. They are seven:

Wisdom     Understanding     Counsel     Fortitude     

Knowledge     Piety     Fear of the Lord

[Click here for St. Thomas Aquinas' interpretation of these gifts]

390. What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are perfections formed in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them:

Charity     Joy     Peace     Patience     Kindness     Goodness     Generosity     Gentleness     Faithfulness     Modesty     Self-Control     Chastity

SIN

391. What does the acceptance of God’s mercy require from us?
It requires that we admit our faults and repent of our sins. God himself by his Word and his Spirit lays bare our sins and gives us the truth of conscience and the hope of forgiveness.

392. What is sin?
Sin is “a word, an act, or a desire contrary to the eternal Law” (Saint Augustine). It is an offense against God in disobedience to his love. It wounds human nature and injures human solidarity. Christ in his passion fully revealed the seriousness of sin and overcame it with his mercy.

393. Is there a variety of sins?
There are a great many kinds of sins. They can be distinguished according to their object or according to the virtues or commandments which they violate. They can directly concern God, neighbor, or ourselves. They can also be divided into sins of thought, of word, of deed, or of omission.

394. How are sins distinguished according to their gravity?
A distinction is made between mortal and venial sin.

395. When does one commit a mortal sin?
One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance or Reconciliation.

396. When does one commit a venial sin?
One commits a venial sin, which is essentially different from a mortal sin, when the matter involved is less serious or, even if it is grave, when full knowledge or complete consent are absent. Venial sin does not break the covenant with God but it weakens charity and manifests a disordered affection for created goods. It impedes the progress of a soul in the exercise of the virtues and in the practice of moral good. It merits temporal punishment which purifies.

397. How does sin proliferate?
Sin creates a proclivity to sin ; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts.

398. What are vices?
Vices are the opposite of virtues. They are perverse habits which darken the conscience and incline one to evil. The vices can be linked to the seven, so-called, capital [a.k.a. deadly] sins which are:

Pride     Greed     Envy     Anger     Lust     Gluttony     Sloth

399. Do we have any responsibility for sins committed by others?
We do have such a responsibility when we culpably cooperate with them.

400. What are structures of sin?
Structures of sin are social situations or institutions that are contrary to the divine law. They are the expression and effect of personal sins.

Study the Catechism

see: part 3, section 1, chapter 1, articles 7/8

Doing the Will of God Together

Pillar Focus Other: Human Communion

This sampling comes from Part III of the Catechism titled: "Life in Christ" (how to live as Christians), section 1: Man's Vocation- Life in the Spirit, ch. 3 Human Communion.

The Person and Society
We reach our full potential as human beings as members of a society. We gather together keeping in mind that every individual counts.

The human person needs to live in society. Society is not for him an extraneous addition but a requirement of his nature. Through the exchange with others, mutual service and dialogue with his brethren, man develops his potential; he thus responds to his vocation. (CCC 1879)

"The human person . . . is and ought to be the principle, the subject, and the object of every social organization"(CCC 1892)

Widespread participation in voluntary associations and institutions is to be encouraged (CCC 1893)

Participation in Social Life
We understand the necessity of authority in order for communities to function. We work together for the common good, which means we work to change our society so that everyone, individually or in groups, can achieve their full potential.

Every human community needs an authority in order to endure and develop (CCC 1919)

"The political community and public authority are based on human nature and therefore . . . belong to an order established by God" (CCC 1920)

Authority is exercised legitimately if it is committed to the common good of society. To attain this it must employ morally acceptable means (CCC 1921)

..."Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justified, but gather instead to seek the common good together" (CCC 1905)

The common good comprises "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily" (GS 26 1) (CCC 1924)

The common good consists of three essential elements: respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the person; prosperity, or the development of the spiritual and temporal goods of society; the peace and security of the group and of its members (CCC 1925)

Social Justice
This is a big topic. Please see the "Other Resources" and "Read the Catechism" below. The following is the "In Brief" section in the Catechism. Basically we have to ask the question, "Is everyone in a given society able to receive their needs?" These include material and spiritual. If the answer is "no" we need to work to change the systems that cause that, especially concerning the poor and vulnerable.

Society ensures social justice by providing the conditions that allow associations and individuals to obtain their due (CCC 1943)

Respect for the human person considers the other "another self." It presupposes respect for the fundamental rights that flow from the dignity intrinsic of the person (CCC 1944)

The equality of men concerns their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it (CCC 1945)

The differences among persons belong to God's plan, who wills that we should need one another. These differences should encourage charity (CCC 1946)

The equal dignity of human persons requires the effort to reduce excessive social and economic inequalities. It gives urgency to the elimination of sinful inequalities (CCC 1947)

Solidarity is an eminently Christian virtue. It practices the sharing of spiritual goods even more than material ones (CCC 1948)

Other Resources
Social Justice - A Basic Introduction
Seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching (USCCB)

Read the Catechism
For the Compendium of the Catechism, see #401-414
For the "In Brief" sections of the Catechism, see the following:
   The Person and Society
   Participation in the Social Life
   Social Justice
For the full Catechism, begin here

Law and Grace

Pillar Focus Other

This entry touches on a section of the Catechism titled Law and Grace. It can be found just prior to the Commandments. It deals with God's law, justification, and the Church as mother and teacher. It begins as follows:

Called to beatitude [eternal happiness] but wounded by sin, man stands in need of salvation from God. Divine help comes to him in Christ through the law that guides him and the grace that sustains him.  

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Phil 2:12-13. (CCC 1949)

God's Law

God reveals his law to us, and by his grace, helps us follow it. This law is "present in the heart of each man (CCC 1956)," but because man could not read his heart, is also "written on the tables of the law (the Commandments, CCC 1962)." It "finds expression above all in the Lord's Sermon on the Mount (CCC 1983)."

Justification 

Our salvation is made possible by Christ's death on the cross. This action of God, an entirely free and unearned gift, is what redeems us (we are forgiven our sins and admitable into heaven). Nothing else has the power to do this, we cannot "work our way to heaven" through good deeds. In Baptism, we receive this great gift and become sons and daughters of God, heirs of eternal life.

So now we're baptized, is that it? Do we just live our lives as if nothing needed to be done on our part? The Church teaches no. Now that we are children of God, we realize that we should act as such. We learn, over the course of our lives, to cooperate with the grace that God has given us (i.e. we learn to follow God's law). Prayer, the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and Confession, are extremely important in this process.

Church as Mother and Teacher

When studying what the Church teaches (i.e. on the Commandments), we understand that God is who God is. His truth is one, not two or three. Our society would teach us otherwise, that truth is relative, "To each his own." This simply isn't true with regards to faith and morals. The Church, with her Christ-established Magisterium, preserves the unity of God's truth (and the unity of God's people).

Click here for the precepts (minimum requirements) of the Church.

Read the Catechism

see #415-433

see: part 3, section 1, ch 3