THE EFFECTS OF SIN, THE ROLE OF CONSCIENCE AND THE PEACKEMAKER

SIN: is an offence against God SIN: is an offence against God. When we do what is contrary to what God expects us to do, we are sinning. In order for an action to be a sin, we must know that it is a sin. God gave us a set of laws in the: 10 commandments and laws of the Church which Jesus established on earth

The Effects of Sin When we sin, three parties are involved: 1) God: He knows what is best for us and is hurt when we don’t follow His way. 2) Others: Others are hurt as a result of our sinful actions. 3) Ourselves: Sin removes us from the life of God, or grace.

FORGIVENESS It is important to remember that there is NO sin that cannot be forgiven. If we 1) acknowledge our fault, 2) admit it and 3) accept penance for it, we are forgiven.

Like the father in the parable “The Prodigal Son,” God is always waiting for us to return to Him. He will not force us to return to Him but loving relationships require free will.

THE ROLE OF CONSCIENCE CONSCIENCE: the judgment of our reason as to whether an action is good or bad. We are all born with a conscience. Our conscience must be developed in order to work to their full potential.

How we can develop our conscience? Knowledge: We must actively seek the truth in order to avoid evil. Good example: We must feed our conscience with good examples. We must also be a good example to others in order to help them form their consciences. The Ten Commandments: God gave us these laws to bring us closer to Him. The Beatitudes: Christ gave us these to bring us closer to Him and provide us with encouragement. The Sacraments: Christ gave us these to strengthen our souls.

BLESSED IS THE PEACEMAKER We are all affected by sin, even if we do not commit the sin ourselves. This beatitude is a loving response to the effects of sin. The peacemaker is one who: Is wise Is loving Is patient Is forgiving Is Christ-like