1. Virtues, Vices and Free Will

2. Vices Reflection 10/26
“I call heaven and earth today to witness against you. I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.”[i] 
What do death and life represent in this quote?

3. Seven Capital Sins
DO NOW: 10/24- Which of these do you think is most dangerous? Do you think you are guilty of any?
Pride
Covetousness
Lust
Anger
Gluttony
Envy
Sloth

4. Garden of Eden What were Adam and Eve’s choices?
What did God originally intend?
What does this say about our own free will?
What can we say is man made versus what God intended?

5. What is sin?
“An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth, and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God.”
Sin is when we deliberately use our free will to choose evil.

6. Reflection 10/28: How is the world filled with temptation?
Our world tells us that we are free and so we can do whatever we want. Why is this wrong?
Why do you think God gave us free will?
Why is the pilgrim’s journey so difficult?

7. What is vice?
Vice is a habit acquired by repeated sin. We fall into vice when we repeatedly misuse our free will.
Therefore a vice is a habit of committing sins frequently
Sin, therefore, is a misuse of our free will. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do right we misuse our free will.

8. Free Write 11/4
“The best government is one that governs the least” –Henry Thoreau
Do you agree or disagree?
Do you think you live in a country that agrees with this statement?
What does this say about free will?

9. The Lottery Think After:
What does the story say about free will? What factors/customs in our society decide what we do?
This story discusses the reluctance of people to reject old customs, ideas, rules, practices. What traditions might the lottery represent?
Choose a symbol used in the story: black box, small town, black dot on lottery ticket and explain what it may represent

10. What is free will?
We have been given free will, which Saint Bonaventure says is the second most powerful thing in the universe. Our free will enables us to choose: good or bad; life or death; blessing or curse; what will we choose?
Is it really just a choice between good and evil?

11. This is wrong because the world waters down the truth to make us think by doing whatever we want is good when actually we are free so that we can choose the good and avoid the evil. 
Good is absolute and determined by the one, true and good God
What is our defense against the abuse of free will?

12. The Seven virtues Humility Temperance Generosity Love of others
Meekness
Chastity
Diligence

13. What is virtue?
“A habitual and firm disposition to do the good. The moral virtues are acquired through human effort aided by God’s grace; the theological virtues are gifts of God.”
Jesus the Good Shepherd says of His flock, “I know them, and they follow me”
 In following Christ, we are called to virtue, to have the firm disposition to do the good.