Michael Pennock

Your Life in Christ Michael Pennock Student edition

(© 2008) The Subcommittee on the Catechism, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has found that this catechetical high school text is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and fulfills the requirements of Core Course VI of the Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age.

Your Life in Christ: Foundations of Catholic Morality focuses on the essential message of Christ's moral teaching, the importance of love of God and neighbor. The text covers the major points from the "Life in Christ" section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pulling together these elements by developing nine essential steps for living a Christian moral life in the Catholic tradition. These steps include:

1. Understanding the nature of being human<
2. Guiding moral decision-making with intellect
3. Understanding the law's relationship to freedom and being responsible for transgressions
4. Imitating Jesus and living the Beatitudes
5. Forming the conscience and strengthening resistance to peer pressure
6. Repenting and forgiving others
7. Thanking God for life by loving God above all else
8. Loving yourself
9. Loving your neighbors

Each chapter contains several special features:

• Selections from Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on love Deus Caritas Est.
• Panel activities that help the students foster total learning in hands (service), hearts (prayer), and mind (academic challenges).
• Review questions for each main section.
• Several Journal Assignments for deeper thought and reflection.
• Key vocabulary terms set off in margin panels.
• A Learn by Doing project for each chapter that provides a longer-term assignment.
• A Called to Prayer feature offering text from a prayer relevant to the chapter theme.
• Innovative Catholic Life in Action component for each chapter.