(From Private theologies of vocation discussion)

Radical Objective

Why enter the religious life?

There will be unpleasant consequences if you dont respond to Gods call
The religious and clerical life resembles the Christian Ideal
Evangelical Counsels: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience (for the consecrated
religious)
These are recommendations and vows, not commands
Best possible helps to reach God and live the demands of the gospel
Exceptionality of demands and commitment
To resist Gods call is to resist His will
Marriage is a default setting
Providential gift of religious vocation
Theoretically free to accept or reject it
Obligation to prayerful discernment
If it is not for you, best not to take it
Practical necessity (see Cor 7:7)

Moderate Objective

Arthur Vermeersch, SJ
There is a heavy influence of the spiritual exercises by St. Ignatius
Despite not responding to Gods call, God can still make do with whatever we
choose
To seek holiness and discern whether a particular vocation is the best way to go
about it
Similarities with Radical Objective
Ideality of religious life (objectively superior)
Obligation of prayerful discernment (to bring God into our discernment)
Difference with Radical Objective
Influence of Ignatian Spirituality
Prioritization of Pursuit of holiness (whats most important is to seek holiness in
the general sense and then discern how to live it out the best way)
Instrumentality of various states (we participate in Gods plan for salvation as His
human instruments; we are not the sole authors of our vocation)
Practical freedom in choosing a state (see 2 Cor 12:9)
 Even if we choose the wrong choice, God will still work His grace
within us
The Spiritual Exercises
Man was created to praise, glorify, and serve God
Temporal goods were made to aid us to our proper end
We ought to be indifferent to material goods; to be detached from them and see
them only as means rather than ends
To ask ourselves: I want to be holy, is (insert specific vocation) the way to go
about it?
We need to be open to Gods calling to us and not depend solely on our will

Radical Subjective

L. OConnell: an allergy towards authority

Rejects the notion of God having a plan for you and that it is mans obligation to follow
that plan (basically rejecting radical objective)
Principal Concerns
Egalitarianism
De-emphasizes the religious and clerical life as special states
Prioritizes the general calling to holiness
Agency (Mans Participation in the whole scheme of vocation)
Critique of perceived fatalism in our calling (example: If God wants
something for you, you cannot want it for yourself; as if without freedom)
All states are special in their own way
There are no providential gift of states (vocation is based solely on our
personal response)
Since everybody is special then nobody is special (no one is singled ot as
special)
Positive Analysis
The Religious and Clergy are not holier persons as compared to the laity
Greater expectations for a person requires a greater responsibility on that
persons behalf
Sanctity is possible for everyone
Vocation is a response to Gods call
Negative Analysis
Contradicts historical valorization of religious and clerical states (how old
tradition valued the religious or consecrated life as objectively superior to other
states, i.e. marriage)
Exaggerates personal initiative in choosing a state
 Neglects the communal element of vocational discernment (vocation must
be seen in a communal context; the church must test the authenticity of a
persons vocation within a particular community or context)
False opposition of destiny and agency
The Second Vatican Council

Ecumenical Councils (di ko gets bat minention to)

Biblical origins (Acts 15:5 ff)
Purposes
Authority
Number
Second Vatican Council
Aggriornamento (to bring up to date; placing doctrine within the current context)
To recontextualize truths
Subject Matter (16 documents)
Distinctiveness; its interpretations on doctrine
Hermeneutic Rupture
Council as a break away from tradition
A new council separated from the past 15 documents
Hermeneutic Continuity
Council as a development, a continuation of tradition
The unalterable substance of old doctrine is kept
Adapting to changes

LUMEN GENTIUM READING

The Universal Vocation to Holiness

Dogmatic Contribution Lumen Gentium

Discusses the purpose of the church
Discusses the nature of the church
Indefectibly Holy as an Institution (LG 39)
Parallel with prophetic Munus (idk what this is)
Question of Individual sacntity
Baptism as the ordinary means of sanctification
To non-christians: baptism of blood (martyrdom) and baptism or
desire (sincerely living in good and truth) as means for salvation
Sacraments of Healing: Confession and Annointing of the sick
Hierarchichal Society
 3 bonds of communion: faith, sacraments and the ecclesiastical
government
Variegated Society (see 1 Cor 14:40)
The church is of different parts: Christ as the head and us
being the other parts of the body; each of us have a role to
play
Hierarchy of the church (1st perspective): (top) Pope -> Bishops -> Clergy -> Religious
-> Laity (authority from the Pope down to the laity)
Societas Perfecta Ecclesiology (Perfect Society)
Historical Context: Ultramontanism (strong emphasis on the rule and
power of the pope)
Main points
The Church as a visible society and as a hierarchical society
Consequences
Exclusive ecclesiology (see Council of Trent sess 7)
Membership in Christ is a membership in the communion
of the Catholic Church
Valorization of specific states (valorization; how some states are
objectively superior and favored)
Hierarchy 2: a diagram showing what is more common to what is more specific (pakita
ko na lang drawing next time)
Pope, Bishops, Clergy: sharing in the eternal priesthood
They must learn how to understand the contexts of the others (the visible
communion) so as to fulfill their duties well
Baptism sanctifies and justifies
Gateway to the sacraments (LG 11)
It is what makes us Christians (the bare minimum requirement along with
belief in the Holy Trinity)
Retention of the Hierarchical element
Positive theology of the laity - what the laity ought to do
Negative theology of the laity - what the laity is not
Less emphasis on the visible element (LG 8)
The salvation and participation of non-christians in the church scene:
based on how explicit ones devotion to truth and goodness is
OConnell employs the Hermeneutic of Rupture
Authors providing Spiritual Anecdotes on vocation
St Francis de Sales
For shepherds: teach the laity how to be holy
Some practice of piety are suitable for some, but not all
 To bring the love of God in ones daily affairs
St. Therese of Liseux
Its about living the gospel in ones daily life
The church is connected: what harms one harms the whole church, what
one merits is gained by the whole church
St. Josemaria Escrive
Strengthening the will through mortification
Supernatural outlook on things; to see ordinary things with relation to how
we can make them holy
To focus on the little things of everyday (i.e. the heroic minute; to wake up
early and on the dot is an example of sanctifying our day)
Sanctification of ordinary work

VERITATIS SPLENDOR (intro pa lang ito)

Does evil exist? (a list that denies the existence of evil)

Liberalism (Locke and Rousseau)
People are left to their own devices to do what is sensible
To let people act as they do best
Relativism
Anthropological/descriptive - does not judge the values but simply
observes the behavior, culture, etc.
Philosophical/Normative
Whats right for you is whats right for you; whats right for me is
whats right for me
Rejects absolute good
Progression - things will always progress towards good; there can
be no setbacks
Materialism - where only the measurable (empirically valid) exist
Related subject -> theodicy (theo and dicere)
Benevolence vs omnipotence
Is it reasonable to believe in a God who is just and merciful at the
same time? (explains the contradiction of Gods benevolence and
omnipotence)
Introductory remarks
Christian perspectives
Christianity affirms the existence of evil
We believe that there is an objective moral order
 Evil is the lack/absence of good)
Origins of evil in the abuse of freedom
Gen 3:14-19, Wis 1:12-16, 2:24
Humani Generis: all humans are of the same branch (the human
race is one: there is no partiality or distinction between us)
Effects of original sin
Suffering and death
Darkening of the intellect (ignorance)
Weakening of the will (concupiscence)
We may know what the right thing is but still end up
desiring and doing the wrong thing
Disordered passions
Shutting of the gate of heaven