A Beacon Of Light… The Moral Law

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + This week our attention will turn toward examining the moral law. Section III of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is broken up into chapters, with each one dedicated to a specific topic. The first chapter dealt with the dignity of the person — more specifically, how a person’s actions are either geared toward the good or not. Chapter two dealt with our participation in society, as well as society’s responsibility of providing for the person. Chapter three invites us to reconsider the importance of the moral law, grace and how we are sanctified by it, including the Church’s role as mother and teacher.
  For the purpose of this week’s article we will focus only on the moral law.
  What does it mean when we use the term, “moral law”? The Catechism begins this chapter by defining it in this way: “The moral law is the work of divine Wisdom. Its biblical meaning can be defined as fatherly instruction, God’s pedagogy. It prescribes for man the ways, the rules of conduct that lead to the promised beatitude; it proscribes the ways of evil which turn him away from God and his love. It is at once firm in its precepts and, in its promises, worthy of love” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1950).
  Laws are necessary to ensure the common good of all. Moral law is particularly important in maintaining rational order among creatures. The final end of the moral law is the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, the Creator.

Wisdom And Goodness

There are different expressions of the moral law. These include: eternal law, natural law, revealed law, law of the Gospel, and finally civil and ecclesiastical laws. For our purposes, we will look at three of these: natural law, Old Law (also called revealed law), and the law of the Gospel.
What is the natural law? Natural law is a communion of man with the Creator. This is because man participates in the wisdom and goodness of the Creator, with the intention of gaining mastery over his acts and the ability to live a life focused on truth and the good (CCC, n. 1954). Natural law is a law that is inscribed on the soul of every human being. By it, each of us has been given the ability to use reason in deciding between good and evil, truth and lies. It cannot be changed even though society continues to erode it, because, it is rooted in the created person and cannot be removed from us.
It can be lost, in a sense, by an individual’s decision not to follow it. This is dangerous and surely leads to a life of confusion.
The application of the natural law can vary. Sometimes it may take serious reflection regarding its conditions. These usually may include conditions of life according to places, times, and particular circumstances. In the end, however, the natural law always has as its goal to maintain the common good.
What about the old, or revealed, law? How does this affect us in our lives? The Old Law finds its beginning in the Old Testament, particularly in the people of Israel. Israel was chosen by the Lord to be His chosen people. In choosing the people of Israel, God revealed His law to them. On Mount Sinai the Lord establishes the Mosaic Law as a “first gospel” preparing for the coming of Christ. The Old Covenant is the first stage of God’s revealed law and finds its foundation in the revelation of the Ten Commandments.
This law is essential to man because it prohibits what is contrary to the created nature of man and reminds us to love God and our neighbor. God wrote on the tablets of the Ten Commandments, what man failed to read on their hearts. According to the ancient tradition, the Old Law is considered holy, spiritual, and good, yet there exists an element of imperfection in the law. Imperfect, because it shows what we must do, but lacks the ability to offer strength or grace in its fulfillment.
The Old Law is the foundation in understanding the New Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For through it we receive the preparation needed to understand the Gospel. This is not surprising, considering that God used the Israelite people and the prophets to open the way to this fulfillment.
What do I mean by this? Each of these people had a part to play in the plan of salvation. The participation of the people of old and the prophets can be summed up if we look to the Catechism and n. 1964: “There were…under the regimen of the Old Covenant, people who possessed the charity and grace of the Holy Spirit and longed above all for the spiritual and eternal promises by which they were associated with the New Law. Conversely, there exist carnal men under the New Covenant still distanced from the perfection of the New Law: the fear of punishment and certain temporal promises have been necessary, even under the New Covenant, to incite them to virtuous works. In any case, even though the Old Law prescribed charity, it did not give the Holy Spirit, through whom ‘God’s charity has been poured into our hearts’.”
This is why on Holy Saturday the Liturgy of the Word plays such an important part in the Easter Vigil. If we don’t have a proper understanding of the history of salvation, as depicted in the Old Law, then we will never really be able to fully understand the New Law of the Gospel.

Written On The Hearts Of All

Considering the previous paragraphs, we now come to the New Law, or the law of the Gospel. This “New Law” combines within itself the divine law, natural and revealed, and finds its perfection here on Earth in Christ Jesus. This “New Law” is revealed by Christ Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus links the Old Law, found in the Ten Commandments, with the new law expressed in the Beatitudes. The Old Law, placed in the hands of Israel on Mount Sinai, finds its completion in the New Law Christ writes on the hearts of all. This is accomplished through the Holy Spirit who opens man’s heart to faith in Christ.
The Old Law finds its fulfillment in the Law of the Gospel and is perfected in the person of Jesus Christ. This New Law of the Gospel enables the completion of the promises of old; thus, it raises men’s hearts toward the “Kingdom of Heaven.” The New Law addresses the difficulties of life and offers hope for the poor, the humble, the afflicted, the pure of heart and those who are persecuted for the sake of Christ. The Law of the Gospel reveals the hidden treasures of the Old Law and it points man in a new direction to recognize the human and divine aspects of our lives.
Now man has to choose between the pure and impure, where the gifts of faith, hope and charity are the foundation of the virtues. Living the Law of the Gospel enables us to grow in our ability to Love God first, then our neighbor.
Knowledge of the moral law is imperative in understanding the plan of salvation. Remember, God’s plan is to redeem the human race from the fall that occurred in the Garden. Rectifying original sin required a system of laws to keep humanity focused on the final goal of salvation. The natural law, God’s law, is imprinted within us, always pointing us toward the good. The Old Law reminds us of the moments we disobeyed God, and the journey that is necessary in order to achieve conversion of heart. The New Law of the Gospel reminds us of the reconciling love God has for us.
This is revealed in the glory of the Resurrection, when Christ Jesus conquers the corruptions of sin, darkness, and death, and replaces them with the purity that exists in the light, peace, and joy of Easter.
Examining the moral law is essential if we are to link next week’s article which deals with grace and justification. There can be no grace or justice, if there is no law.