Grace Thompson
Living the Gospel is a phrase that has become more common in the last hundred years, and it means adopting a lifestyle that reflects the character of Jesus Christ. This involves living out the commandments and teachings of Jesus, following Him, and making disciples of all nations. For Catholics, this means embodying the gospel values of love, harmony, kindness, and respect in everyday experiences. It also means exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting daily, and forgiving others. Catholics are also called to defend the dignity of human life and promote human rights, including the right to life, from inception to natural death. This includes opposing abortion and euthanasia, addressing poverty, violence, and injustice, and striving to live as Jesus did.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Faith in Jesus Christ | Love, harmony, kindness, respect |
| Repentance | Humility, forgiveness |
| Covenants with God | Salvation, exaltation |
| Enduring to the end | Hope, resilience |
| Living the cross | Selflessness, gratitude |
| Practising humility | Truthfulness |
| Respect for life | Commitment to human rights, anti-violence |
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What You'll Learn
Embody the gospel in your everyday life
Living the Gospel is about embodying the teachings of Jesus in your everyday life. It is about putting the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, into practice through your actions and behaviour.
The Gospel teaches that every person is loved by God and is deserving of respect, kindness, and dignity. This means that in your daily life, you should strive to treat others with love, respect, and kindness, regardless of their actions. This can be challenging, but conflict can be an opportunity to glorify God and become more like Christ by responding with love and forgiveness. Practising humility and gratitude in your daily life is also important, acknowledging that everything you have is a gift from God.
Living the Gospel also means following the commandments of Jesus and making disciples of all nations. This involves sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others so that they may have the chance to receive eternal life. This can be done through your words and actions, by promoting and aspiring towards the values implicit in the Gospels in your everyday experiences. For example, this could include welcoming newcomers, embracing cultural diversity, assisting those in need, and maintaining hope in difficult times.
Additionally, living the Gospel encompasses four divinely appointed responsibilities: exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting daily, making and keeping covenants with God, and enduring to the end. This may also include opposing abortion and euthanasia, but it is important to remember that this does not excuse indifference to other issues such as poverty, violence, and injustice.
By embodying these teachings and values in your everyday life, you can strive to live as Jesus did and bring a little bit of "heaven on earth".
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Exercise faith in Jesus Christ
Exercising faith in Jesus Christ is a central tenet of Catholicism. It involves accepting Jesus as our saviour and living in accordance with His will through repentance and obedience to His commandments. This means striving to live as Jesus did, promoting and aspiring towards the values implicit in the gospels.
The Gospels emphasise the centrality of love and harmony in Jesus' teachings. Catholics believe that every person is loved by God and is deserving of respect, kindness, and dignity. By adopting a consistent ethic of life, Catholics should seek to protect human life and promote human dignity from inception to the final moment. This includes opposing abortion and euthanasia, as well as addressing poverty, violence, and injustice.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a principle of action and power. It involves taking action and stepping out in faith, even when we don't have perfect understanding. This may include making covenants with God, repenting daily, and enduring to the end by keeping those covenants.
To exercise faith in Jesus Christ, Catholics can look to the Bible as a handbook for how to conduct their lives. This includes reading the scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, and seeking to understand and obey God's will. Catholics can also strengthen their spiritual self through prayer and physical practices, such as exercise or running, as a way to express gratitude towards God for the gift of their bodies.
By exercising faith in Jesus Christ, Catholics can access power that allows them to exceed their natural limits and learn beyond their capabilities. This faith can provide motivation and direction in all areas of life, including learning and teaching.
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Forgive and repent
Living the Gospel is about more than just words; it's about putting values into practice in everyday life. One of the key aspects of living the Gospel as a Catholic is forgiveness and repentance.
Forgiveness is a central tenet of Christianity, and Catholics are encouraged to forgive others as God forgives them. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught his followers to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Matthew 6:12). This implies that forgiveness from God is dependent on our willingness to forgive others.
However, the question of whether Catholics should forgive those who are not sorry for their offenses is a complex one. Some interpret Jesus's words on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), as a call to forgive everyone unconditionally. However, others argue that Jesus was specifically referring to those involved in his crucifixion and that forgiveness should be granted only to those who are repentant. This interpretation is supported by other passages in the Bible, such as 2 Corinthians 7:10, which says, "Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation," and 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he...will forgive our sins." Additionally, in Luke 17:3-4, Jesus says, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."
Catholics are called to strive to live as Jesus did, and this includes both forgiving and repenting. While forgiving those who have caused harm can be challenging, it is important to remember that forgiveness is not just for the other person but also for oneself. It allows one to let go of resentment, hate, and anger, which can bring peace and joy.
Repentance is the other side of the coin when it comes to forgiveness. Just as Catholics are called to forgive, they are also called to repent of their sins. In Catholic teaching, repentance involves feeling godly grief for one's sins and confessing them, which leads to God's forgiveness. This daily repentance is part of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is essential for salvation.
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Respect the dignity of all human life
Respect for the dignity of human life is a fundamental aspect of Catholic social teaching. The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred, and that every person has an innate human dignity that cannot be taken away. This belief is the foundation of Catholic social teaching and is derived from the understanding that humans are created in the image of God.
The Church's stance on the sanctity of human life and dignity has implications for a broad spectrum of issues. For instance, the Church opposes abortion and euthanasia, as these practices directly contradict the belief in the sanctity of life. Similarly, the Church condemns the death penalty, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research as threats to the value of human life.
The Catholic Church also emphasizes the importance of social justice and equality. Inequalities that affect the lives and dignity of individuals, such as poverty, social disparity, and inhumane living or working conditions, are considered sinful and contrary to the Gospel. Catholics are called to respect and uphold the dignity of all people, regardless of their social or economic status. This includes respecting the rights and inherent dignity of those who are vulnerable, imprisoned, or marginalized.
Catholics are also called to be good stewards of creation, protecting both people and the planet. This includes caring for the environment and working towards peace to prevent conflicts and the loss of innocent lives.
In summary, respecting the dignity of all human life involves upholding the sanctity of life from inception to natural death, promoting social justice and equality, and caring for God's creation. Catholics are called to live out these values in their daily lives, striving to emulate Jesus' example of love and harmony.
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Love one another
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just about words, but also about practical application in our lives. The Church's social teachings are rooted in the gospel, and every Catholic should strive to live by these values every day. Central to Jesus' teaching is the idea of 'love one another'.
In John 13:34, Jesus taught: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." He added, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (verse 35). This commandment is profound in its implications. It is not about a vague feeling or intellectual understanding, but about a deep, personal, and experiential knowing that changes our relationships in a tangible way.
To love one another is to love fellow believers as Christ loves us. This means loving without judgment and not limiting our love to those who look, talk, or think like us. Christ's love extends to every human person, regardless of skin colour, gender, social status, or any other differentiating factor. We are all made in the image and likeness of God and are beloved by Him.
By loving us, Jesus shows us the Father's heart, and He asks us to love each other with the same heart. This may seem impossible by human standards, but Christ enables us to love with divine power through baptism and the Eucharist. We are equipped, empowered, and enabled to love with the same love with which He has loved us.
Living the Gospel involves exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting daily, and keeping covenants with God. By promoting and aspiring towards Gospel values, we strive to live as Jesus did, applying these values to our everyday experiences.
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Frequently asked questions
To live the Gospel means to live by the commandments and teachings of Jesus Christ, following in His footsteps and making disciples of all nations.
Central to the teachings of Jesus Christ is the importance of love and harmony. The Gospel states that God is love and that we should love one another as God loves us.
The Gospel should be central to your life, influencing your actions and behaviour. This could include showing kindness and respect to others, welcoming newcomers, embracing cultural diversity, and assisting those in need.
The Catholic Church promotes a broad spectrum of issues, including the protection of human life and the promotion of human dignity from conception to natural death. They oppose abortion and euthanasia while also advocating against poverty, violence, and injustice.
Living the Gospel within your family can involve practising humility, gratitude, and forgiveness. This includes apologising quickly and sincerely when conflicts arise and extending forgiveness to one another, reflecting God's love and grace.
