Session 1: Who Am I and How Should I Live?

Let's take a closer look at who we are and how we should live. Our Catholic faith has the

answers to these questions. Saint Pope John Paul II addressed these questions in his teachings on

Theology of the Body. Watch this video for a brief introduction on these teachings:

The First Question is: Who am I?

To understand the answer, let’s start with what God tells us through sacred Scripture about who we are:

Is there someone in your life who thinks you are precious? How do you know this

person loves you so much? How does knowing that God loves you unconditionally forever change

the way you view yourself?

How Should I View Myself?

In this next reading, St. Paul compares our bodies to a temple. That's a sacred space.

How might this view of the body change the way a person treats his/her body?

How Should I Live and Act?

Do you know that God has a plan for your life?

How does it make you feel to know God has plans for your life?

What does this scripture passage tell me about how I should act?

Next: The Cardinal Virtues

A virtue is a habit that perfects the powers of the soul and disposes you to do good. Our Church teaches us virtues. Let’s take a look at them.

Cardinal Virtues:

Prudence is basically practical common sense. It’s saying or doing the proper thing, at the
proper time, and in the appropriate manner. It’s also the ability to know and judge whether to
say something or do nothing at all.
Justice is the virtue that seeks to promote fair play. It’s the desire and resolve to give each
person his due. It demands that you reward goodness and punish evil.
Temperance is the virtue by which a person uses balance. It’s the good habit that allows a
person to relax and have fun without crossing the line and committing sin.
Fortitude is the ability to persevere in times of trial and tribulation — the ability to hang in there
when the going gets tough. It’s courage to do the right thing no matter what the cost.
You have to work to develop and maintain these moral virtues. When you’re baptized,
you’re granted a different set of values — the theological virtues of faith, hope, and
love (charity) — that come to you by virtue of the sacrament itself.