The Seven Traits of Humans

Our text book outlines "Seven Traits of Humans" (see page 12 and the reverse side of this sheet). These
traits are identified in the explanation of the dignity of the human person found in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church. (See page 10)

"Our dignity os humon persons is rooted in our creotion in the imoge ond likeness of
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o We share God's capacity for creativity, love, compassion, forgiveness, etc.

"This dignity finds its fulfillment in our doily shoring of 6od's own hoppiness ond
b!i.@."
o We are to seek what will bring real and meaningful happiness and to do what is good.

"It is essentiol thot we freely direct ourselves to this hoppiness. By our own
defiberote octions (rotiono!), we o?e free to choose the good promised by God."
o We have free will to make choices and decisions by making rational decisions. We are free to
make choices based on our intellect and judgement.

"6od hos ffeoted o desire for the good in oll of us (tnoro!_bej!g$.

"This is ottested by morol conscience."

"We contribute to our own interior growth. All of our experiences, feelings, possions
ond octions become o meons of this growth."

r Our passions and feelings guide our actions. Things that we are passionate about, or that create
strong feelings are often the inspiration for our actions. Passions and feelings are neither good or
bad, what is important is how we use these passions and feelings.

"With the help of 6od's g?oce, we grow in virtue ond ovoid sin. And if we sin, we
entrust ourselves to the mercy of our Fother in heoven."

o All of us will make a choice to say or do something that will harm another person. We need to
seek their forgiveness and God's forgiveness to restore the relationships between us and between
us and God.
 1. Humans are created in the image and likeness conditions must be present for a good act. (See
of God Catechism, #77 49, 17 50, 17 55.)
"Cod created humankind in his imnge, in the
.5. Humans have passions or feelings
image of God he created them; male and female he
Feelings are a gift of God, and are part of our
created tlrcm."
human nature. They are a sort of passageway
Of all visible creatures, only humans can know and between our senses - touch, sight, hearing and feel-
love the Creator. Only we are called to share, by
ing - and our mind. Iesus once said that the
knowledge and love, in God's own life. As St.
human heart is the source of our passions and feel-
Catherine of Siena asks: "What made you establish
ings. We have many passions. The highest one is
humans in so great a dignity? Certainly the rncalcula-
ble love by which you have looked on your creature the passion of love, which arises from our attrac-
in yourselfl You are taken with love for her; for by tion to what is good. Love creates in us a desire for
love indeed you created her, by love you have given the absent good and gives us the hope ofobtaining
her a being capable of tasting your etemal Good. " it. Love is the first movement of the human heart
(See Catechism, #3 5 5 -5 6.) toward the good. Only the good can be loved. In
2. Humans are called to happiness and holiness themselves feelings are neither morally good nor
The desire for happiness comes from God. God has morally evil. It is what we choose to do about our
placed this desire for happiness in the human heart feelings that may be good or evil. (See Catechism,
in order to draw all people to the One, who alone #1763-1767.)
can fulfill this desire. As St. Augustine savs, "\{e all 6. Humans are blessed with a conscience
want to live happily; in the whole human race there
Moral conscience is present at the heart of every
is no one who does not assent to this proposition."
person. It is like a voice that tells us, at the appro-
At one time St. Augustine prayed, "How is it, then,
priate moment, to do good and to avoid evil.
that I seek you Lord? Since in seeking you, my God,
Conscience is our most secret core. It is our sanctu-
I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul
may live, for my body draws life from my soul and ary. There we are alone with God. There God's voice
my soul draws life from you." God calls us to God's echoes in our depths. When we listen to our con-
own happiness. Our goal is to be in union with science, we can hear God speaking. In all that we
Cod. (See Catechism, #1718,1719.) say and do, we must follow faithfullv what we

3. Humans are rational and free know to be iust and right. Conscience allows us to
By reason, we can understand the order ofthings know what is right. Conscience is God's voice or
established by the Creator. By free will, rve can messenger in us. (See Catechism, #i795-1802.)
direct ourselves to our true good. Freedom is the 7. Humans are able to sin
power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to As intelligent and free creatures, we can choose
act, to do this or that. By free will, I shape my own good or evii. Because of our freedom, we can go
Iife. The more I do what is good, the freer I become.
astray. When we can fail to love God and neigh-
There is no true freedom except in doing what is
bour, this is what the Scriptures call sin. Sin is an
good and just. Freedom makes us responsible for
offence against reason, truth and right conscience.
our actions to the extent that they are voluntary.
(See Catechism, #1704, 1731, 1733, 1734.)
It is an offence against Cod. This failure to love
God and neighbour comes about when rve are
4. Humans are moral beings
wrongly attached to certain things. When I sin, it
Freedom is what makes us different from animals.
impacts on those around me. tr{y sin can draw oth-
Humans can act with freedom; animals cannot.
=
Because we intend to do certain things, our actions ers to do evil in their turn. My sin causes wrong
z
i, are moral: they are either good or evil. For an act to desires, violence and infustice to reign among us.
O
z be morally good, we have to choose to do what is Sin can even become embodied within social struc-
O
o good, our reason for doing it must be good, and tures through which people victimize one another.
the circumstances of the act must be good. All three (See Catechistn, #317, 1849. 1850, 1869.)