Age Range: 12-13 years (school Year 7)
Core Themes: Beatitudes, virtues and vices, moral decision-making, conscience formation
Primary Sources:
Early adolescence brings intense peer pressure and identity questions. This year grounds students in virtue ethics—not just rules but character formation. They’re ready to understand morality as the art of becoming fully human.
Objection 1: It seems rules limit happiness because they prevent us from doing what we want, and happiness means getting what we want.
Objection 2: Furthermore, many people who break rules seem happy, while good people often suffer.
Objection 3: Moreover, different cultures have different rules, suggesting morality is just social convention, not a path to happiness.
On the contrary, Jesus begins His most famous sermon with the Beatitudes—a blueprint for happiness¹—which are moral teachings. Also, Augustine discovered: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you”².
I answer that God designed us like He designed everything else—with a purpose and nature. Just as a plant is “happy” (flourishing) when it has sun, water, and good soil, humans flourish when living according to our design.
Think of it like this: A fish is free in water but would die in “freedom” on land. Similarly, we’re most free and happy within God’s design, not outside it. Moral laws aren’t arbitrary rules but the manufacturer’s instructions for human flourishing.
The Beatitudes reveal this perfectly. They seem paradoxical:
Yet Jesus is showing that true happiness comes from:
Reply to Objection 1: Wanting the wrong things makes us miserable. It’s like craving only candy—you get sick. God’s rules direct us to what truly satisfies.
Reply to Objection 2: Worldly success isn’t true happiness. Many celebrities are miserable despite having everything. True joy comes from inner peace.
Reply to Objection 3: While customs vary, basic morality is universal—all cultures value truth, courage, justice, and love. These point to natural law written on our hearts³.
Question: Whether virtues can be developed or are just natural talents?
I answer that virtues are like muscles—everyone has the capacity, but they grow through exercise. Even naturally kind people must work to develop heroic charity. Even naturally brave people must practice to gain true fortitude.
The Cardinal Virtues (natural hinges of good life):
1. PRUDENCE (right judgment)
2. JUSTICE (giving what’s due)
3. FORTITUDE (courage)
4. TEMPERANCE (moderation)
The Theological Virtues (supernatural gifts):
1. FAITH (believing God)
2. HOPE (trusting God’s promises)
3. CHARITY (loving as God loves)
Virtue Mapping Create a chart:
Vice Autopsy Pick a news story about someone’s downfall:
Beatitude Translation Rewrite each Beatitude for your school:
Conscience Examination 2.0 Not just “what did I do wrong?” but:
Virtue Goal Setting
Read: Matthew 19:16-22
Picture It: You’re the young man. You’ve kept all the commandments. Jesus looks at you with love and says, “One thing you lack…” What is your “one thing”?
Think:
Challenge: Identify your “one thing” that keeps you from complete freedom. Talk to Jesus about it.
The Group Chat Dilemma
You’re added to a group chat where friends share:
Options:
Virtue Analysis:
Possible Response: “Hey guys, this is getting mean. We’re better than this. Who wants to start a different chat for actually funny stuff?”
Vice Algorithms
Social media profits by amplifying vices:
Virtue Response:
30-Day Challenge: Post only content that practices a virtue. Track which gets more/less engagement. What does this reveal?
Universal Ethics, Different Expressions
All major traditions value virtues:
Dialogue Approach:
Natural law means all humans recognize basic good/evil, even if expressions differ⁴
The Girl Who Chose Virtue Over Life
Maria was 11 when Alessandro, a neighbor, tried to assault her. She fought him off saying, “It is a sin! God does not want it!” He stabbed her 14 times. Dying, she forgave him: “I want him in heaven with me.”
Her witness:
Modern lesson: In a hypersexualized culture, purity is possible and powerful. Virtue isn’t weakness but strength.
This Week: Where do you need Maria’s courage to say “God does not want this”?
Your adolescent is developing:
Natural Law Theory⁵ Written on human hearts:
These incline us toward virtue naturally.
Virtue Ethics vs. Deontology vs. Consequentialism
Catholic morality integrates all three with virtue primary.
Habitus (Habits)⁶
Conscience Formation⁷ Conscience must be:
“Everyone else is doing it!” “I hear you, and I know it’s hard to be different. But let me ask: If everyone jumped off a bridge, would that make it safe? Truth isn’t determined by majority vote. Also, ‘everyone’ is usually exaggerated—there are others making good choices too, you just might not see them. Here’s what’s true: You’re called to be a leader, not a follower. The saints were often alone in their stands. What matters isn’t what ‘everyone’ does but what the person God created you to be would do. Let’s talk about specific strategies for handling this pressure…”
“Good people finish last” “It does seem that way sometimes! But let’s examine what ‘finishing first’ means. If it means money and power at any cost, then yes, ruthless people often get those. But do they get peace? Real friendships? Clear consciences? The ability to look their children in the eye? Also, think long-term: Bernie Madoff ‘won’ for decades then died in prison. Lance Armstrong had seven Tour titles, all stripped. Meanwhile, people like Fred Rogers or Mother Teresa ‘lost’ by worldly standards but left legacies of love. What kind of ‘finishing first’ do you actually want?”
“These rules are outdated” “Which ones specifically? Let’s examine them. Some Church disciplines (like fasting rules) do change with time and culture. But moral principles (like the Ten Commandments) are based on human nature, which doesn’t change. Gravity is an ‘old’ law—should we ignore it because it’s ancient? The Church’s moral teachings have produced saints in every century, in every culture. They’ve been tested by millions and found reliable. What seems ‘outdated’ might actually be countercultural wisdom. But I’m open—which teaching troubles you and why?”
“I keep failing at the same sin” “Welcome to the human condition! Even St. Paul said, ‘I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want’⁸. Here’s the key: God’s mercy is bigger than your weakness. Every saint had habitual sins they battled. What matters is you keep fighting. Think of it like learning a sport—you fail repeatedly before succeeding. Three helps: 1) Identify what triggers this sin and avoid those situations, 2) Replace the vice with its opposite virtue actively, 3) Use sacraments frequently—Confession gives grace, not just forgiveness. Progress, not perfection, is the goal.”
❌ “Just follow the rules” ✅ Say: “Let’s understand why this leads to flourishing”
❌ “Because I said so” ✅ Say: “Here’s the wisdom behind this boundary…”
❌ “You’re bad for struggling” ✅ Say: “Your struggles show you’re fighting—that’s good!”
❌ “Morality is just common sense” ✅ Say: “Morality takes wisdom, which we develop together”
❌ “Wait until you’re older to understand” ✅ Say: “This is complex, but let’s explore what you can grasp now”
Daily Virtue Focus
Beatitude Living
Examination of Conscience 2.0 Not just sin-focused but virtue-focused:
Virtue Accountability
Seasonal Practices
Church Documents
Virtue Ethics
Practical Formation
Reading about virtues:
Practice in mirror:
Which feels most empowering?
Character Inventory:
Design your “virtue action plan”!
Complete honestly:
“The virtue I most admire in others is… because…”
“My biggest moral struggle is…”
“I feel most alive when I…”
“By next year, I want to be someone who…”
Check what calls to you: □ How saints overcame bad habits □ The science of habit formation □ Heroes who chose virtue over success □ How to know God’s will □ Conscience vs. feelings □ Why the Church teaches what it does □ Modern martyrs my age
Time to grow!