Please choose a pastoral topic that interests you and write on that topic drawing primarily on the content of one of the Ten Commandments as explained in the CCC. By “pastoral topic,” I mean a moral issue or question, the addressing of which would serve the cause of formation in the Church today (e.g. use of media, truthfulness in relationships, modesty, the Sunday rest, and so on). In the course of your essay, be sure to explain the positive aspects of the commandment (i.e. what goods does it aim to safeguard and foster?); explain also the negative aspects (i.e. what rules, requirements, or restrictions does it involve?) and how they relate to the positive aspects. In short, you are to present a pastoral topic through the lens of one of the Ten Commandments and its requirements, and you are to do this in light of the Decalogue as a whole being an invitation to love and to fullness of life.
The target for your work should be adult-level catechesis, whether in a parish or perhaps a Catholic magazine or newspaper. Thus, this essay assignment is designed to give you a chance to write with a view towards a more pastoral context. At the same time, to do this successfully your essay must once again be carefully structured and cogently argued. It should not merely be an exposition of one of the commandments; rather, it should make an overall point that incorporates both the positive and negative content of a commandment.
Here are a two specific requirements that are intended to give you a leg up on writing a strong essay:
1.) After you write your introductory paragraph(s), I’d like you to copy your thesis statement (one sentence) and paste it between the title and the first line of the essay (you might revise this thesis statement by the time you finish writing—that happens sometimes and can be a normal part of learning while writing). So, basically, type the paper title, then “Thesis:” followed by your thesis statement, and then the first line of the essay.
2.) You should use the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) as your model and as a source. This means that the way the CCC approaches the Commandments gives you an idea of how you should approach the commandment you choose, and you’ll want to cite the CCC as you write. In addition, you should incorporate material from both sections one (“Man’s Vocation: Life in the Spirit) and two (“The Ten Commandments”) of Part III.
A few final details: (a) please do not include a cover page with your essay; (b) please use 11–12 pt font; (c) please use footnotes for references (not endnotes) or, for repeated citations from major text, e.g. magisterial document, Scripture, etc., you can use parenthetical citations in the text, e.g. (Fides et ratio, n. 16); (d) you may, but need not, cite outside resources as you see fit, but make sure these support the argument you’re making rather than weaken, or even worse substitute for it; Previous
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