Answer Key: Knowing Gods Will and Living as a Faithful Disciple
For instructor use. This key corresponds directly to the Lesson Assessment. Short answer responses will vary; suggested content is provided as a grading guide.
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PART ONE: Multiple Choice — Answer Key
1. ✅ B — Through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the Church, Providence, and the Holy Spirit
2. ✅ C — Yield, Confess, Pray, Study, Wait
3. ✅ B — Confess
(The Sacrament of Penance is connected to the second step, as unconfessed sin clouds the soul's ability to receive divine light.)
4. ✅ B — Persistent intercessory prayer for the conversion of a loved one
(Saint Monica prayed for decades for the conversion of her son, Saint Augustine.)
5. ✅ C — "Let your conscience be your guard"
(The lesson corrects the popular saying, teaching that a properly formed conscience guards us against error rather than leading us wherever we wish to go.)
6. ✅ B — Always be prepared to give a reason for our hope, with gentleness and respect
7. ✅ C — Pope Pius XI
(Pope Pius XI is cited in connection with the necessity and power of mental prayer.)
8. ✅ B — Know, love, and serve God
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PART TWO: True or False — Answer Key
1.❌ FALSE — Every baptized Catholic is called to apostolic witness by virtue of Baptism. This call is not reserved for clergy or religious alone.
2. ✅ TRUE — The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches that a soul clinging to sin cannot receive the fullness of divine light.
3. ✅ TRUE — Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are the two great channels of divine revelation.
4. ✅ TRUE — The lesson teaches that when God does not answer, this silence may itself be His answer — a call to remain faithful where you are.
5. ❌ FALSE — Saint Francis of Assisi's saying is used in the lesson to affirm the necessity of a holy life "alongside" words, not as a reason to remain silent. Words and witness are both required.
6. ✅ TRUE — The Catechism of the Council of Trent describes the Holy Spirit as the soul's interior teacher.
7. ✅ TRUE — A conscience properly formed and submitted to the Holy Spirit and the teaching authority of the Church will guard us against error.
8. ❌ FALSE — The lesson teaches that our responsibility is to be faithful witnesses, not to guarantee conversion. Results belong to God alone (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:6).
9. ✅ TRUE — Saint Thérèse of Lisieux spoke of God's will being made known through the small, ordinary events of daily life.
10. ✅ TRUE — The Baltimore Catechism defines a Christian as one who believes the teachings of Christ, receives His sacraments, and obeys His commandments.
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PART THREE: Fill in the Blanks — Answer Key
1. Yield — Confess — Pray — Study — Wait
2."...transformed by the renewing of our minds." (Romans 12:2, ESV-CE)
3. The Magisterium refers to the teaching authority of the Church.
4. "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage." (Psalm 27:14, ESV-CE)
5. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6, ESV-CE)
6. Before you speak to a person about God, speak to God about that person.
7. "...shall not return to me empty , but it shall accomplish that which I purpose." (Isaiah 55:11, ESV-CE)
8. Witnessing is not arguing — it is offering the truth in love.
9. ...every soul who approaches it with humility and prayer.
(Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life)
10. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (Luke 10:2, ESV-CE)
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PART FOUR: Short Answer — Grading Guide
Short answers will vary. The following points should be present for full credit. Suggested scoring: 4 points each.
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1. What does it mean to "yield" to God?
A strong answer should include:
- Yielding means surrendering one's own will, preferences, and plans to God — not merely asking God to bless what we have already decided
- It is foundational because all other steps (confession, prayer, study, waiting) require a posture of submission; without it, we approach God on our own terms
- May reference Romans 12:1 — offering oneself as a "living sacrifice" — or the prayer of Our Lord in Gethsemane: "Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42, ESV-CE)
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2. Conscience as "guide" vs. conscience as "guard" — what is the difference?
A strong answer should include:
- A conscience used as a *guide* leads wherever one wishes to go — it becomes self-justifying and can rationalize sin
- A conscience used as a *guard* is properly formed by Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium, and it protects the soul from error and self-deception
- The distinction matters because Catholics are called to form their conscience in conformity with the Church's teaching, not to treat personal feeling as the final authority
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3. Two principles of witnessing — explanation and application
Students may choose any two from the lesson's principles. A strong answer should:
- Accurately name and explain each chosen principle
- Offer a concrete, realistic example of how it could be applied in the student's own life
- Reflect the lesson's emphasis on charity, humility, and reliance on the Holy Spirit rather than argument or pressure
(Award full credit for any two principles accurately described and thoughtfully applied.)
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4. God's will revealed through divine providence and circumstances
A strong answer should include:
- An honest personal reflection (comforting or challenging — either is acceptable)
- Reference to at least one example from the lesson (e.g., Saint Monica, Saint Thérèse, or the principle of waiting)
- Recognition that God's providence is active and purposeful, not random — He guides through the ordinary events of daily life
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5. The call to discipleship and its connection to the full series
A strong answer should include:
- Recognition that discipleship is the fruit of everything studied — knowing God's will, receiving the sacraments, understanding doctrine, and bearing witness all flow into a life of committed following of Christ
- A personal statement of what faithful discipleship means to the student within the life of the Church
- May reference the Baltimore Catechism's definition of a Christian, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20), or any other lesson content from the series
(This question is intentionally personal. Award full credit for any sincere, substantive response that engages the question seriously.)
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Instructors: Please review short answers with charity and attentiveness to each student's level of formation. Where answers are incomplete, consider using them as an opportunity for personal follow-up and encouragement rather than simple correction. The goal of this assessment is growth in faith, not merely academic performance.