| CCC
142 - 175, 185-196 Faith The Obedience of Faith 1. According to the Second Vatican Council (and the Catechism): By His Revelation, “the invisible God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and dwells among them, in order to invite and take them into his own company.” What do we call man’s response to this invitation? Describe this concept. 2. According to the Catechism, who is the “model” in the Scriptures of the “obedience of faith”? In whom do we find its most perfect embodiment? 3. In what ways does Abraham serve as a model of faith. * obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance, going out not knowing where he was to go * by faith he lived as a stranger in a strange land: as a pilgrim * by faith, Sarah was given to conceive a son of the promise (when she and her husband were old and childless) * by faith, Abraham offered that son – his only son, the son of the promise – in sacrifice. He offered back to God the dearest gift that God had given to him. Note, however, that God did not accept this gift (he wanted the sacrifice of his heart, not his son), but He did not hold back His own Son from sacrifice. * Abraham fulfills the definition of faith in Heb 11.1: “Faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.” Abraham heard the word of God and believed in the love and good will of God. When God called, he responded, even though there was no proof of the final result. (Think of soldiers who “believe in” a commanding officer. They don’t know where they are going or why. But they believe in their commander, so when he speaks, they obey. If this is done merely out of an unquestioning, fearful obedience, then it is a problem. But is there a kind of “faith” in a superior which is not slavish or foolish? But indeed is the kind of response that could save your life? * In this definition, there are two elements: an intellectual part (an evidence of things unseen) and a volitional part (the substance of things hoped for). Faith involves a hope for something not yet present, something for which there is not absolute demonstration. And yet, that hope and love, which responds to the love of God, gives us the evidence we need though we are lacking the visible evidence. * Consider when someone has faith in you (your mother, your wife, your sister). If you prove yourself to them (once you’ve won the Olympics or the World Championship), then they don’t need faith. Faith is something you have in someone before they’ve proven themselves. Their love allows them to see something in you that others don’t. Their faith is not merely starry-eyed wishes; it has substance: the substance of things hoped for. They see something real. They see evidence of things unseen. Do you believe that’s possible? Have you experienced? Have you ever had faith in someone others did not? Has anyone ever had faith in you when others did not? What was the experience like? Was it real? Or was it foolish? 4. In what ways is Mary an embodiment of faith? * She welcomes the message and promise brought by the angel Gabriel (and think about the message!), believing that “with God nothing is impossible” (even giving birth without sex; even the Incarnation of the Most High in the flesh of a child!: who would believe that without seeing it and having it verified? How many people want signs and wonders? And even then, they’re still not convinced? But Mary recognizes the voice of the Lord, and her response isn’t: “Well, let me think about that” or “Well, I’m generally predisposed in that direction, but could you explain a little bit of what that would entail. Is there going to be pain, for example? Suffering? Trouble? I mean, the giving birth to God’s Own Servant might be a personally beneficial thing, but then again, the history of the prophets (and of holy men in general) has not always been so good. I mean, are people going to stone me to get to the child? Will my womb burst with this “child of the Most High? This could end up disturbing my plain, quiet life.” But Mary responds without questioning, saying: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me as He wills.” (As He has spoken, so let it be done. If He has instructed you to do something, do it. Like you, I too will obey. We are both His servants first and foremost. When I hear His voice, I go. The love in her heart causes her to act freely and join herself to God’s will immediately, when most of us would hold back. ) * And what is she asked to do? Carry the child Jesus in her womb, yes. But also to raise Him, and then what? She does not know. But in fact, she is forced to watch Him die. She is asked to be united fully – and bodily – in Christ’s birth and death. And she agrees to do so without question, without proof. * Aren’t we all called by “angels” (messengers) to be united fully – and bodily – in Christ’s mission and death? Can we, like Mary, declare with our whole heart, strength, and spirit an unquestioning yes? An absolutely simple yes? A humble and selfless yes? (Not one that says: “Yes, Lord, I’ll do this for you. But you’d better be ready to do a whole lot for me in return!” Or: “Look at me! I’m sacrificing for God! How put upon I am! How holy I must be in God’s eyes. Clearly, I’ll be getting a big reward eventually, and all you guys? Well, obviously you’ll be underneath my boot heal. No, none of that for Mary. Hers is a “yes” born of pure, simple, selfless love: “Of course, Lord; I can do no other. My heart is yours. My life is yours. Command; I believe in you. I know that, if you ask, it must be for the ultimate good. And I will participate in whatever small part I can play to make that happen. Thank you for allowing me to participate in your providential plan, whatever it is. I can’t see it; I don’t understand it. But I don’t need to. It’s you, and my faith is in you, my heart is yours, my life is yours. “Not as I will, but as you will Father.” Who said that? That, by the way, is why Catholics think that Mary participates -- plays her part -- in Christ’s sacrifice. Can we, similarly, heed God’s call and play our part by echoing Christ’s statement, as He was faced with the ultimate gift of Himself: “Not as I will Father, but as you will”? I Know Whom I Have Believed 5. In class, I gave a number of examples from human relationships to illustrate what “faith” is like. Those examples are, however, necessarily limited. Can we ever place the same kind of faith in another creature that we place in God? Why or why not? To believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God 6. Why, for Christians, can believing in God not be separated from believing in Jesus? The Characteristics of Faith Faith is a grace 7. How is it possible to believe in Christ, God incarnate, given how far past human experience and human expectations this is? * the Holy Spirit makes it possible. To believe that it is God’s own Spirit that moves us to hear His voice in our hearts. Faith is a gift of grace. God’s love moves the heart and converts to God, who opens the eyes of the mind. Think again of a mother whose love “opens her eyes and her understanding” to see things in her children – strengths and possibilities – that others do not see. They may be looking closely; they may even be trained scientists or psychologists, and they miss what she sees. Why is that? Does her love allow her to see things others miss? Faith is a human act 8. The Catechism claims that faith is made possible by grace. Does that mean that it ceases to be an authentically human act? Is it contrary to human freedom and human reason? Faith and Understanding 9. According to the Catechism: What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason; we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.” Explain. * Again, even in human faith, when a mother or coach believes in a young person, it is not necessarily because it appears true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason. We say: “Who could have believed that that sickly kid would have become a world champion?” Answer: His mother. His coach. On what basis did they believe? Not because natural reason could find sufficient reasons. When a commander says to his crew: “We can ride out this storm!” they believe not necessarily because they have good reason to think things will work out. They believe not in the situation; they believe in him. When your friend is accused of a crime, and he says: “I am not guilty,” you believe him not necessarily because all the evidence suggests he is innocent, but because you know him to be a person who would not lie. * Now, granted, humans are finite and they can fail. But the belief in God entails the belief that He is good, that when He speaks He can “neither be deceive nor be deceived.” It’s not like He could be wrong about something – about anything – in the universe. He made everything. He keeps everything in existence at every moment. He knows every atom in every particle in every energy field everywhere in the universe or universes. He cannot be deceived. And like the trust you have in your heart about your friend, you know that He would not deceive. 10. One sometimes hears about making a “blind leap of faith.” According to the Catechism, is faith a blind impulse of the mind? Why or why not? 11. The Catechism suggest that faith is certain; indeed, more certain than all purely human knowledge. Does that mean that when one has faith, there can be no doubts? 12. According to the Catechism, what is the relationship between faith and science? 13. Can you force people to have faith? 14. Is faith (at least some sort of faith in God’s ability to save us and help us) necessary for salvation? Another way of putting this might be to ask: If we are going to enter into a loving communion with God, isn’t the acceptance of God’s love in faith necessary first? (Remember, we love, because God has loved us first). 15. One hears a lot about being “born again” or “receiving the Holy Spirit.” While not wishing to deny the legitimacy of these conversion experiences, once one has been “born again,” is it still necessary to persevere in faith? (In other words, is a conversion experience the end of one’s journey, or merely the beginning?) What sorts of things are necessary to persevere? 16. Above we asked whether having faith meant that there would never be doubts. Relate what the Catechism says on this score with the statement from 2 Cor 5.7: “We walk by faith and not by sight.” We Believe 17. According to the Catechism, faith is a personal act – the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. Is faith an isolated act of an individual? 18. What is the relationship between the answer to the question above and the notion in the Catechism that it is “through the Church that we receive faith ....”? 19. Having suggested that it is “through the Church that we receive the faith,” the Catechism makes the following important caveat: “Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother: We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth, and not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation.” Explain. 20. Christians often proclaim their faith by the use of creeds: certain formulas or propositions that set forth what they believe. Do they believe in the words they pronounce? What is the use of the words of these formulas? 21. In the question above, we were talking about “the language of faith.” Well of course the message of the Gospel and the revealed word of God has been translated into all the languages and cultures of the globe as well as most of the languages and cultures of history. Is it still one faith? The Profession of the Christian Faith: The Creeds 22. What is a “creed”? Why is it called a “creed”? 23. There are three parts to the creed. What are they? 24. There have been any number of creeds in use throughout the history of the Church, but there are two that occupy a special place in the Church’s life. What are they, and what are their origins? |