Scriptural StoryA Woman Healed [ Back to Top ]Description and Related ConceptsDescription: From an intellectual standpoint, Christian faith is a reasoned "yes" to God's revealed truth, fully expressed in the person and preaching of Jesus Christ. Christian faith provides our powers of reason with divine illumination to see life's ultimate meaning through our relationship with God in Christ. Our Catholic Christian faith is thus nurtured and strengthened as we encounter Christ in prayer, in God's word, in one another, and most effectively, in the sacraments, especially Eucharist - source and summit of our Christian life. From its earliest times, koinonía (communion/community), marturía (witness), and diakonía (service) and have been the three hallmarks of Christian faith. The Christian community's communion in the Spirit (koinonía) witnesses (marturía) to God's love for humankind in Christ. This witness is made complete in loving service (diakonía), especially to the poor, hungry, sick, imprisoned, grieving, homeless or lonely, in whom it recognizes Christ's presence. In so doing, the Christian community of faith participates in God's work of reconciling the world to God in Christ. Christian faith recognizes the Gospel call to love of God and neighbour as the path to a fully human existence. The gift of faith received at Baptism enables us to understand our origin and destiny: created in love to share in the divine life. Our faith is witnessed through communion in the one Spirit, expressed by reaching out in service, reconciling the world to God in Christ. Faith gives meaning to all aspects of human life; it an orientation of the heart, the soul and mind, shedding light on the true significance of every human life and undertaking. Anchor Concepts: Community, Family, Faith, Redemption, Revelation, Stewardship, Vocation, Transformation/Conversion Related Concepts:
[ Back to Top ]Scripture ReferencesThe Cure of the ParalyticWhen Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Matthew 2: 5 Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed Praying With Faith Upbraided for Lack of Faith; Commissioned to Preach the
Good News Mutual Encouragement in Faith Results of Justification by Faith Unity in the Body of Christ The Surpassing Value of Faith in Christ The Meaning of Faith The Example of Jesus Faith Without Works is Dead [ Back to Top ]Church TeachingsDocuments of Vatican II43 One of the gravest errors of our time is the
dichotomy between the faith which many profess and the practice
of their daily lives. As far back as the Old Testament the prophets
vehemently denounced this scandal (Cf Is 58, 1-12), and in the New
Testament Christ himself with greater force threatened it with severe
punishment (Cf Mt 23, 3-33; Mk 7, 10-13). Let there, then, be no
such pernicious opposition between professional and social activity
on the one hand and religious life on the other. The Christian who
shirks his (sic.) temporal duties shirks his duties towards his
neighbour, neglects God himself and endangers his eternal salvation. 5 "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see
1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience
by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the
full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," and freely
assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith,
the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede
and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the
eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting
to the truth and believing it." 8 And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed
in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an
unending succession of preachers until the end of time. Therefore
the Apostles, handing on what they themselves had received, warn
the faithful to hold fast to the traditions which they have learned
either by word of mouth or by letter (see 2 Thess. 2:15), and to
fight in defense of the faith handed on once and for all (see Jude
1:3) Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes everything
which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith
of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life
and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that
she herself is, all that she believes. 18 Although the mystery of death utterly beggars
the imagination, the Church has been taught by divine revelation
and firmly teaches that man has been created by God for a blissful
purpose beyond the reach of earthly misery. In addition, that bodily
death from which man would have been immune had he not sinned will
be vanquished, according to the Christian faith, when man who was
ruined by his own doing is restored to wholeness by an almighty
and merciful Saviour. For God has called man and still calls him
so that with his entire being he might be joined to Him in an endless
sharing of a divine life beyond all corruption. Christ won this
victory when He rose to life, for by His death He freed man from
death. Hence to every thoughtful man a solidly established faith
provides the answer to his anxiety about what the future holds for
him. At the same time faith gives him the power to be united in
Christ with his loved ones who have already been snatched away by
death; faith arouses the hope that they have found true life with
God. 8 The
Catholic school pursues cultural goals and the natural development
of youth to the same degree as any other school. What makes the
Catholic school distinctive is its attempt to generate a community
climate in the school that is permeated by the Gospel spirit of
freedom and love. It tries to guide the adolescents in such a way
that personality development goes hand in hand with the development
of the "new creature" that each one has become through baptism.
It tries to relate all of human culture to the good news of salvation
so that the light of faith will illumine everything that the students
will gradually come to learn about the world, about life, and about
the human person. Catechism of the Catholic Church166 Faith is a personal act - the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbour impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith. 148 The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that "with God nothing will be impossible" and so giving her assent: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word." Elizabeth greeted her: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." It is for this faith that all generations have called Mary blessed. 149 Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when Jesus her son died on the cross, Mary's faith never wavered. She never ceased to believe in the fulfillment of God's word. And so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith. 150 Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature. 157 Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but "the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives." "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt." 158 "Faith seeks understanding": it is intrinsic to faith that a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith, and to understand better what He has revealed; a more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love. The grace of faith opens "the eyes of your hearts" to a lively understanding of the contents of Revelation: that is, of the totality of God's plan and the mysteries of faith, of their connection with each other and with Christ, the centre of the revealed mystery. "The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood." In the words of St. Augustine, "I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe." 159 Faith and science: "Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth." "Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are." 160 To be human, "man's response to God by faith must be free, and... therefore nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will. the act of faith is of its very nature a free act." "God calls men to serve him in spirit and in truth. Consequently they are bound to him in conscience, but not coerced. . . This fact received its fullest manifestation in Christ Jesus." Indeed, Christ invited people to faith and conversion, but never coerced them. "For he bore witness to the truth but refused to use force to impose it on those who spoke against it. His kingdom... grows by the love with which Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws men to himself." 165 It is then we must turn to the witnesses of faith: to Abraham, who "in hope... believed against hope"; to the Virgin Mary, who, in "her pilgrimage of faith", walked into the "night of faith" in sharing the darkness of her son's suffering and death; and to so many others: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." 171 The Church, "the pillar and bulwark of the truth", faithfully guards "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints". She guards the memory of Christ's words; it is she who from generation to generation hands on the apostles' confession of faith. As a mother who teaches her children to speak and so to understand and communicate, the Church our Mother teaches us the language of faith in order to introduce us to the understanding and the life of faith. 175 "We guard with care the faith that we have received from the Church, for without ceasing, under the action of God's Spirit, this deposit of great price, as if in an excellent vessel, is constantly being renewed and causes the very vessel that contains it to be renewed." 176 Faith is a personal adherence of the whole man to God who reveals himself. It involves an assent of the intellect and will to the self-revelation God has made through his deeds and words. 177 "To believe" has thus a twofold reference: to the person, and to the truth: to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it. 178 We must believe in no one but God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 179 Faith is a supernatural gift from God. In order to believe, man needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit. 180 "Believing" is a human act, conscious and free, corresponding to the dignity of the human person. 181 "Believing" is an ecclesial act. the Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. the Church is the mother of all believers. "No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother" (St. Cyprian, De unit. 6: PL 4, 519). 182 We believe all "that which is contained in the word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church proposes for belief as divinely revealed." (Paul VI, CPG # 20). 183 Faith is necessary for salvation. The Lord himself affirms: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" ( Mk 16:16). 184 "Faith is a foretaste of the knowledge that will make us blessed in the life to come" (St. Thomas Aquinas. Comp. Theol. 1, 2). Other Church Documents Faith Illuminating the Environment of
Catholic Education
53 The Christian faith is, above all, conversion to Jesus Christ, (Cf. AG 13a) full and sincere adherence to his person and the decision to walk in his footsteps ( Cf. CT 5b). Faith is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ making, of oneself a disciple of him. This demands a permanent commitment to think like him, to judge like him and to live as he lived ( Cf. CT 20b). In this way the believer unites himself to the community of disciples and appropriates the faith of the Church (Cf. CCC 166-167). The General Directory for Catechesis, Congregation For the Clergy, 1997 54 By faith man freely commits his entire self completely to God, making the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, and willingly assenting to the Revelation given by him (DV 5). To believe has thus a double reference: to the person and to the
truth; to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to
it (CCC 177). Faith involves a change of life, a "metanoia", (Cf.
EN 10; AG 13b; CCC 1430-1431) that is a profound transformation
of mind and heart; it causes the believer to live that conversion
(EN 23). This transformation of life manifests itself at all levels
of the Christian's existence: in his interior life of adoration
and acceptance of the divine will, in his action, participation
in the mission of the Church, in his marred and family life; in
his professional life; in fulfilling economic and social responsibilities.
33 Men and women are on a journey of discovery
which is humanly unstoppable - a search for the truth and a search
for a person to whom they might entrust themselves. Christian faith
comes to meet them, offering the concrete possibility of reaching
the goal they seek...and immerses them in the order of grace, which
enables them to share in the mystery of Christ, which in turn offers
them a true and coherent knowledge of the Triune God. In Jesus Christ...,
faith recognizes the ultimate appeal to humanity, an appeal made
in order that what we experience as desire and nostalgia may come
to fulfillment." [ Back to Top ]Canadian/Ontario Documents When we go out to bring the Gospel to the world of our students,
we ask ourselves a serious question. What is the essence of what
we wish to transmit to the next generation? The answer is actually
quite simple: Christian faith. In leading children to the mystery of God, we guide them to the
experience of God that gives meaning to these moments of their lives.
To come to faith is to embrace God as the irreplaceable meaning
of life, taking the plunge that allows us to surrender all the rest
of our life to God. It is always a question of encounter, experience
and response. All too often we do not draw near to this understanding
of faith. Instead we reduce all our talk about faith to speech about
prepositional truths, or codes of moral or religious behaviour.
...Truths and consequences are very much a part of the faith, but
they flow from our encounter with the God who has drawn close to
us in Jesus Christ. The foundational purpose of a Catholic faith
education is to continually remind a new generation of believers
that faith is not a matter of comprehending God, but one of God
apprehending us in love. We do not just believe some things, but
we have found in God someone to believe in. Those involved in Catholic education have an awesome privilege
and responsibility. They are called not only to create an authentic
faith community in the school but also to bring that community into
communion with the parish and the wider Church community. The educational
community of a Catholic school should be trying to become a Christian
community: a genuine community of faith. To begin with, Catholic education proclaims that there is a God.
It believes there is a divine reality, an ultimate mystery that
is both creator and sustainer of life. It believes that informing
the learner about God and humanity's relationship with God is essential
to any educational process. Critical to this belief is the proclamation
that this divine reality invites relationship, a relationship that
is personal and intimate. To that end, Catholic education informs
the learner that the basis of self-worth is rooted in the fact that
all persons are children of God... This love is at the heart of
human interaction as well. This social dimension directs learning
towards issues concerning the nature of the human family, the building
of community, and the importance of justice and peace education.
It is best stated in the Gospel imperative to love God and neighbour
as one does one's self. In Catholic education, intellectual development
is encouraged and such growth includes both academic and religious
literacy. ...In this sense, knowledge is illuminated with the light
of faith. The source of this illumination is divine revelation,
God's self-disclosure as found in Sacred Scripture and in the teachings
of the Catholic Church. In Catholic education, the commitment to
maturity of mind and academic excellence is always in reference
to God's revealed wisdom as to life's purpose and meaning." [ Back to Top ]Quotations Faith certainly tells us what the senses do not, but not the contrary
of what they see; it is above, not against them. He who loses money loses much. He who loses a friend loses more.
But he who loses faith loses all. Faith is the force of life. Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge
into the light. Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole
staircase, just take the first step. To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without
faith, no explanation is possible. Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith
is to see what you believe. On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions;
it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest
property. I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst,
a 'transformer' in any situation, any organization. Such an individual
is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative,
patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming
leader. I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands work 15
and 16 hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms
of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak
the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and
hard work by the simple eloquence of his example. Faith... must be enforced by reason...When faith becomes blind,
it dies. The beginning of faith is the beginning of fruitfulness; but the
beginning of unbelief, however glittering, is empty. The ultimate ground of faith and knowledge is confidence in God.
A firm faith in the universal providence of God is the solution
of all earthly troubles. [ Back to Top ]Web ResourcesThe Vatican The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops AmericanCatholic.org Catholic Culture Homepage Catholic Canada Website Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute Catholic Association of Religious and Family Life Educators
of Ontario (CARFLEO) Electronic New Testament Educational Resources Page Faith Doing Justice Internet Padre Papal and Episcopal Documents Related to Catholic Social
Justice Teaching Passionist Community Prayer Resources Sacred Space Second Spring Journal of Faith and Culture United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [ Back to Top ]Links to Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations
[ Back to Top ]Reflection QuestionsPersonal and Group Reflections:Personal Reflections:1. I describe a time when I was influenced by the faith of another person. 2. I describe a time when I hoped that my own faith was an inspiration to another person. Small Group Reflection: 1. Name someone who young people in our schools would consider as a model of faith. 2. How does this person exemplify faith in their life and actions? 3. What are some of the attitudes and activities our young people encounter in popular culture which:
Strategies: 1. Provide an example of a strategy which might help you make the concept of faith more explicit in the curriculum you teach. 2. What strategies are already in place to make signs of faith more visible in your school community? [ Back to Top ] |
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