Faith and life

The Canaanite woman

Mt 15:21-28:

“O woman, great is your

faith! Let it be done for you as you wish”.

FAITH : Answer to Divine Call

• God invites us to His friendship.

• We receive this invitation through

Jesus Christ.

• Faith is the response of man

surrendering himself to God who

revealed himself through Jesus Christ.

• We call this response faith or Faith is

the response to this call.

Catechism of Catholic Church (CCC)142, 143

CHAPTER THREE

MAN'S RESPONSE TO GOD

142 By his Revelation, "the invisible God, from the

fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and

moves among them, in order to invite and receive them

into his own company." [DV 2; cf. Col 1:15; I Tim 1:17; Ex

33:11; Jn 15:14-15; Bar 3:38 (Vulg.).] The adequate

response to this invitation is faith. [1102]

143 By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his

will to God. [Cf. DV 5.] With his whole being man gives

his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this

human response to God, the author of revelation, "the

obedience of faith". [Cf. Rom 1:5; 16:26.] [2087]

Abraham“The Father of the Faithful”

BY FAITH

• Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was to go (Heb 11:8).

• Abraham lived in the promised land as an alien, a stranger and a pilgrim (Gen 23:4).

• Though aged, Sarah received the grace to conceive the promised son (Gen 21:2)

• Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son Issac.

Thus he became the father of all faithful.

The full picture of obedient faith is Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary,who gave her consent, received with faith God’s message andpromise given through angel Gabriel. Mary surrendered totallyto the divine will. Because of this faith, all generations call Bl.Virgin Mary “Blessed”.

Characteristics of Faith

1. Faith – a Gift of God.

2. Faith – a Human Act.

3. Faith – a Gift Perfects Reason.

4. Faith – the Beginning of Eternal Life.

5. Faith – a Gift to be Protected Daily.

1.Faith is a Gift• Reason does not suffice

to believe in Revelation. We need the gift of Faith.

• “And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 16:17).

2. Faith Is a Human Act

• I want to believe, to trust God.

• Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed are contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason.

• In the act of faith, intellect and will cooperate with God’s grace.

3. Faith Needs Reason

• “Although faith is above reason, yet there can never be any real disagreement between faith and reason, because it is the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith and who has put the light of reason in the human soul” (Vatican I).

4. Faith – the beginning of Eternal Life

• All of us live in this world with the hope of the heavenly glory that we expect to attain. Hence, we have already begun eternal life by our faith (CCC 163)

5. Faith – A Gift to be Protected Daily.

• Today, faith may be liable to various tests.

• Constant effort is required to continue in faith until death.

• Life of faith is a pilgrimage. In this pilgrimage there may be crises and temptations.

• Hence we must be very careful to safeguard the gift of faith.

THEMES of Faith

1.Faith in Holy Trinity.

2.Faith in Catholic Church.

3.Faith in Eternal Life.

It is the faith in God, the

Almighty Father, and Jesus

Christ, His only Son and in the

Holy Spirit, the life-giver.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity

is revealed to us in its totality

through Jesus, the Son of God.

We have received baptism in the

name of the Father, and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

We are called to share in the

communion of the Holy Trinity by

the grace we receive in baptism.

2. Faith in Catholic Church

Church is the people

of God, the mystical

body of Christ and the

temple of the Holy

Spirit.

Jesus has entrusted

the Church to

continue His mission

of salvation.

Church continues

this mission through

proclamation of the

Gospel, and

ministration of

sacraments and

pastoral ministries.

3. Faith in Eternal Life

Levels of Faith – in Life

1.Church Level

2.Family Level

3.Personal Level

4.Community Level

1. Church Level

1. Church Level

• Only a person who grows in ecclesial life style can be a model of perfect Christian life.

• The participation in the Holy Mass in communion with the parish community and other pious activities are essential for the growth of faith.

2. Family Level

2. Family Level

• Faith is handed over to the next generation in the family, the home church.

• Faith transferred through parents, brothers and sisters, strengthens one in faith.

• When parents, brothers, sisters and relatives become witnesses of profound faith, children will grow as successors of this faith.

3. Personal LevelTrue personal life is a clear reflection of deep faith.The ways of growth and the experiences therein, the convictions formed out of these experiences and life-witnesses are factors of persuasion and inspiration in an individual’s faith formation.One becomes a believer when the roots of faith go deeper and a weak believer when the roots of faith become stagnant and a non-believer, which the root is no more present.

4. Community Level

4. Community Level

• Personalities capable of becoming models to man, as a social being will give inspiration to faith-life.

• Life style of spiritual persons founded on faith is capable of awakening man’s social consciousness.

• In addition to that, our lives rooted in faith will be an inspiration for many to lead a good life.

LASTLY

Sins against faith

1. Omission

2.1.a) Rash credulity

2.1.b) Superstition

2.2.a) Infidelity

2.2.b) Heresy

2.2.c) Apostasy

2.2.d) Schism

2.2.e) Doubting the faith

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