Faith [tract]

[StColette]

What is Faith?

Defining Faith

Can faith be easily defined by a simple dictionary definition or is there something that goes beyond regular words ? The simple definition of faith is the following:

Faith - Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

I think that faith is more complex than this simple definition. It is not just a belief or idea that something is true but it is also a feeling. Our lives should not be guided by the things that we see everyday. We should not base our lives on what we see real, but we should rather live by faith, by what we believe. 2nd Corinthians tells us:

2 Cor. 5:7
“We walk by faith, not by sight”

It is easy to believe in a certain person or in God but it is harder to put our hearts completely in the trust of that in that person or in God. Father Peter Coughlin makes this clear by this simple statement:

"Many of us may have the form of faith, but we need to have the heart."

So as we see faith is not simply something we believe in logically but that we believe in through a feeling. To open our hearts completely to a belief is to let in all that the belief is and teaches. It reaches the deepest parts of our soul and is forever imbedded within it. But it is our own choice to believe and is a complete surrender of who we are. As Archbishop Francis George completely confirms by saying:

“Faith is not a contract. Faith is surrender. If no other relationship in our experience is one of self-surrender, if it’s all contractual, people won’t know how to believe.”

Joseph Denzinger, who was a leading theologian spoke on the matter of faith and reason. He stated the following :

“Even though faith is above reason, there can never be any real disagreement between faith and reason”

“Reason, if it is enlightened by faith, does indeed when it seeks persistently, piously, and soberly, achieve by God’s gift some understanding, and that most profitable, of the mysteries ...”

“... those who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the catholic truth ...”

Science looks for ways of understanding anything that happens within the world. They search for explanations that can not be found. When these explanations are not found they are left in the confusion of what the occurrence really is. Faith can not be explained by experiments or extensive research under a microscope because it's not the way it is found and discovered. Faith should not be dependent on what knowledge man possesses but it should only depend on something much greater and this source can be found by reading the following verse:

1Cor:2:5:
5 That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. (DRV)

So simple to understand is this passage but often times forgot. It is the pride of man that keeps him from fully understanding faith in God. Man feels he must have proof before he can have faith in something.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about Faith and Science:

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."

To have true faith we must be willing to submit ourselves to something we can not touch, see, or even explain. Cardinal John Henry Newman spoke out concerning science and faith. He said:

"Faith furnishes facts to the other sciences which these sciences, left to themselves, would never reach, and it invalidates apparent facts, which left to themselves, they would imagine."

St. Anselm also spoke on the matter of those who try to understand and analyze too deeply into what faith is. He said:

“Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand.”

Pure faith is being able to completely believe in something that you can neither explain fully or see. Jesus Christ tells us in the Gospel of John :

Jn:20:29:
29 Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and have believed. (DRV)

St. Augustine of Hippo restated this pure and simple fact with the following question:

“What is faith save to believe what you do not see?”

This is the firm definition behind faith. To believe without seeing. As adults we tend to be more skeptical in what we believe instead of taking it completely on faith. This is why Jesus tells us to be like little children in the Gospel of Matthew:

Mt. 11:25
Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes”

Mt:18:2-3
2 And Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them.
3 And said: amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (DRV)

children believe and understand without having to prove something is true. Children are field with such complete faith that it often times baffles adults. A child's simple nature is its greatest gift. They do not believe because they have been told to or have read that they have to believe, but they have faith because they feel it. Something pulls them in completely and ingrains within their soul those beliefs.

Profession of Faith

St. Augustine of Hippo spoke clearly upon the subject of faith. His work entitle " On Faith and the Creed " compiles in work the complete belief of the Catholic Church, which is found within the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
and His kingdom shall have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
one holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. "

A reaffirming statement that one believes that God is Almighty and the Maker of heaven and earth. In saying the God is the Maker of heaven and earth this includes all things that live or are found within these places.


" I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary. ""

Here we reaffirm the fact that we believe that God had one son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. The Creed goes on to confirm that Jesus was the divine Son of God, second member of the Trinity. And he was "born of the virgin Mary and became man." this statement of faith supports the prophecy in Isaiah:

Is:7:14:
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. (DRV)

This profession of faith clearly states that the prophecy of the Savior had been fulfilled.

“ He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried. “

He suffered for our sins so that we may be healed:

Is:53:5:
5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. (DRV)

“ He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

We believe that Messianic Prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus Christ rose again in three days :

Mt:16:21:
21 ¶ From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again. (DRV)

Mt:28:6:
6 He is not here. For he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. (DRV)

We believe in His ascension into Heaven which is yet another Messianic Prophecy in the Old Testament :

Ps:68:18:
18 (67-19) Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God. (DRV)

And in the Gospel of Matthew this prophecy is fulfilled

Mk:16:19:
19 ¶ And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. (DRV)

“He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
and His kingdom shall have no end.”

Lk:1:32-33
32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. (DRV)
33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end. (DRV)

Rv:20:11-12
11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away: and there was no place found for them (DRV)
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne. And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which was the book of life. And the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (DRV)
“I believe in the Holy Spirit,
one holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.”

The last part of the Apostle’s Creed is a continuing statement of faith. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. We believe in one true Church and that is the holy catholic Church. We believe in the communion of saints, who are with God in His Kingdom, and who pray for the children of God. We believe in the forgiveness of sins, which was handed down to the Apostles and down to the priest of the Catholic Church, and is practiced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in the life everlasting which is eternal life in Heaven.

What is Faith?

Defining Faith

Can faith be easily defined by a simple dictionary definition or is there something that goes beyond regular words? The simple definition of faith is the following:

Faith - Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

I think that faith is more complex than this simple definition. It is not just a belief or idea that something is true but it is also a feeling. Our lives should not be guided by the things that we see everyday. We should not base our lives on what we see real, but we should rather live by faith, by what we believe. 2nd Corinthians tells us:

2 Cor. 5:7
“We walk by faith, not by sight”

It is easy to believe in a certain person or in God but it is harder to put our hearts completely in the trust of that in that person or in God. Father Peter Coughlin makes this clear by this simple statement:

"Many of us may have the form of faith, but we need to have the heart."

So as we see faith is not simply something we believe in logically but that we believe in through a feeling. To open our hearts completely to a belief is to let in all that the belief is and teaches. It reaches the deepest parts of our soul and is forever imbedded within it. But it is our own choice to believe and is a complete surrender of who we are. As Archbishop Francis George completely confirms by saying:

“Faith is not a contract. Faith is surrender. If no other relationship in our experience is one of self-surrender, if it’s all contractual, people won’t know how to believe.”

Joseph Denzinger, who was a leading theologian, spoke on the matter of faith and reason. He stated the following:

“Even though faith is above reason, there can never be any real disagreement between faith and reason”

“Reason, if it is enlightened by faith, does indeed when it seeks persistently, piously, and soberly, achieve by God’s gift some understanding, and that most profitable, of the mysteries ...”

“... those who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the catholic truth ...”

Science looks for ways of understanding anything that happens within the world. They search for explanations that can not be found. When these explanations are not found they are left in the confusion of what the occurrence really is. Experiments or extensive research under a microscope can not explain faith because it's not the way it is found and discovered. Faith should not be dependent on what knowledge man possesses but it should only depend on something much greater and this source can be found by reading the following verse:

1Cor: 2:5:
5 That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. (DRV)

So simple to understand is this passage but often times forgot. It is the pride of man that keeps him from fully understanding faith in God. Man feels he must have proof before he can have faith in something.


The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about Faith and Science:

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."

To have true faith we must be willing to submit ourselves to something we can not touch, see, or even explain. Cardinal John Henry Newman spoke out concerning science and faith. He said:

"Faith furnishes facts to the other sciences, which these sciences, left to themselves, would never reach, and it invalidates apparent facts, which left to themselves, they would imagine."

St. Anselm also spoke on the matter of those who try to understand and analyze too deeply into what faith is. He said:

“Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand.”

Pure faith is being able to completely believe in something that you can neither explain fully nor see. Jesus Christ tells us in the Gospel of John:
Jn: 20:29:
29 Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and have believed. (DRV)

St. Augustine of Hippo restated this pure and simple fact with the following question:

“What is faith save to believe what you do not see?”

This is the firm definition behind faith. To believe without seeing. As adults we tend to be more skeptical in what we believe instead of taking it completely on faith. This is why Jesus tells us to be like little children in the Gospel of Matthew:


Mt. 11:25
Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes”

Mt: 18:2-3
2 And Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them.
3 and said: amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (DRV)

children believe and understand without having to prove something is true. Children are field with such complete faith that it often times baffles adults. A child's simple nature is its greatest gift. They do not believe because they have been told to or have read that they have to believe, but they have faith because they feel it. Something pulls them in completely and ingrains within their soul those beliefs.

Profession of Faith

St. Augustine of Hippo spoke clearly upon the subject of faith. His work entitle " On Faith and the Creed " compiles in work the complete belief of the Catholic Church, which is found within the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, and our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
and His kingdom shall have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
one holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. "

A reaffirming statement that one believes that God is Almighty and the Maker of heaven and earth. In saying the God is the Maker of heaven and earth this includes all things that live or are found within these places.


" I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary. ""

Here we reaffirm the fact that we believe that God had one son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. The Creed goes on to confirm that Jesus was the divine Son of God, second member of the Trinity. And he was "born of the virgin Mary and became man." This statement of faith supports the prophecy in Isaiah:

Is:7:14:
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. (DRV)

This profession of faith clearly states that the prophecy of the Savior had been fulfilled.

“ He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried. “

He suffered for our sins so that we may be healed:

Is:53:5:
5 But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. (DRV)

“ He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

We believe that Messianic Prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus Christ rose again in three days :

Mt:16:21:
21 ¶ From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again. (DRV)

Mt:28:6:
6 He is not here. For he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. (DRV)

We believe in His ascension into Heaven, which is yet another Messianic Prophecy in the Old Testament:


Ps: 68:18:
18 (67-19) Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God. (DRV)

And in the Gospel of Matthew this prophecy is fulfilled

Mk: 16:19:
19 ¶ And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. (DRV)

“He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
and His kingdom shall have no end.”

Lk: 1:32-33
32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. (DRV)
33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end. (DRV)

Rv:20:11-12
11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away: and there was no place found for them (DRV)
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne. And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which was the book of life. And the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (DRV)
“I believe in the Holy Spirit,
one holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.”

The last part of the Apostle’s Creed is a continuing statement of faith. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. We believe in one true Church and that is the holy catholic Church. We believe in the communion of saints, who are with God in His Kingdom, and who pray for the children of God. We believe in the forgiveness of sins, which was handed down to the Apostles and down to the priest of the Catholic Church, and is practiced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in the life everlasting which is eternal life in Heaven.

The Gift of Faith

Faith is not something that can be bought or won, it is a gift or a grace sent directly from God to us. But it is our own free-will that lets us either accept this gift or refuse it. Many today refuse the gift of faith that has been given to them because they look too deeply into the microscopic makeup of the Faith and do not search within their own hearts. They would rather believe with their minds, with thought and reason rather than to believe because of the feeling they have within their heart and soul.

153 ... Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by Him. "Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and 'makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.'"

With the gift and knowledge of faith anything is possible, because faith is putting your complete trust in God, and nothing is impossible for God. An example of this in what Jesus told us in the Gospel of Matthew:

Mt:17:20:
20 (17-19) Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible to you. (DRV)

Catechism of the Catholic Church makes reference to the fact that Faith is freely given to man and that it can be lost if not nourished.

162 ‘ Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith." To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.’

The blessing of having faith is more extraordinary than we can comprehend. Faith is the beginning to eternal life, it is the spring board that puts us into motion to become better children of God.

163 Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision, the goal of our journey here below. Then we shall see God "face to face", "as he is". So faith is already the beginning of eternal life: When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror, it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy.

We are not alone in the witnessing of faith, there are a number of those that have come before us. The Church Fathers and the commuion of saints that pray for us and help us to learn by their example. We are lead by their example of how to found their faith and lived by their faith. The Catechism speaks on this by saying:

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."

The Catechism goes on to tell us that faith is given and received from others and that it should be handed on to others as well.

166 ... 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 neighbor 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.

Faith can be easily had but it takes more than that to truly believe. To have faith one must be guided by the Holy Spirit. One must open up their heart and truly let the Holy Spirit work from the interior of their soul in order for them to truly believe without any hesitation.

179 Faith is a supernatural gift from God. In order to believe, man needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit.

Before the gift of faith is placed within us, we must have the grace of God to assist us in believing the things we can not explain with logic. The Holy Spirit works within the person to change their heart and convert that heart to God. God in return opens the person mind to believe all things which He teaches.

In ending this tract I will add one final quote, of what faith is and how we must cultivate our faith.

The true faith is one of the grandest, greatest and most sublime gifts of God to man. It is a gift we can never be sufficiently grateful for and which we can never value too highly ... But like every gift, it carries great obligations. It makes those who possess it doubly responsible. They have to watch over this treasure, to cultivate it, to make it bear fruit, to trade with it, not to bury it in a napkin. We have no warrant to treat it as if it were a charm or talisman, that will work its marvelous effects of itself and independently of our own personal efforts and co-operation. No, our responsibilities grow and increase in intensity, with every additional grace and favor we receive. --Bishop J. Vaughan

God Bless,
Jennie
( StColette )

[phatcatholic]

do u have a link to all that info?

[StColette]

it'll take a moment to gather the quotes but everything other than the quotes is from me lol

[StColette]

found them, took a while because I redid my favs list last night had to track down the sites to where I had moved them.

[url="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm"]Catholic Catechism [ search engine database ][/url]

[url="http://jerome2007.tripod.com/quotations_catholic.htm"]Catholic Quotations [ quotes under the word Faith ][/url]

[url="http://www.catholic-convert.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=35"]article written by Ben Brown under the title " Is Faith a Gift " [ used for Denzinger quotes ][/url]

Oh and the Biblical quotes came from my DRV Bible.