Faith
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things
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not seen. Hebrews 11:1
As the sacred author of Hebrews says, we have faith because it has to do
with “things not seen.” Many today profess a lack of faith because they
only will believe in concrete realities (i.e. science, the material world,
etc.). But this is a false premise. Think of gravity. When someone jumps
off a building, even someone “with no faith,” they know they will plummet
to the ground. They believe in gravity, yet they can’t see gravity.
They just know it’s there and that it works. So it is with the Christian
and God.
“Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe
all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes
for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith ‘man freely commits
his entire self to God.’ For this reason the believer seeks to know and do
God’s will.” (CCC 1814)
Faith is not something to be kept to one’s self. The Catechism tells us,
“The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but
must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along
the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never
lacks.’” (CCC 1816)
Finally, faith is a gift from God. All of the theological virtues “are infused
by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting
as his children and of meriting eternal life.” (CCC 1813)
For further study:
Hebrews 11:1
CCC 1812-1816 • CCC 2087-2089