Man's Response to God
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Faith and Obedience (142-144)
By revelation, God calls men.
By faith, man responds to God's invitation. By this "obedience of faith" (Rom 1:5) man submits his will and intellect to God, the Revealer, because God guarantees its truth.
Abraham is the model of this obedience and Mary is the most perfect embodiment of this submission.
Abraham (145-146)
Abraham went as a pilgrim to a strange land, even when he did not know where he was going. After his wife Sarah conceived by faith, Abraham was willing in faith to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Heb 11:17).
Being "strong in faith" Abraham became the "father of all who believe" (Rom 4:11).
Jesus - The Perfecter (147)
Although Hebrews praises the many Old Testament persons who "received divine approval," the author says that "something better" awaits us, namely, Jesus the "perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2).
Mary - The Purest Realization (148-149)
By the "obedience of faith" Mary welcomed the angel and gave her consent: "Let it be done to me according to your Word" (Lk 1:37-38). Elizabeth praised her for believing that "The Word spoken to you would be fulfilled" (1:45). Because of her faith, Mary is blessed by all generations to come (1:48).
Because Mary's faith never wavered, the Church venerates her as the purest realization of faith.
A Unique, Personal Adherence (150)
Faith is a personal adherence to God and a free assent to all that God has revealed. Because we entrust ourselves fully to God, it is different from any faith we place in a human person.
Five riveting true stories by people who have experienced supernatural Warnings. order »
Join the movement! Pray 12 minutes a day to help God save America. order »
Find friends in the world's largest directory of Catholic young adult groups. Learn More »
Our supporters have distributed tens of millions of life-changing Catholic gifts since 1991, making us America's largest producer of high-quality, super-affordable tools for evangelization. Join our work today!
See All Our Catholic Materials
Meet Bud Macfarlane, Our Founder
