Table of Contents
October 8, 2025
Chapter 2: God comes to meet us
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 50-67
God Reveals His Holy Name
GOD REVEALS HIS LOVING PLAN TO SAVE US
By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine revelation.
—First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith (Dei Filius), no. 1870
Reason: the ability of a healthy mind to think and make judgments, especially based on practical facts.
Revelation: The Self-disclosure of the living God.
- How does God freely reveal himself?
This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. (CCC, no. 50) - What response to Revelation did God plan for men and women? By revealing himself, God wishes to make them capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond their own natural capacity. (CCC, no. 52)
- If Revelation is complete, what is the next step? Even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries. (CCC, no. 66)
The challenges posed by the Modern World
Emphasis only on material observation.
We are an individualistic society.
September 24, 2025
Welcome New Participants
Chapter 1: My Soul Longs for you, O God (Psalm 42:2)
The Human Quest for God (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Numbers 27-43
Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
People have always asked fundamental questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why do I need to struggle to achieve my goals? Why is it so hard to love and be loved? What is the meaning of sickness, death, and evil? What will happen after death?
We see God through creation, and through ourselves and others.
Every human person seeks to know the truth and to experience goodness. Moral goodness appeals to us. We treasure our freedom and strive to maintain it. We hear the voice of our conscience and want to live by it. We long for absolute happiness.
Why have so many not found God?
- The presence of suffering and evil
- Indifference to Religion or God
- Ignorance
- Scandalous behavior of believers
- Don’t want to follow God
- Busy lives
The Church does more than welcome new members; she forms disciples.
Questions to ponder
- What are you looking for in life? What are your goals and ideals?
How do God and the Church play a part in what you are seeking?
How is your life a journey toward God? - As a seeker, how do you look for truth? When you hear of truth or behold beauty or experience goodness, what do you think? If you seek for God, what has made this possible? What have you found in your search thus far?
- As a Catholic, how are you searching for God? Why does seeking God
keep your relationship with him dynamic? How does the Church help
you in your search for God? How does your family affect your faith?
Chapter 2: God comes to meet us
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 50-67
God Reveals His Holy Name
GOD REVEALS HIS LOVING PLAN TO SAVE US
By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine revelation.
—First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith (Dei Filius), no. 1870
Reason: the ability of a healthy mind to think and make judgments, especially based on practical facts.
Revelation: The Self-disclosure of the living God.
- How does God freely reveal himself?
This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. (CCC, no. 50) - What response to Revelation did God plan for men and women? By revealing himself, God wishes to make them capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond their own natural capacity. (CCC, no. 52)
- If Revelation is complete, what is the next step? Even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries. (CCC, no. 66)
The challenges posed by the Modern World
Emphasis only on material observation.
We are an individualistic society.
Questions to ponder
- When friends and family members converse with one another, what
do they reveal about themselves? What does God reveal of himself
to us in treating us as friends and family members? How does God’s
Revelation give meaning to our lives? - What is meant when we say that we have a “revealed” religion?
What are positive features in our culture? How can culture be con
verted and transformed by the Gospel? - What would help you to spend more time reading and praying over
God’s revealed word in Scripture? Why can we say that growth in
our faith will strengthen us to affect public policy with our beliefs?
September 17, 2025
September 10, 2025
September 3, 2025
