Essentials of Catholic Faith – Comprehensive Study Notes

Prayer Before Study – St. Thomas Aquinas

• Invocation to God as:

  • Creator of all things

  • True source of light & wisdom

  • Lofty origin of all being

• Petitions for the student-believer:

  • Penetration of God’s brilliance into the “darkness of my understanding”.

  • Removal of the “double darkness” of sin and ignorance.

  • Gifts requested:

  • Sharp understanding

  • Retentive memory

  • Correct & fundamental grasp of truths

  • Talent for exact explanations

  • Ability to express with thoroughness and charm

  • Guidance in: beginning, progress, and completion of study – “through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Course Structure (RS-1A, Lourdes College)

• Semester: First Semester, SY $2025–2026$

• Meeting timeline:

  • Week 1–2 (Jun $30$ – Jul $11$): Theme – “Our Response: We Believe”

  • I. Faith in Human Relations

  • II. Faith in God

    • A. Characteristics of Christian Faith

    • B. Three Essential Dimensions of Faith

    • C. Faith & the Three Classic Questions

    • D. Faith & Salvation

  • Week 3 (Jul $14–18$): Paradoxical Characteristics

  • Week 4 (Jul $21–25$): Man’s Unbelief – Obstacles to Believing, Doing, Worshipping & Self-Becoming

  • Week 5 (Jul $28 – Aug 1$): Prelim Exam

  • Week 6 (Aug $4–8$): The Creed

  • History, Objections, Functions, Twelve Articles

  • Weeks 7–8 (Aug $11–22$): Article 1 – God the Father Almighty, Creator

  • Weeks 9–10 (Aug $25 – Sep 5$): Article 2 – God the Son (Jesus Christ, only Son, Lord)

  • Week 11 (Sep $8–12$): Midterm Exam

  • Weeks 12–13 (Sep $15–26$): Articles 3–7 – Christ’s conception, passion, death, resurrection, ascension, second coming

  • Week 14 (Sep $29 – Oct 3$): Article 8 – God the Holy Spirit

  • Week 15 (Oct $6–10$): Articles 9–10 – The Church, Communion of Saints, Forgiveness of Sins

  • Weeks 16–17 (Oct $13–24$): Eschatology – Articles 11–12 (Resurrection of the body, Life everlasting)

  • Week 18 (Oct $27–31$): Performance Task / Final Examination

Objective

• Lead students to an informed, personal, living faith in Jesus Christ.

• Enable living this faith within the Catholic Church through:

  • Fidelity to Christ’s teachings

  • Worship & Sacraments

  • Missionary activity

Overview of Content

• Deep exploration of the articles of the Catholic Faith & their spiritual basis.

• Discussion of Church life & mission.

• Examination of human dignity, family, society, morality in dialogue with contemporary views.

Grading System

• Performance Task: $50\%$

• Terms/Examinations: $30\%$

• Quizzes & Assignments: $20\%$

• Total: $100\%$

Classroom Reminders

• Tardiness & punctuality

• Attendance & allowable absences

• Completion of all requirements

Encounter Journal

• Personal journal recording one’s encounter of faith or religious experiences.

• Ignatian orientation (SE $77$): reflect after each prayer period.

• Not a minute-by-minute replay but a discernment of movements, feelings, insights.

• Several in-class activities will be logged here.

Faith

I. Faith in Human Relations ("I believe in you!")

• Filipino terms & expressions:

  • Paniniwala (Belief) – accepting another’s word

  • Pagsunod (Obedience) – complying with directions of authority

  • Pagtitiwala (Trust) – entrusting one’s welfare to others (e.g.
    doctors, teachers, jeepney drivers)

• CFC $119$: Faith—central, everyday, natural factor in human life; human relationships impossible without it.

II. Faith in God

1. Biblical definition: $"Faith\,is\,the\,assurance\,of\,things\,hoped\,for,\,certainty\,of\,things\,not\,seen"$ (Hb $11:1$).

2. Etymology: Latin fides = “trust/belief”.

3. CCC teaching:

   • Supernatural virtue necessary for salvation.

   • Simultaneously God’s free gift and a human act (intellect + will).

   • Dynamic; continually grows.

4. Thomistic definition (ST): “Act of the intellect assenting to divine truth, moved by the will under grace.”

5. Three levels (Aquinas):

   • Believing in a God’s existence

   • Believing God (credere Deo) – trusting what God says

   • Believing in God (credere in Deum) – personal surrender

6. Distinctions:

   • Christian Faith: believing God revealed by Jesus Christ

   • Catholic Christian Faith: believing what Jesus reveals through the Catholic Church in the Holy Spirit.

   • PCP II $64–65$: Faith is a personal relationship with Jesus leading to commitment, discipleship, knowledge of truths taught through the Church.

Mediated Revelation (Sacramental Principle)

• a. Natural signs – parted sea, pillar of cloud, whispering wind.

• b. Words & deeds – prophets, Scripture, sacraments (Eucharist, Baptism, Marriage).

• c. Jesus Christ – mediator & fullness of revelation (DV).

Exemplars of Faith

• Abraham – obedience, unwavering trust (Gn $12–17$).

• Moses – trust in God during desert journey (Exodus).

• Jesus – “leader & perfecter of faith” (Hb $12:2$).

A. Characteristics of Christian Faith

1. Total & Absolute – complete adherence to God’s will (Lk $22:42$, Mt $6:10$).

2. Trinitarian – communion with Father, Son, Spirit; love as relational (Richard of St. Victor).

3. Loving, Maturing, Missionary – inseparable love of God & neighbor; impels evangelization (cf. $1$ Cor $9:16$).

4. Informed & Communitarian – grounded in Jesus’ words; transmitted by the Church (Jn $6:68$; NCDP $147$).

5. Inculturated – integrated with Filipino familial & social relationships.

B. Three Essential Dimensions of Faith

1. Believing (Credere Deum)

   • Convictions & personal knowledge of Christ (“My Lord & my God” – Jn $20:28$).

2. Doing (Witnessing)

   • Loving service, justice, care for environment (PCP II $78–80$).

3. Entrusting / Worshipping

   • Heartfelt trust; grows via prayer & liturgy; contrasts mechanical recitation.

C. Three Classic Questions of Faith (St. Augustine)

1. What can I know? – We belong to God; discernment through the Son (1 Jn $5:19–20$).

2. What should I do? – Keep commandments; love “in deed & truth” (1 Jn $2:3$; $3:18$).

3. What may we hope for? – Love God with whole heart, soul, mind (Mt $22:37$).

D. Faith & Salvation – Interior Effects

1. Maturity

   • Puts childish ways aside (1 Cor $13:11$).

   • Fosters honesty, identity as children of the Father, redeemed & Spirit-indwelt.

2. Freedom

   • Liberates from darkness (Jn $3:19$) & worldly allurements (1 Jn $2:15–16$).

3. Spiritual Joy

   • Example: Magnificat (Lk $1:46–47$) – joy rooted in God.

Paradoxical Characteristics of Faith (Preview for Week 3)

• Certain yet obscure

• Free yet morally obliging

• Reasonable yet beyond natural reason

• An act yet a process

• A gift yet our doing

• Personal yet ecclesial

Obstacles to Faith (Preview for Week 4)

• Unbelief vs. Believing, Doing, Worshipping

• Obstacles to Self-Becoming

The Creed (Preview for Week 6)

• Historical forms: Biblical, Liturgical/Catechetical, Contemporary

• Common objections: impersonal, abstract, irrelevant “dead formula”

• Functions:

  • Summary of beliefs

  • Pledge of loyalty

  • Proclamation of identity

Marian Prayer of Protection

“We fly to thy protection, O Holy Mother of God… deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.”