God
Who is God?
God is the Supreme Being, infinitely perfect, who made
all things and keeps them in existence.
Why did God make us?
God made us to show forth His goodness and to share
with us His everlasting happiness in heaven.
How does our reason point out the truth of the Catholic religion?
Our reason points out the truth of the Catholic religion
by these principles:
firsty there is a God;
second, the soul of man is immortal;
third, all men are obliged to practice reli- gion;
fourth, the religion God has revealed
through Christ is worthy of belief;
fifth, Christ established a Church which
all are obliged to join;
sixth, the only true Church of Christ is the
Catholic Church.
Are all the truths revealed for us by God found in the Bible?
Not all the truths revealed for us by God are found
in the Bible; some are found only in Divine Tradition.
Where do we find the chief truths taught by Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church?
We find the chief truths taught by Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church in the Apostles' Creed.
How can we prove that there is a God?
We can prove that there is a God because this vast
universe could not have come into existence, nor be so beautiful and orderly, except by the almighty power and the wisdom of an eternal and intelligent being.
What must we do to gain the happiness of heaven?
To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love,
and serve God in this world.
How we prove that Christ established a Church which all are obliged to join?
We can prove that Christ established a Church which
all are obliged to join, because:
first, He gathered about Him a group of disciples,
and called it His Church;
second. He promised that this Church would last
until the end of time;
third, He declared that all men must believe and
be baptized, that is, join His Church, in order to
be saved.
Why must Divine Tradition be believed as firmly as the Bible?
Divine Tradition must be believed as firmly as the
Bible because it also contains the word of God.
From whom do we learn to know, love, and serve God?
We learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the
Catholic Church.
What do we mean when we say that God is the Supreme Being?
When we say that God is the Supreme Being we mean
that He is above all creatures, the self-existing and
infinitely perfect Spirit.
How can we prove that the soul of man is immortal?
We can prove that the soul of man is immortal be- cause man's acts of intelligence are spiritual; therefore,
his soul must be a spiritual being, not dependent on
matter, and hence not subject to decay or death.
Whence do we chiefly derive our historical knowledge of Jesus Christ, His life and teachings, and of the Church He established?
We derive our historical knowledge of Jesus Christ,
His life and teachings, and of the Church He estab-
lished chiefly from the books of the Bible, which can
be proved to be reliable historical records.
How is the Bible divided?
The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the
New Testament; the Old Testament being the in-
spired books written before the time of Jesus Christ,
and the New Testament the inspired books written
after His coming.
Say the Apostles' Creed.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suf- fered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He de- scended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He
ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father
Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
life everlasting. Amen.
What do we mean when we say that God is all-good?
When we say that God is all-good we mean that He
is infinitely lovable in Himself, and that from His
fatherly love every good comes to us.
How we prove that all men are obliged to practice religion?
We can prove that all men are obliged to practice
religion because all men are entirely dependent on
God and must recognize that dependence by honor-
ing Him and praying to Him.
How can we prove that the only true Church of Christ is the Catholic Church?
We can prove that the only true Church of Christ is the Catholic Church because:
first, only the Catholic Church possesses the marks
of the Church established by Christ, that is, unity,
holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity;
second, the history of the Catholic Church gives
evidence of miraculous strength, permanence, and
unchangeableness, thus showing the world that
it is under the special protection of God.
What is meant by Divine Tradition?
By Divine Tradition is meant the revealed truths
taught by Christ and His apostles, which were given
to the Church only by word of mouth and not through
the Bible, though they were put in writing, principally
by the Fathers of the Church.
How can we best show our gratitude to God for making us members of the only true Church of Jesus Christ?
We can best show our gratitude to God for making
us members of the only true Church of Jesus Christ
by often thanking God for this great favor, by lead-
ing edifying and practical Catholic lives, by trying
to lead others to the true faith, and by helping the
missions.
Can we know by our natural reason that there is a God?
We can know by our natural reason that there is a God, for natural reason tells us that the world we see about us could have been made only by a self-existing
Being, all-wise and almighty.
What are some of the perfections of God?
Some of the perfections of God are: God is eternal,
all-good, all-knowing, all-present, and almighty.
How can we prove that the religion God has revealed through Christ is worthy of belief?
Christ is worthy of belief? We can prove that the religion God has revealed
through Christ is worthy of belief, because:
first, Jesus Christ, announcing Himself as the am-
bassador and the true Son of God, whose coming
was foretold by the prophets, preached doctrines
which He said all must believe;
second, Christ worked wonderful miracles, which show that the God of truth approved His teachings.
How can we know the true meaning of the doctrines contained in the Bible and in Divine Tradition?
We can know the true meaning of the doctrines con-
tained in the Bible and in Divine Tradition from the
Catholic Church, which has been authorized by Jesus
Christ to explain His doctrines, and which is pre-
served from error in its teachings by the special assistance of the Holy Ghost.
How can we help the missions?
We can help the missions:
first, by praying for the missions, home and foreign, and for missionaries that they may fulfill the command of Christ: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations";
second, by knowing the missions and making them known to others;
third, by making sacrifices for the missions, that is, by helping to support them and by personal service;
fourth, by fostering vocations of self-sacrificing young men and women for every need of the missions.