KEY TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

THE MYSTERY OF GOD: DIVINE REVELATION

Who am I?
Every human person has been created by God to live in friendship with him both here on Earth and forever in Heaven.

How do we know this about ourselves?
We know this because every human person desires to know and love God and wants God to know and love them.  We also know this because God told us this about ourselves and about him.

How did God tell us?
First of all God tells us this through creation, which is the work of God; creation reflects the goodness and beauty of the CReator and tells us about God the Creator.  Secondly, God came to us and told us, or revealed this about himself.  He revealed this most fully by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, who became one of us and lived among us.

What is faith?
Faith is a supernatural gift from God that enable sus to know God and all that he has revealed, and to respond to God with our whole heart and mind.

What is a mystery of faith?
The word mystery describes the fact that we can never fully comprehend or fully grasp God and his loving plan for us.  We only know who God is and his plan for us through Divine Revelation.

What is Divine Revelation?
Divine Revelation is God's free gift of making himself known to us and giving himself to us by gradually communicating in deeds and words his own mystery and his divine plan for humanity.  God reveals himself so that we can live in communion with him and with one another forever.

What is Sacred Tradition?
The word tradition comes from a Latin word meaning "to pass on."  Sacred Tradition is the passing on of Divine Revelation by the Chruch through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

What is the deposit of faith?
The deposit of faith is the source of faith that we draw from in order to pass on God's Revelation.  The deposit of faith is the unity of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition handed on by the Church from the time of the Apostles.

What is the Magisterium?
The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church.  Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has the responsibility to authentically and accurately interpret the Word of God, both in Sacred Scripture and in Sacred Tradition.  She does this to assure that her understanding of Revelation is faithful to the teachings of the Apostles.

What is a dogma of faith?
A dogma of faith is a truth taught by the Church as revealed by God and to which we are called to give our assent of mind and heart in faith.