Transcript

In one of her novels, Sigrid Undset offers a vivid image for the Catholic faith.

A young man named Eric discovers the Catholic faith really for the first time and he feels like he's just inherited a secret fortune.

It's like he's been given keys to a room entirely full of treasure chests, and he enters this room and he's naturally, as we might expect, so excited.

He's anxious to unlock, possess, and handle everything, all the hidden treasures of the faith.

The Catholic faith is indeed a treasure and it's one that all people are meant to inherit, unlock, and possess.

And those who discover the faith for the very first time, who really begin to enter into it, are eager and joyful, and at the same time, the treasure of the faith is so rich and abundant, it's easy to be overwhelmed.

There's so much to learn and so much is new.

The treasure isn't just information either.

It's a way of life that takes time to grow into.

This program is here to help you unlock the treasures of the faith in a step-by-step way that combines belief and practice.

The name of the program, Credo, is taken from the first word of the Catholic profession of faith in Latin.

It means I believe.

For the next few months, some of my fellow brothers and I are going to accompany you on a journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, otherwise known as RCIA. We hope that you come to see and believe in the truth, goodness, and beauty of Catholicism.

All of the presenters in this program are friars of the Order of Preachers.

We're also known as Dominican friars since we were founded by St. Dominic to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls, and so our order is especially dedicated to communicating the faith.

For over 800 years, all over the world, Dominicans have been handing down the faith to succeeding generations, and we're blessed to be doing that with you here in this program.

We won't be replacing your own pastor, catechist, or sponsor who have their own indispensable roles.

We're here to set the stage and frame your discussions, to guide you through a comprehensive summary of the Catholic faith.

So let's begin.

Here in lesson one, we're going to talk about knowing and desiring God, because the Catholic faith is first and foremost about God.

He's created us and He invites us to share in His life, and so we must begin with Him.

We have to acknowledge that God exists before we can begin to have a relationship with Him.

Scripture says, Whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who love Him.

Unfortunately, we live in an increasingly agnostic and even atheistic culture.

Many people operate under the presumption that God doesn't exist at all and that we shouldn't even really talk about Him in public.

They think religion should be confined to church groups or private religious practices.

Others reject God outright for theoretical reasons.

They claim God can't exist because there's evil in the world, or they say that modern science for various reasons has made the idea of God obsolete.

So since we live in this context, in this environment, we need to begin with a question of God, with the basic questions about His existence before we delve deeper into the Catholic faith.

Today, those who believe in God seem to be up against a whole bunch of different objections.

Critics ask, How can you believe in something you've never seen or felt?

Or, How can you be certain about something so mysterious and something that people argue about?

But God does exist, and in the face of all of these objections, the Catholic Church maintains that knowledge of God is available to all human beings.

People from all times and places in every culture have the basic capacity to know that God exists.

And this capacity ensures that when we do encounter God, when someone does teach us, when we learn about Him, He doesn't come as a complete stranger to us but as a welcome guest.

He's someone we were almost expecting.

Since God made us, in a way, He could not help but write into our hearts, write deep within us, a desire, a hidden and invisible desire for Himself, something that can only be satisfied by knowing Him.

Typically, people assume that talking about God is a matter of faith, and it's true that faith reveals a lot to us about God and that's really what we'll be talking about throughout the entire program.But here at the beginning, as we consider the culture we live in and how it's often rejected God, it's important for us to begin with what's available to everyone at all times.

We know that reason alone can come to see that God exists and some basic things about him.

Philosophers throughout the centuries have offered proofs, various different ways of demonstrating God's existence, and some of the most famous proofs are those offered by St. Thomas Aquinas, our great guiding light and theologian.

Thousands and thousands of pages have been written about his proofs and how to understand their philosophical subtlety.

And while not everyone will be able to understand all of his work, everyone can grasp the basic point.

That is, that by looking at the world, at the things God has done, we can learn something about him.

We move from his effects to the cause, to the cause who is God himself.

And sacred scripture really confirms this process.

The Book of Wisdom says, From the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their creator.

So we look at the world, and we see that something exists rather than nothing.

And just looking out of our bedroom window, we may see all sorts of things, rocks and grass, trees and dogs, clouds and birds.

And we also see other people and can even reflect upon ourselves, upon our innermost self.

And sometimes we have the privilege to gaze also on beautiful and mind-blowing things, like mountains and oceans and stars.

There must be something greater than all these things, something more powerful and intelligent than all of us.

Think about it this way.

There's an artist and a piece of art that he creates, and even the greatest masterpieces of art are not as impressive as the thinking and feeling human beings that made them.

Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, but he himself is far more impressive than that painting.

Michelangelo created the colossal beautiful statue of David, but he himself is the sculptor who made many other things, and so he himself is much greater than anything he made.

In a similar way, we can reason that God is greater than any of His works.

He's greater than all of His works taken together.

God is the very author of beauty as the scriptures say, the creator of the beautiful things of this world.

And God surpasses His creation infinitely more than an artist surpasses his works.

Artists always begin with some material such as a canvas or paint or stone, but God creates out of nothing.

With His almighty power, He calls into existence the things that do not exist.

And every artist leaves his mark, but God's mark is most basic.

He has given things existence, and He's the one who exists in the fullest sense.

As He put it to Moses, I am who I am.

And the works of God are not mere static figures.

From this, we know that God doesn't exist as a static or impersonal force, but He's a personal and living and intelligent God.

He's super abundant life who gives to all men life and breath and everything.

Now, not everyone can be expected to reason their way to God's existence.

It takes study and reflection and a lot of time that most people just don't have.

So many, if not most Christians, rely on faith to believe that God exists.

When it comes to God, processes of reasoning aren't enough to establish a relationship with Him.

He has so much more to tell us about Himself, so much more than even the most brilliant minds throughout the centuries could ever reach on their own.

For this reason, He's revealed Himself, and He gives us the supernatural virtue of faith, which is what we'll be discussing in our next lesson.