The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-03-25
The appended sermon on 1.-THE open
inc words Of the Apostles Creed"
\ is the second one Of the series. 1t
was prepared by the Rev. Joseph j.
Carroll Of .Whitefish, Mont.


-... WHAT FAITH Is.
Il believe" are the opening words
of the Apostles Greed.
What is faith? Faith is the assent
or belief which we give to truths
on the authority of another. If the
authority is divine, the faith is call
ed divine; if human, the faith is only
human. Faith is different from sci.
ence, because what we know by SCI
ence rests on intrinsic evidence, and
what is believed by faith rests on ex-
ternal authority. Here there is ques-
ton of divine and supernatural faith
and this faith is defined: supernat-
ural gift of God, which enables us to
believe without doubling whatever
God has revealed. It is divine virtue
by which. through the grace of God,
we believe as true all that God has
revealed, not on account of its truth
as perceived by natural reason, but
on account of the authority of God,
who can neither deceive nor be de-
ceived This faith is called supernat-
ural, inasmuch as it is virtue infused
into the soul by God and cannot be
acquired by our own natural powers,
and also because it is supernatural in
its motives, that is, it must rest on
the authority of God revealing. This
is the only true divine faith-that
faith which is necessary for saliva
ton. We have to believe that nei-
Their this salutary faith nor even it's
beginning can be obtained without the
grace of God. Faith is therefore the
gift of God, and the beginning of all
true belief must be through the grace
of God.
The Supernatural.
Some of the objects of faith are
said to be supernatural, not only in
the sense that they are believed on
the authority of God, in which sense
all the objects of faith may be con-
sidered supernatural; but also because
we could never come to their knowl-
edge without the supernatural medium
of revelation. Such, for example, are
the dogmas of the Holy Trinity and
the Incarnation. The virtue of faith
resides in the intellect as in its sub
jeet, because to believe is Immediate
~ the act of the intellect, inasmuch as
it's object is truth, which belongs to
that moves the intellect to elicit an
act of faith and to assent to truths
which in themselves are not evident.
Faith is the first of all the virtues in
the supernatural order, and hence it
is the beginning of human salvation.
cation. Faith is not the first grace,
because that grace which moves the
will before the assent of faith must
precede faith itself. The light of faith
does not give a vision of the object,
but only certain knowledge of it on
the testimony of God.
Prime object of Faith.
The primary object of faith is God
Himself. Faith primarily intends or
regards the knowledge of the true God
as He is in Himself, and all the other
truths of revelation are ordained to
the more perfect knowledge Of God.
Hence, st. Paul says: "He that COM
eth to God must believe that He is
The motive Of faith is the veracity of
God, arising from His infinite holiness
and wisdom, through which He can
neither deceive nor be deceived. We
must believe all that God has reveal
ed. Hence we must believe whatever
God has revealed, because God has
revealed it, Who can neither deceive
nor be deceived, ~. a.
Faith Helpful to Reason.
The mysteries of faith are beyond
and above our reason, but are never
opposed to reason. For God has given
us our reason, and it is the same God
Who has given us the teaching OF
Christ and of the Church. He who re-
jects any doctrine Of the Church ulti-
mately finds himself involved in a con-
tradiction. Hence Bacon says: "A lit
tie philosophy takes man away from
religion, but a sound knowledge of
philosophy brings him back to relig-
reason when we believe, because we
trust ourselves to Gods truthfulness
and because we Know for certain that
the truths of faith are revealed to us
by God. A blind man believes one
with sound sight who tells him that a
map before him is the map of Mon
tana. We believe, in the existence Of
the cities of Portland and Astoria, al
though we may never have seen them.
In SO doing, we act reasonably. But
how far more reasonably do we act
when, we believe God! Man may be
mistaken or deceiving US, whereas
God can neither err nor deceive US.
eff we receive the testimony of man,
the testimony Of God is greater. II
John, V, 81 Faith is positively help
full to reason. AS the telescope en-
ables the eye to penetrate deeper into
The starry heavens, so does faith en-
able reason to obtain a wider, deeper,
easier and more certain knowledge OF
things heavenly. i,
Faith is necessary. He that be-
lfeveth and is baptized said Christ,
shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be condemned. AND 81.
Paul utters this solemn declaration:
"But without faith, it is impossible to
please God. For he that cometh TO
God mpst believe that He is, and Is
q rewarder to them that seek Him.
(Hebr. XII. 6.)