The Basics

Question 1

What is “faith” according to St. Paul?

Answer 1

Faith is the substance of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Question 2

What are the two main effects of grace?

Answer 2

Healing and elevating.

1. Happens at the same time.
2. Healing human nature affected by the Fall.
3. Elevating human nature beyond what it could ever be without.

Question 3

What is “justification?”

Answer 3

Being set right with God. It is an effect of “operative grace” i.e. only God can make us right with God.

Question 4

What is “merit?”

Answer 4

The voluntary action of the person as deserving reward from God. It is the effect of “cooperative grace” i.e. God repays you what he gave you in the first place.

Question 5

What are the 3 stages of action in the human person?

Answer 5

1. Intention of the end (operative auxilium)
2. Choice of the means (cooperative auxilium)
3. Execution of the act (cooperative auxilium)

Question 6

What is hope?

Answer 6

Hope is faith directed towards the future, a desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness.

Question 7

What is faith?

Answer 7

By faith, we believe in God, in all that he has revealed, and in all that the Church proposes for our belief. Faith leads to a total committal. “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17).

Question 8

What is love?

Answer 8

To will the good of the beloved. Love binds all virtues “together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14) and gives them order. Charity purifies and raises human love to the perfection of God’s love.