FUNDAMENTALS OF FAITH 2

© angelica garcia

Faith
 Submission of the whole being of man to the God who reveals.
 Submission to the Word that has been heard, hence, ob-audire or “to listen and to follow”
 Assurance of things hoped for and conviction of things not seen.
 Is not contrary to reason.

Capacity for God

 God planted the desire to know Him then and there.
 Desire for God is planted in the human heart.
 God reveals and man answers in faith.

Meanings of the Different Definitions of Faith (as mentioned above)

1. Submission of the whole being of man to the God who reveals.
- Anybody who wants to believe needs a heart that is ready to listen. (1 Kings 3:9)
 God initiates the call.
- All parts of the human body represent something that is connected to faith. (Dimensions of
faith)
 Doctrine: Mind
 Faith is informative
 Scriptures: writings are being developed
 Worship: Heart
 Faith is performative
 How you converse with God through symbols or rituals
 Morals: Will
 Faith is transformative
 Application of doctrine and worship
 Parables and beatitudes
 Beatitudes: perfect human attributes/attitudes

2. Submission to the Word that has been heard, hence, ob-audire or “to listen and to follow”
(CCC 144)
- In the Jewish tradition, the heart symbolizes our deepest self. We listen to the person we
trust with the core of our being.
- The people that we trust the most, the people we give our whole being.

“I Believe…”
 Has a 2-fold reference:
a. In whom I have believed.
 Complete trust to God.
b. To the truth that the person reveals to me.
 Complete trust to the truths that God says to you.
Believing
1. I believe to the one God sent. God said to listen to what the Son has to say.
- “No one has ever seen God, the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made Him
known.” (John 1:18)
 Shows the intimacy between the Father and the Son.
- Back in Jesus‟ time, He committed 2 political crimes:
a. Blasphemy – when Jesus prays, He calls the Father as “Abba” which is a biological term
for “father”
b. Treason – when the emperor asked if he was the king of the Jews, he said “I am what
you say that I am.”

2. I believe to the Spirit who reveals to us who Jesus is. (CCC 152)
- “No one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
- Role of the Spirit is to inspire our heart and mind to tell that Jesus is indeed the Lord.
- In the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are being confirmed as soldiers of Christ and as
soldiers, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us in our mission.

3. I believe in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit

- The church never ceases to proclaim this Trinitarian belief.

Characteristics of Faith
1. Faith is a Grace (A gift from God) [CCC 153]
- Faith is a gift from God. God is always the one who initiates the first move.
- Before faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him.
He must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit who moves heart and converts it to God,
who open the eyes of the mind and makes it easy for all to accept and believe in the truth.

2. Faith is a Human Act. [CCC 154]

- To trust God is not contrary in reason.
- Any human person has:
a. Intellect – he/she is knowledgeable of his acts. He knows the ramifications and
consequences of his actions.
b. Will – he/she makes his/her personal decisions as his/her own. It is submitting human will
to God‟s will.
c. Voluntariness – he/she is free to respond.

3. Faith is to Understand [CCC 156-159]

- “I believe in order to understand, and I understand the better to believe.” (St. Augustine)
- We believe because:
a. God does not lie and so our faith is certain.
 It is not in God‟s nature to lie.
b. God performs in words and deeds and sends His Holy Spirit that we may grow and
sustain in our faith
 God had external proof/support that can be understood with the help of the Spirit.
c. God makes us seek Him more.
 “Oh Lord, I seek you for I thirst…”
  It is in our natural design to know God even more.

4. Faith is Free [CCC 160]

- We are bound to God in conscience but not coerced.
- Jesus bore witness to the truth but He never imposed it to those who are against it.
- We can be true to our nature if we are true to our design.

5. Faith is necessary to Salvation [CCC 161]

- Faith is our ticket to eternal friendship with God.

6. Faith is to Persevere [CCC 162]

- Faith can be lost in the rejection of conscience. It has to be continuously nourished by the
Word of God.

7. Faith is the Beginning of Eternal Life and is always put by Evil to test [CCC 163-165]
- Faith is to advance in our goal, which is to see God face to face.
 This is what St. Thomas called the “beatific vision”
- Experience of evil, injustice, suffering, oppression, and death can shake our faith
- When clouded in judgment, we turn to the witnesses of faith, most especially to Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

8. Faith is Personal but not an Isolated Act [CCC 166]

- Your faith has been received from others
- You are in a link of chain of believers
- Through the Church, we receive our faith and new life in Christ in baptism. Faith offers us
eternal life.

Remember:
 Salvation is from God alone, but because we receive our life of Faith through our Church, she
is our mother and teacher.
- The Church teaches us to speak, to understand, and to communicate, and to guard our
faith.
 Communion in faith needs a common language in faith.

Creed
 Syntheses of faith
- Every apostle contributed in the making of the creed, that‟s why the creed has 12 articles.
 Symbols of faith
- The Greek word symbolon means half of a broken object presented as a token of
recognition, or a gathering, collection, or summary.
- It is a sign of recognition and communion of believers.
 Gathered from the scriptures
 Use as an identity to shape our life forever.
 Recited in baptism.
 Also recited in between the mass. (between the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the
Eucharist)
 Must be recited within communion because you are reciting what the apostles have
defended.
 The devil cannot recite the apostle‟s creed.
 Can be a form of protection
  The creed is our spiritual seal, our heart‟s meditation, and our ever-present guardian. It is
unquestionably, the treasure of our soul. (St. Ambrose)

Parts of the Creed

1. First Divine Person and the wonderful work of creation
2. Second Divine Person and the mystery of His redemption
3. Third Divine Person, the origin and source of our sanctification
 The parts are distinguished by the articles
- 12 = we stand by the faith of our apostles

Creeds
 There are many creeds, but there are 2 creeds that occupy a special place in the life of the
Catholic Church.
1. Apostles Creed
- Faithful summary of the Apostles‟ faith
- The ancient baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome
- It is the oldest symbol of faith and baptismal formulae.
- It was formed by the early successors of the apostles.

2. Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed or Nicene Creed

- Creed used by both Churches in the west (Roman Catholics) and East (Orthodox
Catholics)
- The Apostles creed was questioned centuries after, thus the ecumenical council gathered
to address the issue.
- Draws great authority from the first two ecumenical councils in Nicea in 325 CE and in
Constantinople in 381 CE
 Ecumenical Council – gathering of bishops from all over the world. In the council, issues
on faith and morals are discussed.
 Example of an ecumenical council is the Vatican II (1962-1965)
 Currently, there are 20+ councils

Why does our Credo begin with God? (CCC 198-199)

 “I believe in God”
 First affirmation of the creed
 The anchor of the succeeding articles in the creed
 The most fundamental
 It speaks of man and the natural world in relation to God

Attributes of God
1. God is One (CCC 200-202)
- The attribute, one, is inserted in the Nicene Creed.
 It has roots in the divine revelation of the old covenant.
- It is inseparable from the profession of God‟s existence.
 It means God in one nature, substance and essence.
- The Old Testament creed emphasized monotheism.
 The O.T. creed is called “Shema” which means “hear”
 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord with all your
heart, and with all your strength, and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6: 4-5)
- In the New Testament, Jesus fulfills the Shema.
- To believe that Jesus is the Lord is not contrary to monotheism. To believe that the Holy
Spirit is the Lord and Giver of Life is not a cause for division either.
- “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
 Affirms the intimacy and oneness of the Son with the Father
 - “I will pray the Father and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever.” (John
14:16)
- “Oneness” is not invented. It is how God revealed Himself in the O.T.
- Bishops arrived at the notion that God is one through the Scriptures.
OUSIA PROSŌPON PERSONA
(Greek) (Greek) (Latin)
Being or nature Concrete appearance Individual substance of a
Particular individual rational nature (Baethius, 6th CE)

2. God is Living
- God expressed His essence and identity by revealing His name.
 When God disclosed His name, He became more accessible and personal.
- “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel. I am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)
- “I am who I am” is a mystery both revealed and refused, and is expressed by operations:
a. Infinitely above everything – God is at the top of the hierarchy of beings.
b. Hidden – can only be known with time
c. Indescribable – a mystery
d. Close to humanity – also immanent (with us)
- “I am who I am” is a mystery that exhibits faithfulness. God‟s faithfulness is manifested in the
past and the future.
 When the Hebrew letters of God‟s name are read: YHWH
 “I am the God of your father Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
(Exodus 3:6)
 “But I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)
- Out of respect, YHWH is substituted by Adonai or Kyrios which both mean “Lord.”
 Adonai – Hebrew
 Kyrios – Greek and Latin
- “I am who I am” is a mystery that exhibits mercy and grace.
 Even after His people turned their backs away from Him, God continues to express
goodness to His people.
 God is always at the receiving end.
 “YHWH, YHWH a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:5-6; 34: 9)

3. God alone Is
- God is the fullness of Being and of every perfection. He is the Alpha and the Omega.
- God is the fullness of truth. Truth is His wisdom. His words and promises are true. He does not
deceive.
 “The Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know Him who is true.”
(1 John 5:20)
 The teaching that comes from God is true instruction. When He sent His Son, it is to bear
witness to the truth.
- God is Love. This is the only motive why He reveals. That we may share in His very being,
which is love.
 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16)
 When God revealed Himself, He revealed His innermost secret, which is the Trinitarian
communion of giving and receiving love.

Trinitarian God
 Revealed from the Scriptures and Tradition
 It is one of the mysteries that are hidden in God, which can only be known unless revealed by
God.
 Jesus was the one who revealed about the Trinitarian God.
 - Explicit during His baptism and transfiguration.
- As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven
opened and He saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a
voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”

Do many religions call God as “Father?”

 The Church recognizes that many religions invoke God as “Father”
 Being called “Father” in the language of faith indicates two things about God:
1. God is the first origin of everything and is a transcendent authority.
2. He is good and loving to all of His children.

Revelation
1. Revelation of the Father through Jesus
- “No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)
 Affirms eternal existence of the Son with the Father
 The Son has long existed before Jesus of Nazareth came to existence. Jesus of Nazareth
is a historical figure.
- Jesus revealed God as Father not only in being a Creator; He is eternally Father in relation
to His Son, who is externally Son only in relation to His Father.
- The apostles‟ confession = apostolic tradition
- “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”
(John 1:1)
- “The image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
- Tradition says:
a. The Son is consubstantial with the Father. (Council of Nicea, 325 CE)
b. The Son is the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, light from
light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father.
(Council of Constantinople, 381 CE)
SUBSTANTIA HOMOOUSIOUS
(Latin)
A reality existing by itself. Homo – One/same
Substance; nature Usious – nature/being
One in being; CONSUBSTANTIAL

2. Revelation of the Spirit through the Father and Jesus

- “and I will pray the Father and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever.”
(John 14:16)
- “But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father send in my name, He will teach you all
things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
- The eternal origin of the Holy Spirit is revealed in time. The Spirit is sent to the apostles and
to the Church both by the Father and by the Son in person.
- Tradition says:
a. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. (Council of
Constantinople, 381 CE)
b. The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity is God, one and equal with the Father and
the Son, of the same substance and nature. He is the Spirit of the Father and the Son.
(Council of Toledo XI, 675 CE)

Creation
 The foundation of “all God‟s saving plans” that culminates in Christ
 Concerns the very foundation of human and Christian life. It answers the fundamental
questions of human existence.
  Human reasoning ascertains the existence of God the creator.
 The work of the Holy Trinity
- Though the creation is attributed to the Father, our faith teaches that He did this indivisibly
together with God the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God – “The Creator of Heaven and Earth”

 The creation of the world and man witness to: His almighty love and His wisdom – the glory of
God.
 God created the world out of His wisdom and love, „out of nothing,‟ freely, directly, and
without any help.
 The world was created “for the glory of God” – the realization, manifestation, and
communication of His goodness. God created an orderly and good world. God upholds and
sustains creation.

Divine Providence
 God carries out His plan
 The universe was created in a state of journeying (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection
yet to be attained, to which God has destined it.
 “Divine Providence” refers to the dispositions which God guides His creation towards this
perfection.

Genesis
 It is the first book in the Bible that means “origin,” “beginning,” “source,” and “creation.”
 It is not a scientific book. It does not give scientific accounts of the origin of the world and
humankind.

Genesis 1:1-2:3
 The first account of creation
 The account gives a description on how God created the universe in six days and rested on
the seventh day.
 The creation story is a myth for it used imaginative symbols that pertain to a particular reality.
- Myth is a literary form used in the Bible as an “imaginative story that uses symbolism to
speak about reality.”

Debunking the Understanding that the Creation Account was written by Adam and Eve
 The creation story was written during the Babylonian exile
 Israelites were not united, thus causing them to be invaded by the Babylonians. Since they
were captured, their morale was low.
 Someone got inspired and thus created the creation story. The Creation Story became an
inspiration for the Israelites.
 The Creation Story made us of Babylonian and Mesopotamian symbols.

Creation Accounts
FIRST CREATION ACCOUNT SECOND CREATION ACCOUNT
Theological Biblical Support Theological Biblical Support
Understanding Understanding
The human person and
God is the Origin of Life Genesis 1:1 natural world are Genesis 2:15
interrelated
All of God‟s creations There is unity in the
7 times Genesis 2:7
are holy Body and Soul
The human person is The paradise that
Genesis 1:26 Genesis 2:9-14
the summit/crown of awaits us is harmony of
 God‟s visible creation
The human person is
responsible for creation
Man and Woman are
co-equals and co-
creators of life
God made “rest” as
holy
all beings
The human person is
Genesis 1:28 responsible over Genesis 2:20;2:15
creation.
Man and Woman are
Genesis 1:28 co-equals and co- Genesis 2:21-24
creators of life
Genesis 2:3

Points on the First Account

1. God is the Origin of Everything, especially life
- God is the creator as well as the final goal of everything that exist.

2. Creation is Orderly and Good

- Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection

3. Humankind is the Summit of God‟s Creation

4. The Human Person is responsible for Creation

- Humans are stewards over God‟s creation
- “It is the duty of all who look to God as the Creator to protect the environment by restoring
a sense of reverence for the whole of creation.” (Pope Saint John Paul II)

5. Human Sexuality and Procreation belong to the Divine Order of Creation

- Humans therefore share the divine acts of procreating life (Boadt 73)

6. Rest is Godly
- “God rested on the seventh day from all the work he has undertaken.”
- For the Biblical order, this is the origin of the Sabbath.
- God‟s creative work includes a day of rest.

Second Account of Creation

 It emphasizes God‟s relationship to all human being represented by the figures of Adam and
Eve.
- Adam = man or human
- Eve = living for she is symbolically the mother of all living people.

Man in the “Image of God”

 The human individual…
- Possesses dignity of a person.
- Capable of self-knowledge, self-possession, and of freely giving himself and entering into
communion with others.
- Called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer Him a response of faith and love
that no other creature can give.

Points on the Second Account

1. There is an intimate connection between the land and the human beings

2. The human being is both body and soul

- The human being has the divine breath which is the cause of life.
- “Body and Soul but Truly One” (CCC 363-365)
 Soul – innermost aspect of man; spiritual principle in man
  Body – animated by the spiritual soul
 The soul is the form of the Body. The Body, made of matter becomes a living human
body because of the Spiritual Soul.
 Spirit and matter, in man, are not 2 natures united but forms a single nature.

3. Eden is the original locale of human beings

- Paradise is a picture of harmony between God and human beings, one human beings with
another, of human beings and the world.
- “Man in Paradise” (CCC 374-376, 378)
 Established in friendship with his Creator, himself, and with the creation around him.
 Original state of holiness and justice
 Work is not seen a burden but rather a collaboration with God in perfecting the
visible creation.

4. Humans have the vocation to care for and cultivate the world
- Whatever the man called each of them would be its name…
- The power to name possessed by the one who has power to rule. (Flagan 12)

5. Man and Woman complement each other

- “Woman was not taken from man‟s head to be ruled by him or from his feet to be
trampled by him but from near his side to walk beside him.”
- “Male and Female, He created them…”
 Each for the other: created to be a communion of persons, a „helpmate‟ to the
other, complementary to one another. They are co-creators: forming „one flesh‟
they can transmit human life [CCC 371-372]
 Equality and Difference: good and willed by God. Both with one and same
inalienable dignity (in their being man and woman, they reflect the Creator‟s
wisdom and goodness) [CCC 369-370]

6. Human Love and Marriage are Divinely Ordered

- It is not good for man to be alone.
- Man and woman are made for each other
- Human beings are meant for community

Angels
 A truth of our faith
 The English word “angel” came from the greek word “angelos” which means “messenger”
 With their whole beings, the angels are servants and messengers of God
 Angels are purely spiritual creatures. They have intelligence and will – they are personal and
immortal creatures.

Christ is the Center of the Angelic World

 The angels play a major role in the history of God‟s dealing with the human race. From the
dawn of creation to the Incarnation. Since the coming of Christ, angels are more than ever the
messengers of the Good News.

Misconceptions about Angels

1. The word “angel” itself means something that‟s very good or holy.
- “Angel” comes from a Greek word that was translated from the Hebrew. It means
“messenger.” The word doesn‟t describe what these beings are, but what they do – they
deliver.
2. Angels are puny, feminine, and winged. Sometimes they are naked babies.
 - Angels are spiritual beings and do not have matter. Therefore, they do not have bodies on
which wings could attach.
- What do they look like? Nothing. They are pure spirits and we cannot see them.

3. When humans, especially young children, die and go to heaven, they become angels.
- Angels and humans are separate and different beings. Angels are 100% spirit; Humans are
100% both spirit (soul) and body.
- A human being‟s soul is immortal; his or her body dies. When the soul leaves the body at
death, it is not transformed somehow into an angel.

The Fall of Angels

 Happened before the fall of man
 Fallen angel – Satan or the devil
 Naturally good but they became evil by their own doing (CCC 391)
 Free choice of radical and irrevocable rejection of God and His reign (CCC 392)
- When angels make a choice, their decision is permanent.
- When humans make a choice, there is the chance for change, conversion, and
repentance.

The Fall of Man

 Tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and abusing his freedom,
disobeyed God‟s command (CCC 397)
 Man preferred himself, chose himself over against God
 Wanted to “be like God,” “but without God,” before God, and not in accordance with God.
(CCC 398)

Sin
 Broken relationship
 Humanity‟s rejection of God and opposition to Him (CCC 386)
 Abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving
Him and love one another. (CCC 387)

ETYMOLOGIES OF THE WORD “SIN”

WORD ORIGIN MEANING
Sunder German To break from another
Hatta
Hebrew To miss the target
Awon
To break from the covenant;
Pesha Hebrew
violation of the law

Consequences of Man‟s First Sin

 Loss of grace of original holiness
 Distorted image of God
 Destroyed original justice (Harmony – broken harmony with creation)
 Control of soul‟s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered
 Lust and dominations between man and woman
 Death makes its entrance into human history

Original Sin (CCC 404)

 The first sin transmitted to his (Adam‟s) descendants
 The whole human race being in Adam (as one body of one man) represents the whole of
human nature
 “Fallen state”
  Transmission of a human nature deprived of original justice and holiness
 A sin “contracted” not committed – a state and not an act
 Formula for sin = Freedom + Knowledge + Voluntariness

Concupiscence (CCC 405)

 Human nature
- Wounded not corrupted
- Subject to ignorance, suffering, and death
- Inclined to sin
- Tendency to do evil

Sinful Social Structures

 Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious
errors in morals. (Cf. CA 25)
 The sin of the world – consequences of original sin and all of men‟s personal sins put the whole
world as a whole in sinful condition
 Negative influence exerted on people by communal situations that are fruits of men‟ sins.
(CCC 408)

Protoevangelium
 Genesus
 First Gospel: first announcement of Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent
and the Woman, and of the final victory of a descendant of hers.
 New Adam – Jesus, who is obedient unto death, even on the Cross
 New Eve/Woman – Mary, the Mother of Christ

Christ‟ Redemption
 Universality of sin and death contrasted with the universality of the salvation of Christ
 “As one man‟s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man‟s act of righteousness
leads to acquittal and life for all men.” (Romans 5:18)

ARTICLE 2: “I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord…

 “Whoever is called to teach Christ must first seek the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.”
(CCC 428)
- You cannot teach what you do not know.

The Titles of Jesus

 A title is an appellation of dignity, honor, distinction, or preeminence attached to a person or
family by virtue of rank, office, precedent, privilege, attainment, or lands. (Merriam Webster,
2017)

1. Jesus
- “Yeshua” in Hebrew which means “God saves.”
- Jesus‟ name indicates his identity and mission to forgive sins. Through his paschal mystery,
He recapitulates the whole of salvation history.
- All may invoke the name of Jesus
- Through His saving work, He links all of humanity to Him
- All may invoke the name of Jesus when seeking for salvation
- In His name, we are reminded that God is ever present and faithful.
- Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior God. Whatever is asked in Jesus‟ name will be
granted by the Father.
- Jesus‟ name manifests supreme power. Evil spirits tremble in His name.
- Jesus‟ name is invoked in Christian prayers (“In Jesus’ name. Amen.”)
 - Some saints have uttered His name before they died.

PARALLELISMS
Old Testament New Testament
Liberation from Egyptian Slavery Liberation from the Slavery of Sin
The priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial Jesus became the sacrificial lamb. By His blood,
lamb at the Holy of Holies He paid the price for the sins of humanity.

2. Christ
- Christ is NOT Jesus‟ family name.
- Messiah is the counterpart of Christ in Hebrew
- Messiah or the Christ means, “the anointed one”
- The Christ of the Israelites is too human and political
 Pharisees – A religious leader with excellent interpretation of the Mosaic Law
 Essenes – a priest from a religious family
 Zealots – a revolutionary leader who will overthrow the Romans
 Other Disciples – an earthly king like David and Solomon
- The definition of Christ by prophet Isaiah is different from the definitions given by the
Israelites
 “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised and we esteemed Him not.
Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows yet we considered Him stricken
by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was
crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by
His wounds, we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5)
- “But who do you say I am?”
 He offered Himself for our transgressions. (Priestly)
 He announced the imminent passion of the Son of Man. (Prophetic)
 He showed that he came to serve than to be served. (Kingly)

PARALLELISMS
Old Testament New Testament
Priests, kings, and some prophets of Israel Christ was anointed by the Spirit as a Prophet,
received anointing. Priest, and King. (Three-fold mission of Christ)

3. The Only Son of God

- By virtue of adoption, this title is given to angels, the chosen people of Israel, and their
kings.
- Proofs:
 Baptism – As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment,
heaven was opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I
am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)
 Transfiguration – and He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became
dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to
them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in
reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a
cloud came, casting a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice, “This is
my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” (Mark 9:2-7)
 Death – Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed His last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn
in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing Him saw how He
breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:37-39)
 4. Lord
- YHWH is the counterpart of Lord in Hebrew. Adonai and Kyrios are substituted for this
ineffable Hebrew name.
- Post-easter, this title is used for both the Father and the Son. This is to affirm the power, glory,
and honor that is due to Them.
- In the gospels, this title testifies respect and trust to Jesus‟ help and teachings.
- Post-easter, the title becomes an adoration.

ARTICLE 3: “He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary”
 The Word became flesh for us men and for our salvation (CCC 456 – 460)
1. To save us and reconcile us with God.
2. That we might know God‟s love.
3. That we may have our model of holiness.
4. To make us partakers of the divine nature.
 Incarnation – the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature to accomplish our
salvation in it. (CCC 461 – 463)
- Though He was in the form of God… (He) emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men. (St. Paul)

The Christological Councils

 Jesus is 100% true God and true man. (CCC 464 – 469)
 An ecumenical council is a gathering of church representatives, and especially of official
leaders (Bishops) who have the authority to make joint decisions regarding Church doctrines
and disciplines that are binding.

TERM BASIC MEANING USAGE/SENSE

Hypostasis (Greek) “to stand under” A reality existing by itself
Substantia (Latin) “to stand under” A reality existing by itself
Ousia “to be,” “being” Being, distinct, entity, nature
Homoousious “same” being One in being; consubstantial
Prosopon (Greek) Face, countenance Concrete appearance, person;
“individual substance of a
Persona (Latin) Character, individual rational creature” (Baelthius, 6th
CE)
Theotokos “God-bearer” Mother of God
Christokos “Christ-bearer” Mother of Christ

Council of Nicea (325 CE)

 Fought against Arianism
- “There was a time when [Jesus] he was not.”
- Before He was begotten [by the Father], he was not.”
- He came to be from things that were not, or from another hypostasis or substance.”
 Defenders of the Nicean Council Propositions: Saint Athanasius and Saint Hilary of Poitiers
- St. Athanasius: While the Father and the Son are distinct, the Son “belongs to the Father‟s
substance and is of the same nature as He.”
- St. Hilary of Poitiers: “God the Father and God the Son are clearly one, not by a union of
Person but by a unity of Nature.”
 Church resolution: Homoousious – of the same substance/being
- “We believe in one God, the Father all powerful, maker of all things both seen and unseen.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten from the Father, that is from
the substance of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
 begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father through whom all things came to be,
both those in heaven and in earth…”

Council of Ephesus (431 CE)

 Fought against Nestorianism
- There are two types of Jesus: the Divine and the human, rather than 1 person with 2
natures.
- Mary is not “theotokos” or God-bearer, only “Christokos” (Christ-bearer) for a creature like
Mary cannot give birth to a God.
 Defenders of the Ephesus Council Propositions: St. Cyril and St. John of Antioch
- St. Cyril: Jesus is the “one incarnate nature of the divine Logos,” understanding that while
remaining God, the Logos or Son took on human life. There is “union in hypostasis” or
hypostatic union. (There cannot be two persons but only one in which that person has two
natures)
- St. John of Antioch: Jesus as “perfect God and perfect man.” The two natures are without
confusion. (One person but two natures)
 Resolution: Hypostatic Union and Mary as Theotokos
- Mary truly became the Mother of God; “Theotokos” by the human conception of the Son
of God. The Logos, united to himself according to the hypostasis, was born from her, the
Logos is said to be born according to the flesh.

Council of Chalcedon (451 CE)

 Fought against Monophysitism
- Christ‟s divinity and humanity came together in one Divine nature, thus, his humanity
ceased to exist. (Dioscorus and Eutyches)
- Nagsama yung human and divine nature. Naging divine nature na lang kasi mas powerful
yun kaysa sa human nature. (Pacman analogy)
- Mono = one; Physitism = substance
 Defenders of the Chalcedon Council Proposition: Flavian and Pope Leo
- Flavian and Pope Leo: “So the proper character of both natures was maintained and came
together in a single person. Lowliness was taken up by majesty, mortality by eternity.”
(Flavian‟s profession of faith, echoed by Pope Leo in his famous Tome of Leo letter in 449)
 Resolution: Affirm the Nicene creed, Cyril‟s letter, the Tome of Leo and Flavian‟s profession of
faith
- “…We unanimously teach and confess one and the same son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the
same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man,
composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father…”
- “…as to his divinity and consubstantial with us as to his humanity; “like us in all things but
sin.” He was begotten from the Father before all ages as to his divinity and in these last
days, for us and for our salvation, was born as to his humanity of the Virgin Mary, the
Mother of God.
- “…We confess the one and the same Christ, Lord, and the only begotten Son, is to be
acknowledged in two natures without confusion, change, division or separation. The
distinction between the natures was never abolished…”
- “…by their union, but rather the character proper to each of the natures was preserved as
they came together in one person and one hypostasis.”

Council of Constantinople (384 CE)

 Fought against Apollinarianism
- The Logos took place of the human soul of Christ, or at least of the higher soul, the nous.
- Jesus was not truly a human being. He lacks a rational soul, or is not a human subject, or is
without a principle of human individuality, freedom, and action.
- Nagkunwari lang daw si Jesus with His pain and suffering on the cross.
  Resolution: Jesus human nature is complete
- Christ‟s human nature – complete with operations of intellect and will, and human body –
belongs to the Divine person of the Son of God who assumed it.
- The human knowledge that the Son of God assumed, is not unlimited, it was exercised in
the historical conditions of his existence in time and space. Yet, by union to the divine
wisdom in the person of the Word came flesh, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the
fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal. (CCC 472 – 474)

Council of Constantinople III (681 CE)

 Christ possesses two wills and two natural operations.
 They are not opposed. The human will of Christ submits to his divine and almighty will (CCC
475). The two wills and two natural operations retain their qualities without alteration or change
in the one hypostasis/person of Jesus.

Council of Nicea II (787 CE)

 Since the word became flesh, Christ‟s body was finite.
 The individual characteristics of Christ‟s body express the divine person of God‟s Son. (CCC
476 – 477)

COUNCILS THAT FOCUSED ON THE DIVINE NATURE COUNCILS THAT FOCUSED ON THE HUMAN NATURE
HERESY RESOLUTION HERESY RESOLUTION
Human nature
complete with
intellect and
will; Divine will
and intellect
Constantinople Apollinarianism cooperates
Nicea Arianism Homoousious “pretended to be
I human”
with human
intellect & will,
making Jesus
knowledgeable
of the eternal
plans.
Hypostatic
Ephesus Nestorianism union; Nicea II CCC 475
“Theotokos”
Reaffirmed
Nicea and Constantinople
Chalcedon Monophysitism CCC 476 - 477
Ephesus III
resolutions

 CCC 475 – Similarly, at the sixth ecumenical council, Constantinople III in 681, the Church
confessed that Christ possesses two wills and two natural operations, divine and human. They
are not opposed to each other, but cooperate in such a way that the Word made flesh willed
humanly in obedience to his Father all that he had decided divinely with the Father and the
Holy Spirit for our salvation. Christ's human will "does not resist or oppose but rather submits to
his divine and almighty will.
 CCC 476-477 – Since the Word became flesh in assuming a true humanity, Christ's body was
finite. Therefore the human face of Jesus can be portrayed; at the seventh ecumenical
council (Nicaea II in 787) the Church recognized its representation in holy images to be
legitimate. At the same time the Church has always acknowledged that in the body of Jesus
"we see our God made visible and so are caught up in love of the God we cannot see." The
individual characteristics of Christ's body express the divine person of God's Son. He has made
 the features of his human body his own, to the point that they can be venerated when
portrayed in a holy image, for the believer "who venerates the icon is venerating in it the
person of the one depicted".

ARTICLE 3, PART 2: “…Born of the Virgin Mary.”

Marian Dogma 1: Mother of God

 Mary became the Mother of God when she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 Luke 1:1-38: Annunciation
 Through “May it be done to me according to your Word,” Mary said her big yes to God. This is
called the fiat.
- Fiat is Latin for “Let it be done.”
 This was among the official statements of the Council of Ephesus in 431 CE.
 Otherwise known in Greek as “Theotokos” or “birth-giver of God.”
 Celebrated every January 1.
 Mary is our mother too.
- “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother,
“Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to his disciple, “Behold your Mother.” And from
that hour, the disciple took him in his home. (John 19:26-27)

Marian Dogma 2: Immaculate Conception

 Mary is without Original Sin. “For it is necessary to safeguard the honor of the Son.” Proverbs
17:6
 “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed
Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted
by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was
preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be
believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.” Pope Pius IX in encyclical, Ineffabilis Deus
(December 8, 1854)

Marian Dogma 3: Perpetual Virginity

 The Perpetual Virginity is the radical and exclusive dedication of Mary as the Mother of God.
 The expression perpetual virginity, ever-virgin, or simply "Mary the Virgin" refers primarily to the
conception and birth of Jesus. From the first formulations of faith, especially in baptismal
formulas or professions of faith, the Church professed that Jesus Christ was conceived without
human seed by the power of the Holy Spirit only. Jesus is Mary‟s only child.
 Vatican II reiterated the teaching about Mary, the Ever-Virgin, by stating that Christ's birth did
not diminish Mary's virginal integrity but sanctified it.

Marian Dogma 4: The Assumption

 “… the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her
earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Pope Pius XII in his encyclical
Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950.
 In heaven, Mary's active involvement in salvation history continues: "Taken up to heaven, she
did not lay aside her salvific duty... By her maternal love she cares for the brothers and sisters of
her Son who still journey on earth" (Lumen Gentium).
 The Assumption of Mary is celebrated worldwide every August 15.

Point to Consider: Catholics do not worship Mary but venerate her, in her special role in God‟s plan.
Her merits are always associated with Jesus, her Son.