Three
ways to knowing God (the world, the human being, and the faith) provided the
theme for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general
audience, held 14 November 2012 in the Paul VI Hall.
The
Holy Father began by explaining that "God's initiative always precedes any
initiative on the part of man, and, even on our journey towards Him, it is He
Who first illuminates and guides us, while always respecting our freedom. ...
God never tires of seeking us, He is faithful to the man He created and
redeemed, and He remains close to us because He loves us. This is a certainty
which must accompany us every day"….
"Our
own times have seen the emergence of a phenomenon which is particularly
dangerous for the faith. There exists, in fact, a form of atheism, which we
define as 'practical', in which the truths of faith and religious ritual are
not denied but are simply held to be irrelevant to daily existence, detached from
life, useless. Often, then, people believe in God superficially but live as if
He did not exist. In the final analysis, however, such a lifestyle turns out to
be even more destructive, because it leads to indifference towards the faith
and towards the question of God”.
Faced
with this situation the Church, "faithful to Christ's mandate, never
ceases to affirm the truth about man and his destiny", said the Pope. Yet,
he asked, "what responses is the faith called to give… so that the men and
women of our time may continue to question themselves about the existence of
God, and follow the paths that lead to Him?"
Referring
to the first of these paths - the world - the Pope expressed the view that
"we must recover and restore to modern man the chance to contemplate the
creation, its beauty and structure".
To
explain the second path - the human being - Benedict XVI quoted from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church, saying: 'With his openness to truth and beauty, his
sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his
longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's
existence'".
Turning
finally to consider the faith, the Pope noted how "believers are united to
God, open to His grace and to the force of charity. ... Their faith is not
afraid to show itself in daily life, it is open to a dialogue which expresses
profound friendship for all men and women, and is able to bring the light of
hope to our need for redemption, happiness and future life. Faith means meeting
God Who speaks and works in history."
"In
reality, at the basis of all doctrine and values is the encounter between man
and God in Jesus Christ. Christianity, rather than a moral or ethical code, is
first and foremost the experience of love in welcoming Christ", Pope Benedict
XVI concluded.
For
more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/three-ways-to-know-god-the-world-man-and-faith
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