Compendium Series: How do we speak about God

COMPENDIUM SERIES

 

Christ the Teacher: Compendium Series Icon.

4. Is the light of reason alone sufficient to know the mystery of God? (CCC 37-38)

Compendium states

In coming to a knowledge of God by the light of reason alone man experiences many difficulties.  Indeed, on his own he is unable to enter into the intimacy of the divine mystery.  This is why he stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not only about the things that exceed his understanding but also about those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the grasp of human reason, so that even in the present condition of the human race, they can know by all with ease, with firm certainty and with no admixture of error.

What does this mean for me?

With gratitude I can praise God for the religious and moral truths which I understand and ask the Holy Spirit to help me explore those which I do not understand but accept on faith.

5. How can we speak about God? (CCC 39-43, 48-49)

Compendium states

By taking as our starting point the perfection of man and of the other creatures which are a reflection, albeit a limited one, of the infinite perfection of God, we are able to speak about God with all people.  We must however continually purify our language insofar as it is image-bound and imperfect, realizing that we can never fully  experience the infinite mystery of God.

What does this mean for me?

God is the creator and we are the created. We are in relationship with God and God with us. When we are in relationship with God, we wish to share His love with others, but we need to realise that we can never fully experience the infinite mystery of God. Our language is image-bound-imperfect. This is particularly important to remember when we are speaking with other people about our Catholic faith.  We need to be sensitive to their world view in faith, without compromising our own.

During this last month, we have embarked on knowing more about our faith. Taking one question each week, we have now completed chapter one of our journey.  Stay tuned for chapter 2.  Perhaps you might like to review how this series may have assisted you so far. I would love to hear your comments.