*** Section 2: God ***

2-1 God’s Existence
Does God exist?
God’s existence is an undeniable truth affirmed by both faith and reason. God exists as the Creator of all things, eternal, all-powerful, and self-existent, needing no cause beyond Himself. St. Thomas Aquinas proposed five proofs for the existence of God. (1) Motion, everything in motion must be moved by something else, leading to a first unmoved mover, which is God. (2) Efficient Causation, every effect has a cause, and this chain of causation cannot regress infinitely, necessitating a first uncaused cause—God. (3) Possibility and Necessity suggest that contingent beings (things that might not exist) depend on a necessary being that must exist—God—to sustain their existence. (4) Gradation observes that qualities like goodness or truth exist in varying degrees, implying a perfect standard or maximum, God. (5) Design contends that the purposeful order and complexity of the universe suggest a deliberate intelligent design, pointing to God as the designer. Together, these arguments aim to demonstrate God's existence through reason and observation of the natural world.

2-2 Knowing God
Who is God, and how do we know God?
God is the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good Supreme Being, the Creator of all things, existing as one divine essence in three Persons, the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the infinite source of all that is, who has no beginning or end, and sustains everything by His will. We know God through two primary ways: reason, which observes the order and beauty of creation and concludes there must be a purposeful design behind it, and divine revelation, where God discloses Himself through Sacred Scripture (the Bible) and Tradition. By combining reason with divine revelation through the Church’s teachings and the sacraments, we grow in knowledge, love, and to serve God, fulfilling our purpose to seek Him and be happily united with Him forever in the next life.

2-3 The Savior

Who is Jesus Christ, and why is He alone able to save us?

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man, possessing two natures—divine and human—in one divine Person. He is the Son of God who became incarnate through the Virgin Mary to redeem humanity from sin through His life, death, and resurrection. Christ alone can save us because, as God, His sacrifice on the Cross has infinite merit, sufficient to atone for all human sins, and as man, He could represent humanity, offering a perfect sacrifice to satisfy divine justice. No other being could bridge the infinite gap between God and humanity caused by sin, and He established the Catholic Church to distribute the graces of His redemption through the sacraments, making Him the sole mediator and Savior (Acts 4:12). Only Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life," not as a guide to them (John 14:6).

2-4 The Passion
If Jesus is God, why did he suffer and die on the cross?
Jesus, as God incarnate, suffered and died on the Cross to redeem humanity from sin and reconcile us with the Father, a supreme act of love and obedience that only He, being both divine and human, could accomplish. As God, His sacrifice had infinite merit, and as man, He could represent and atone for human sin, satisfying divine justice offended by Adam’s fall. His death was not a sign of weakness but the fulfillment of God’s plan, foretold in Scripture (Isaiah 53), to conquer sin and death. By freely offering Himself, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, paid the debt we could not, opening the gates of Heaven and demonstrating that even God’s love embraces suffering to bring about our eternal salvation.

2-5 The Resurrection

What is the resurrection of Jesus?

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is His rising from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, demonstrating His divine power and fulfilling the Scriptures (Acts 2:25-31). Christ rose by His own power, body and soul, to prove He is true God and to confirm the truth of His teachings, securing our redemption and hope for eternal life. The Resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith, showing Christ’s victory over sin and death, and it guarantees that the faithful, through grace and the sacraments, will also rise to eternal life (Acts 4:11-12). This historical and miraculous event, witnessed by the apostles and others (Matthew 28:6-10), establishes the Church’s mission to proclaim Christ as the risen Savior, whose glorified body assures our own resurrection at the end of time.

2-6 The Ascension

What is the Ascension?

The Ascension of Jesus refers to His bodily ascent into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection, marking the completion of His earthly mission and His glorification at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus ascended by His own power, body and soul, to enter His heavenly kingdom, prepare a place for the faithful, and send the Holy Spirit to guide, sanctify, and empower His Church and its members to continue His redemptive mission after His Ascension. The Ascension (Acts 1:9-11), signifies Christ’s exaltation as King of Heaven and earth, where He continues to intercede for us as our High Priest and Mediator to God the Father for forgiveness and salvation, and promises His return in glory to judge the world. This event strengthens the hope of the faithful, assuring them that, through grace and the sacraments, they too may follow Him to eternal life in Heaven.

2-7 Necessary Death
What is divine justice, and was Christ's death necessary?
Divine justice is God’s perfect attribute by which He renders to each what is due—rewarding the good and punishing the evil—reflecting His holiness and righteousness. Sin is an offense against God’s infinite dignity, requires a proportionate satisfaction, which humanity, being finite, could not provide. Christ’s death was necessary because only He, as both God and man, could offer an infinite sacrifice to appease divine justice for the sins of all mankind, beginning with original sin. His Passion and Cross fulfilled this need, balancing mercy and justice: His death was not forced but freely chosen to reconcile us to God, proving that justice could be satisfied while opening the way to salvation through His boundless love and merit.

2-8 Sacrificial Love
Why would God create man knowing man would sin, and that His Son would have to die for man's sins?
God created man out of love, desiring to share His goodness and glory, despite foreknowing that man would sin and that His Son would have to sacrifice Himself on the Cross to redeem him. God made us to know, love, and serve Him, implying that free will—a gift reflecting His image—was worth the risk of sin. God’s omniscience does not negate human freedom; rather, He permitted sin to bring about a greater good—the redemption through Christ’s Passion—which reveals His infinite mercy and justice more gloriously than a sinless world could. By allowing sin and providing the remedy in Jesus, God demonstrates His profound love, turning man’s fall into an opportunity for a deeper union with Him, culminating in the triumph of the Cross and Resurrection. “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting” (John 3:16).

2-9 Relationship With Jesus
Can we have a personal relationship with Jesus, and did Jesus personally die for each one of us?
We can indeed have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who invites us into intimate communion with Him through prayer, the sacraments, and a life of virtue. Christ is our Savior and Mediator, accessible through the Church He founded, especially in the Eucharist, where we encounter Him truly present. Jesus did personally died for each one of us, because He knows each one of us (Matthew 10:30-33). His sacrifice on the Cross being an individual act of love for every soul, as His infinite merit atones for each person’s sins. This personal redemption allows us to approach Him as a friend and brother, fostering a relationship deepened by grace, where He knows us by name (Isaiah 43:1) and calls us to love Him in return, making His death a unique gift to every individual who accepts it through faith and repentance.

2-10 Surrendering To God
What does it mean to surrender to God?
To surrender to God means to fully submit one’s will, desires, and life to His divine plan, trusting in His love and providence even when it’s difficult or unclear, for we can do nothing worthy in life without God (John 15:5). It’s a call to serve God as our purpose, requiring us to obey His commandments and accept His will above our own. Surrender involves a heartfelt abandonment of self-reliance, as exemplified by Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42), and by Mary’s fiat, “Be it done unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). It’s an act of faith and love, expressed through prayer, obedience to the Church, and acceptance of both joys and sufferings, trusting that God’s wisdom, orders all things for our sanctification and eternal happiness.

2-11 By Example
Why do we need to know, love, and serve God?
We need to know, love, and serve God because He is our Creator and ultimate end, and fulfilling this purpose is the path to eternal happiness with Him. God made us for this very reason: to know Him through reason and revelation, to love Him with our whole being, and to serve Him by obeying His will. Knowing God satisfies our intellect’s search for truth (John 17:3), loving Him fulfills our heart’s deepest desire to be with Him (1 John 4:19), and serving Him aligns our actions with His divine plan for salvation, as seen in Christ’s example of humility and service in washing the feet of his apostles (John 13:14-15). This threefold duty orders our lives toward Heaven, reflects our dependence on Him as the source of all good, and ensures we live out the purpose for which we were created, avoiding the eternal loss of rejecting Him.

2-12 The World
Why does the world hate Jesus?
The world hates Jesus because His teachings and divine authority challenge sinful human inclinations and worldly values, exposing the darkness of sin and calling for repentance. Christ came to save sinners, yet many reject Him due to attachment to sin. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first… because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it” (John 15:18-19). The world, under the influence of Satan and corrupted by pride, greed, and disobedience, resists Jesus’ demand for holiness, truth, and submission to God’s will, preferring its own autonomy over the light of His gospel, which reveals its moral failings and need for redemption.

2-13 The Greatest Commandment

What is the greatest Commandment, and why is love not just love, but it must be ordered?

The greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, as taught by Jesus (Mark 12:30), followed closely by loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:31), including our enemies (Matthew 5:44). This commandment is paramount because God is the source of all being and goodness, and loving Him above all fulfills our purpose as His creatures. Love must be ordered—prioritizing God first, then others, and self last—because love, as a theological virtue, is not merely an emotion but a deliberate act of the will directed toward the true good, not self-centeredness, over neighbour and God. Giving up ones life out of love for another (John 15:13) is a heroic, supreme form of ordered love. Disordered love, such as placing self, creatures, or lesser goods above God, leads to sin and chaos, as it violates the divine hierarchy of creation. Ordered love ensures that our affections align with God’s will, fostering harmony, guiding actions toward eternal salvation, and reflecting the perfect love of Christ, who loved God and humanity unto death. These two Commandments together reflect God’s own nature as love (1 John 4:8).