1. The Sources of Faith Conversion

1. The Sources of Faith & Conversion

This section will deal with the conversion experience, the relationship of Scripture and Tradition, and our Creedal faith.

Invitation to a Journey of Conversion.
On a recent visit to the United States, Mother Teresa surprised many of her admirers by observing that there was a poverty here which in many ways was even more dire than in Calcutta. What could she possibly have meant? If we were to really look around, the answer would hit us squarely between the eyes. Ironically, we have surrounded ourselves with a banquet of transitory delights and pursuits, while forgetting to seek an imperishable treasure. We have looked for love in all the wrong places. We separated sexuality from marriage and then wondered what had become of intimacy. We placed a greater value upon making and spending money than in leisure filled with peace and prayer. We have filled our lives with false gods who failed to make us happy and hid the fact behind noise pretending to be music and activity which only led us in endless circles. We have sought out easy quick fixes to our needs, instead of attempting responsible planning and hard work.
Where are we going?
What is the point of it all?
Why are we here?
What and who is the source of our existence?
The Church would desire to assist us in this journey to find the answers, both in ourselves and among others. Whether or not we really appreciate it, we are made for God. Without God, we are incomplete and frustrated. The greatest thrills and pleasures can become dull and boring. Money and power can lose their luster in the midst of suffering and death. Mother Teresa observed that we have become a spiritually impoverished people. We have sought to discover outside of ourselves, things for which we should have inquired within. Here is where the journey of a soul begins. The greatest figures and the least remembered all had to face suffering and death. Neither technology nor bribery could keep this great equalizer from our door.
We have become a lonely and frightened people. The Scriptures reveal that God made us in his own image and the humanists attempt to return the compliment by re-making God into man's. It is not enough. There is an inner questioning and reaching in each one of us which seeks to be freed from a drowning sea of lies and half-truths. Even good things have become a part of the deceit.
Religion has sometimes received bad press. Many people would claim to be Christian even though they belong to no particular community. Although this might be permissible for someone beginning the quest for truth, ultimately it should lead to a realization that God has called a people to himself in a visible and living community. We are a family of faith, not isolated monoliths to face the storms and calms of life without companionship.
None of these words, or those to follow, should be viewed as propaganda. The Church seeks to earnestly discover, to follow, and to proclaim the truth. She believes that her brand of truth is closest to the reality of things; however, the Church refuses to coerce anyone into her ranks. The Church merely offers the invitation, "Come and see." Faith cannot be forced. It can be nurtured, but ultimately, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. If after seeing what the Catholic Church has to offer, one is still not convinced of her claims, to enter would be hypocritical. Intellectually, there have been many great minds drawn to the Church. Nevertheless, there have also been many well-versed in what Catholics believed, who never seemed to receive the gift of faith. Instead of giving up, it is an occasion for more study and prayer.
Although the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was originally intended for those who were not baptized; the accompanying instruction programs include increasing numbers of the curious from other ecclesial communities. Our directives in this age would prevent us from any aggressive proselytizing, especially from the mainline traditions. However, the open invitation remains for any who would come of their own accord. Indeed, experience has shown that members from other communities, well-versed in religion already and possessing the skills to search for truth, often outnumber those who look at Christianity for the first time. Engaging in the process of inquiry should make one feel eager to go all the way in becoming Catholic. We would hope that this would be one's aspiration; but again, it must be a person's own free decision.
Another preliminary note of which we need to be reminded is to come with open minds and hearts. We will get nowhere otherwise. Also, it is important that we participate as much as our abilities allow in the learning process. There will be many influences, from the Internet community, from family, friends, some ministers, the media, etc., which will attempt to short-circuit this process of maturation in Christ. They may do this out of no ill-will, but simply out of prejudice and ignorance. What danger can there be in hearing the Church out.
THIS LAST POINT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CATECHISM TO BE TAUGHT TO YOU BY THOSE WHO ARE EITHER IGNORANT OR HOSTILE TO THE FAITH. I REMEMBER LOSING ONE YOUNG WOMAN FROM MY CLASS OVER THE ISSUE OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. THE CHARLIE CURRAN AFFAIR WAS BIG IN THE NEWS AND IT BECAME AN OCCASION TO MOCK THE CHURCH'S POSITION AGAINST CONTRACEPTION AND EXTRA-MARITAL SEX. SHE WAS MORE WILLING TO BELIEVE WHAT DAN RATHER SAID ON CBS THAN TO HEAR IT DIRECTLY FROM A PRIEST IN GOOD STANDING OR FROM THE CHURCH'S OWN DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE SCRIPTURES. JUST THE OTHER DAY, I HAPPENED TO WATCH A FUNDAMENTALIST MINISTER ON TELEVISION MAKE ALL SORTS OF ABSURD AND BIGOTED STATEMENTS ABOUT WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVES. HE DID NOT BEGIN TO ANSWER THE DILEMMA OF HOW HE COULD CRITICIZE A TWO THOUSAND YEAR OLD CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION WHEN HIS WENT BACK MERELY TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS OWN PERSONAL MINISTRY. ANTI-CATHOLICISM, EVEN FROM SO-CALLED CATHOLICS, IS NOT ONLY TOLERATED TODAY, IT HAS BECOME FASHIONABLE.
As from the very beginning, to be a Catholic Christian will sometimes mean standing against the tides of fashion for the sake of the Gospel. To be a Catholic is more than simply to make a profession of faith with words; it must also be a dedication lived out in our daily lives. Sometimes it will be easy. At other times, it will be very hard. However, if the loving grace of God is alive in our hearts, then it need never be utterly stripped of joy.
Scripture and Tradition.
There is much to be admired and learned from the present-day emphasis on a return to the Scriptures. However, what Catholics must be cautious about is how the Scriptures are studied and interpreted. Many fundamentalists would have us base our faith solely upon the bible. This sounds fair and good, but an immediate dilemma arises. Who speaks authoritatively upon the Scriptures when there is dispute? How can Christians see the Church simply arising from the Scriptures when it was the early Church herself, inspired by the Spirit of God, that formulated these writings and set the canon in the fourth century? Many attempt to use the bible against us today, not realizing that it is especially our book. One famous evangelizer, the late Fr. Illig, joked that it was a shame the Catholic Church failed to get a copyright on her book. In a humorous way, this speaks to the fact that the community to which inspired revelation was given and collected, ought to take full claim of their book and use it with confidence and authority. Unlike churches which have existed for a short time, and here I mean a handful of decades or a few centuries, the Catholic Church's long tradition wherein the Spirit of God has nurtured and guided us, cannot and must not be overlooked. Those who speak against Tradition, ironically, after only a couple years, begin to refer to their own history, even if only in regards to the practices and remarks of the last pastor. The Lord gives us his Word and breathes life into it. This is why the Catholic Church is dynamic and alive. This is why Tradition and Scripture must be placed side by side in the Catholic analysis. It is important to note, and Catholic scholars concur, that while every teaching might not necessarily be explicit in Scripture-- nothing the Church professes can be counter to the Gospel. Where there seems to be a discrepancy, there is simply some confusion as to what the Church actually teaches. It is in this light that the Church clarifies her deposit of faith and thus develops her doctrine in the movement of history, a saving history into which the Lord has decisively entered.
Revelation was entrusted to the Apostles who were commissioned to hand it on to all generations.
A. By means of oral preaching and ordinances (Tradition):
1. From the mouth of Christ;
2. From a living association with him;
3. From his actions; and
4. From what they learned under the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
B. The commission of Christ was fulfilled when the Apostles (and other Apostolic men), under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, committed the saving message to writing (Scripture):
1. Apostolic Tradition found in the bible, some which had be abrogated or abolished;
2. Ecclesiastical Traditions which existed then and should not be abandoned; and
3. Dogmatic Traditions pertaining to the essential deposit of faith and morals not clearly found in Scripture.
Traditions, according to the Council of Trent, included customs, liturgical ceremonies, church practices, and prayer devotions. God's holy Word found substance in the life of the Church and in the manifold ways that Christians lived out their discipleship.
Cardinal Ratzinger discerned four levels of appreciation in the concept of Tradition in the Tridentine definition: (Revelation & Tradition, pp. 65-66)
1. The inscription of Gospel revelation, not merely in the bible, but in human hearts;
2. The perpetual speaking of the Holy Spirit to the Church;
3. The activity of Church councils; and
4. The liturgical tradition and that of the Church's life.
The Second Vatican Council saw Tradition in terms of a process, under the Holy Spirit's guidance, by which the Church developed a maturing insight into the Revelation which had been given once and for all. ". . . the Church in her teaching, like, and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes" (Dei Verbum, 8). Vatican II explained that Scripture and Tradition together constituted the supreme rule of faith. At every Mass we exclaim that Scripture is the Word of God. The role of Tradition is to explain and to preserve God's Word, making the Scriptures more accessible and widely known. The labor of preserving the Word of God (in all its purity) falls upon the shoulders of both the bishops and the laity. However, the authentic interpretation of God's Word is a function reserved to the Teaching Office or Magisterium of the Church (the bishops in union with the Holy See, the Pope).
We may need to be aware of the various literary forms in Scripture to truly appreciate the meaning of a particular piece. The Hebrews often used exaggeration, myths, plays on words, hymns, poetry, speeches, etc. to describe the things of God. Sometimes these forms become clouded in English translation. Also, we must ask ourselves what the particular meaning of a passage us-- what is it trying to say? A good commentary can be quite useful in this regard. The many facets of Christ's teaching, to illustrate Scriptural complexity, takes four Gospels, a selection of other works, and a number of letters. Each of these sources presents its own particular theology to effectively bring us the Good News of Christ-- the message of salvation.
The Creeds.
The two creeds of the Church which have traditionally been regarded as the measure of orthodoxy are The Apostles' Creed and The Nicene (really the Niceno-Constantinopolitan) Creed. The former was once regarded as penned by the Apostles themselves; in any case, it does pose a faithful summation of the earliest truths taught by Church. The Nicene Creed was promulgated in 325 AD by Nicea, the first ecumenical council of the Church. However, the creed more familiar to Sunday churchgoers is that which owes a debt to the Nicean but which emerged after the Councils of Ephesus (431 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD). It came to be used in the Eastern Church and later, by the end of the eighth century, in the West. The principal focus at Nicea was the identity of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of and one in being with the Father. This "one in being" has also been translated as "consubstantial with" or of the same substance of the Father. At Constantinople, there was the additional emphasis upon "the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and Son is adored and glorified, who spoke through the prophets." The bracketed phrase, "and of the Son," was added later by the West. While the Scriptures would support the addition, the East has long contested any Western authority to unilaterally amend the Creed. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed probably has roots in the original baptismal creed of the Apostolic church in Jerusalem. Since Chalcedon (451 AD), it has been considered the main creed of the Church. Creeds were a recognition by the Church that the Scriptures were insufficient to preserve the unity in the Church. Many heresies emerged which cited select biblical passages to gain their objectives. Fighting sometimes became quite severe. Both the Church's good order and the preservation of sound doctrine mandated that the bishops seek divine enlightenment in council, coming to a consensus with the Holy Spirit's guidance. Creeds were the end-products of these assemblies, the final summations of truth in the Good News.
IN PRESENT-DAY LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS, THE NICENO-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CREED IS USED. HOWEVER, IN MASSES FOR CHILDREN, THE APOSTLES' MAY BE SUBSTITUTED.
Outline of Paul VI's Credo of God:
After the Second Vatican Council, one of the criticisms which emerged was its reluctance to draw up a creed or profession of common faith as had many previous councils. To help fill this vacuum, Pope Paul VI drew up a personal creed which he offered to the rest of the Church on June 30, 1968. It has been hailed as a wonderfully thorough presentation of the truths of our faith.
A. Introduction to the Credo
1. Same faith as that of Saints Peter and Paul
2. Blessing to all the Church
3. His creed is true to Nicea and is made by his authority as Peter's successor
4. Harmony between science/research and doctrine
5. Intellect reaches beyond the empirical
6. Trust in the safeguard of the Holy Spirit
7. Paul VI as another witness of the Gospel to the world
8. Clear and explicit creed for those seeking the truth
9. Offered in communion with the whole Church
B. The Credo: Profession of Faith
1. One Trinitarian Creator God
2. All Perfections and One
3. Three Eternal Processions in the Trinity
4. Jesus Christ: God and Man
5. Paschal Mystery and Resurrection
6. Endless Kingdom
7. Role of the Holy Spirit
8. Virgin Mother of God, Mary
9. Role of the Virgin in Salvation History
10. Original Sin
11. Cross and Redemption
12. Baptism and Grace
13. One Holy Catholic Church
14. Role of Peter and Successors
15. A Church Diverse But Rich and United
16. Call for Reunion with Others
17. Church and Design of Salvation Embraces All
18. Mass and the Lord's Presence
19. The Reality of Christ's Presence in Eucharist and Mystical Body
20. Adoration of Lord Given to Many But Not Torn Asunder
21. Kingdom of God Begun But Not of the World
22. Share in Life Eternal
23. Saints See and Intercede for Us to God
24. Communion of Faithful: Pilgrim Church and the Church in Glory
25. Blessed be God Thrice Holy. Amen.
26. Footnotes
The Magisterium.
"I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:20). God has promised never to abandon his Church. While it is legitimate to say that there are many levels to the truth, and that our discernment of it is sometimes like pealing an onion; its discovery is not left open to chance or to a totally subjective evaluation. Christ offers "real" truth and gives us the mechanism to understand and to preserve it. God himself protects us from error by instructing us through those he has appointed. The Gospel truth is more than simply a human testimony, it is a revelation from God which develops in our understanding, not to be rejected or distorted. The Holy Spirit is showered upon the Apostles and upon Christ's Church, insuring our faithfulness to his message of salvation. This same Spirit empowers his servants to preach it to every age and to every part of the globe. Preserving us from error, God has appointed a teaching office or Magisterium to be the proper interpreter of Sacred Scripture and Tradition. This office consists of the Pope and all the world's bishops in union with him. As the successors of Christ, the Magisterium has been gifted with a unique charism of truth which never fails. This is not to glorify them but to give glory to God through a Church ever faithful. The bishops of the Church are singled out by God's grace to protect us from error and to stand as steadfast centers of unity and truth. Priests assist them by their preaching and pastoral ministry. Parents and trusted catechists also play a role, a singular one in fact, by instructing their children.
While they have a role to play, as essential helpers to the bishops, theologians and scholars are not authentic teachers of the faith on the same level with the bishops. Their task is to help root and intensify our understanding. Theirs must be a "faith seeking understanding" and not just an uninvolved study of religion.
The presence of a Magisterium insures that the faith of the Church is itself infallible. The belief and teachings of our saving Gospel are safeguarded from error. This does not mean that we are infallible in our human natures (Lumen Gentium, 12). When the Magisterium teaches decisively in Christ's name, matters of divine faith and morals, it teaches infallibly. The ordinary teaching of the Church in her preaching and catechesis is in this sense infallible. As long as the workers in God's vineyard do not dissent from the Magisterium, the reliability of the Church's prayer and worship structures, instructions, pastoral letters, her daily living, etc., can be trusted. The bishops infallibly teach the message of Christ "even when they are dispersed around the world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among themselves and with Peter's successor, and while teaching authentically on a matter of faith and morals, they concur in a single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively" (Lumen Gentium, 25).
The extraordinary Magisterium is that which is exercised rarely and then in the most unusual and solemn of occasions. It includes the meeting of bishops in ecumenical councils and the solemn "ex cathedra" (from the chair) pronouncements from the Pope.
Gatherings of large numbers of bishops under the Pope's headship in ecumenical councils are infallible when irreformable statements are made. It should be quickly added that these propositions may not always be rendered in the best manner. Some statements from councils are not meant to be infallible, such as in particular pastoral considerations or in religious disciplines.
As the successor of St. Peter, the Pope's teaching office is pre-eminent in the Church. His authority, as Christ's Vicar, comes directly from the Lord. Even the least of his faith deliberations requires our religious assent. He is not susceptible to popularity polls. He teaches the truth of Christ both in and out of season. Even when unworthy of his office, the Lord guards the Holy See from issuing false teachings to the Church. Of course, only certain papal pronouncements are intended to be infallible. The First and Second Vatican Councils affirmed that when the Holy Father utilizes his full universal authority as shepherd and teacher, defining certain doctrines of faith and morals, and holds them out as teachings which must be held true by the entire Church, then by the assistance of God pledged to Peter, he teaches with the infallibility entrusted to the Church by Christ.
There are also authentic teachings which are simply proposed by the Magisterium in Christ's name, but without any explicit infallible expressions. The Catholic is to give religious assent even when the Church opts not to use its complete infallible authority. With something of his own authority given to Peter and the other Apostles, the Lord continues to offer us sanctification through his Church. The teachings, rules, sacraments, etc. of the Church are directed to our final end, holiness and the acquisition of heaven where we can give glory to God forever. From beginning to end, the Holy Spirit is involved. "He who hears you, hears me" (Luke 10:16).

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