Disciples of All Nations by Josephine Lombardi

Author:Josephine Lombardi [Lombardi, Josephine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL030000 (Religion / Christian Ministry / Evangelism), REL023000 (Religion / Christian Ministry / Discipleship)
ISBN: 9782896466818
Publisher: Novalis
Published: 2014-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

Encountering God Through the Quest for Truth

“I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

God reveals truths to us through scripture and Tradition. These revealed truths make up what we call the deposit of faith, the fullness of God’s truths revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus handed on these truths to his apostles, and the deposit was sealed with the death of the last apostle. These truths were then handed on to the successors of the apostles, the bishops of our Church. Some of these truths were handed on by Jesus’ companions in written form, although Jesus did not leave us any of his own writings, while other truths were unwritten, only to be explained and developed at a later date.

While the deposit is complete, it has at times taken centuries for our understanding of a certain truth to become complete. It is our understanding that needs development and completion, because truth cannot change. The pillars of Tradition consist of scripture, liturgy, liturgical art, early Christian writers, creeds and magisterial teaching.[57] We pray our belief and believe what we pray. The magisterium has interpreted the truths we find in scripture and given us a complete or clear understanding. Some truths in scripture are very explicit or clearly communicated; other truths both written and unwritten require the magisterium to offer a complete or final interpretation to the faithful.

Sometimes it takes years of prayer and reflection to receive a complete understanding of a revealed truth. Some truths revealed in scripture include the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, other teachings of Jesus, and the Resurrection of Jesus. There are other truths handed on to us through the other pillars of Tradition, namely, the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the Assumption of Mary, to name two. Scripture and Tradition are considered revealed law and make up a “single sacred deposit of the Word of God” (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 1965, n. 10).

Our understanding of some of these truths developed over centuries. We can also learn certain truths through what we call the Natural Law. In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul refers to the way the Gentiles, who did not know the Law of Moses, are led by reason to know the law of God. This law is “written on their hearts,” and they can use their informed conscience to know these moral and spiritual truths (see Romans 2:14-15). This inner dialogue is guided by the Holy Spirit, who inspires thoughts that lead to inspiration and encouragement, especially when we do something good, or to remorse, when we have hurt ourselves or others. The ability to feel remorse is the sign of a developed conscience.

Peace, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is an indicator of fruitful living. Our God-given ability to reason can give us access to certain truths about God’s laws governing nature and individuals. Faith, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, gives us access to higher truths. Faith informed by reason is the ideal combination. The

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