Copyright © 2006 By Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Catechism Of The Catholic Church Reprinted With Permission.
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God’s Truth From The Catechism Of The Catholic Church – cont.
226 It means making good use of created things: faith in God, the only One, leads us to use
everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to him, and to detach ourselves from it
insofar as it turns us away from him:
My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.
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227 It means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity. A prayer of St. Teresa of
Jesus wonderfully expresses this trust:
Let nothing trouble you / Let nothing frighten you
Everything passes / God never changes
Patience / Obtains all
Whoever has God / Wants for nothing
God alone is enough.
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IN BRIEF
228 "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD. . ." (Dt 6:4; Mk 12:29). "The supreme being
must be unique, without equal. . . If God is not one, he is not God" (Tertullian, Adv. Marc., 1, 3, 5:
PL 2, 274).
229 Faith in God leads us to turn to him alone as our first origin and our ultimate goal, and neither
to prefer anything to him nor to substitute anything for him.
230 Even when he reveals himself, God remains a mystery beyond words: "If you understood him,
it would not be God" (St. Augustine, Sermo 52, 6, 16: PL 38, 360 and Sermo 117, 3, 5: PL 38,
663).
231 The God of our faith has revealed himself as HE WHO IS; and he has made himself known as
"abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6). God's very being is Truth and Love.
I. THE ANGELS
The existence of angels - a truth of faith
328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls
"angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.
Who are they?
329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name
of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are,
'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"
188
With their whole beings the angels are servants and
messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they
are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".
189
330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal
creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears
witness.
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