CLASARA, Argene A.

Summary of Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Part 1 of CCC is entitled the Profession of Faith and is divided into two sections
I Believe We Believe (Section 1) and The Profession of the Christian Faith (Section
2). Section 1 deals with the Divine Revelation and mans search for the meaning of his life
which lead him in knowing the existence of God through his creation, the Church and mans
conscience. This is followed by Gods desire of manifesting Himself to man through
revelation which reached its climax on Christ. This revelation has been transmitted through
the Scriptures and the Tradition which is safeguarded by His Church through its God-given
authority (i.e. Magisterium). And since God revealed Himself to man in various ways, man
who is striving and looking for the ultimate meaning of his life responds to God with faith by
surrendering his reason and will to Him for man is certain that God has superabundantly
answered the ultimate meaning of his life.
On the other hand, Section 2 deals with the Creed or the Profession of Christian Faith.
This section thoroughly discusses the articles of the Apostles and the NicenoConstantinopolitan Creed. Hence, this section explained the Most Holy Trinity, the
Incarnation, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, Mary, the Four Last Things
(Death, Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven) and the Church.

Reflection on Catechism of the Catholic Church readings

I Believe We Believe underlies and reiterates that faith is personal and communal or
ecclesial. These words are found at the beginning of the Creed (whether it is the Apostles
Creed or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed), which expounds our Catholic Faith and is
confessed at the liturgy. Faith or believing is a personal act for man gives himself to God as
an answer for his search for the ultimate meaning of his life. On the other hand, faith is also
communal/ecclesial for God revealed and gives Himself to humanity; for faith is passed
down from generation to generation, from a person to another, whether in writing or through
tradition.
In the Gospels, Christ declared two important imperatives which are related to faith - "Come
and see" and "Go forth and proclaim the Good News". In order to share and proclaim Christ,
we must first seek and know Him through the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacraments and prayers,
and the Church; for we cannot share and proclaim a Person we do not know. How would we
profess and share the Truth if we do not know the Truth? Hence, it is important to know our
Faith, and this is summarised in the Creed.
We profess our belief on the Most Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that
there is one God in three Divine Persons. It is the mystery that is most inaccessible and
incomprehensible; it is also the most ordinary and loveliest for we always invoke the Trinity
in our prayers. In addition, we profess that God (Father) created heaven and earth, all things
visible and invisible. However, we also profess that all things were made by the Son of God.

Fr. Prosper Gueranger, an abbot made a comparison of this with our own soul. "Three distinct
faculties - power, understanding, and will are necessary in perfecting an act. By power, the
soul is enabled to act, but this presupposes understanding and will. In like manner, God the
Almighty Father has made all things by His Power; he has made all things in Wisdom of His
Son, and thereon has stamped His Will by the Holy Spirit: and thus His act is perfected."
It is also said that God created us out of His love; hence He desires to be in communion with
us. In order to communicate with man, He revealed Himself to Abraham, to the Israelites, and
to the prophets; and this revelation reached its climax at the Incarnation (through the
obedience, cooperation, and Marys Fiat), when God the Son took the form of a slave in
obedience to the Father for our mans salvation. When Christ accomplished all these things at
His Cross and Resurrection, He established the Church and sent the Holy Spirit the Paraclete
to guide the Church forever; hence, the Church possesses the Truth and the is the only pillar
and bulwark of the Truth for she is guided by the Holy Spirit, and Christ is her Spouse and
Head.
As members of the Church, we are also called to communicate and to share Christ. Once we
have known our faith, we are told to go forth and proclaim the Gospel. The laity has the
duty as the front liners to build Gods kingdom, to evangelise all men, and to sanctify the
society by living in holiness.