7/30/2019 Year of Faith Companion 2012-12-16

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Challenge

Contemplate what you have read here and pray fora strengthened understanding of Gods presence inyour life. Where does God fit into your daily life?

How can you share this reality with others?

Mans faculties make him capable of

coming to a knowledge of the existence ofa personal God...the proofs of Gods

existence, however can predispose on tofaith and help one to see that faith is not

opposed to reason.Catechism par. 35

16 December 20122012-2013

Created by Christopher Carmody: jesusinsalem@yahoo.com and Stephanie Rangel: beverlyyouthministry@gmail.com

How can you prove that God exists? In a world where science holds precedent over faith and the believe it when

I see it mentality overwhelms the masses, is it possible to have a sound argument for the existence of God? Our

Catholic faith says yes. We can know God with certainty through human reason.

God Was, Is, andAlways Will BeWe ask ourselves: Who am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here? Where am I going? Is there something

bigger than me? So naturally we are inclined to ask, is there a God?

Knowledge that God exists does no just come from our faith filled understanding but can be determined also by

our reason. Here are 3 points that can help us find God through reason:

1. God as CreatorA chain of dominos are put in motion by something or someone who pushes the first domino over.

The universe is like a chain of dominos, it had to be put in motion by someone...that someone is God. We do

not move by ourselves. A body cannot move without a mind and a soul. God, being outside of creation,

outside of the universe, is the primary mover. He

begins all creation simply by the virtue that all things

must have a start instigated by something.

2. God Always ExistedIn order for us to exist there must be a God who

exists by His own nature. There must be a God

who sparked existence, who had no parents,

who just always was. If God would have had

parents then He would have been created and

therefore not the primary mover. He is self-

sustaining, one who has always been. He

beginning and He is the cause of everything that exists.

3. God Creates From NothingEverything eventually dies. Since everything has a

limit to its existence, i.e. a flower, a loaf of bread, a

human life, it must lead us to the conclusion that

there was a time when everything was not in existence. If

the universe just always was and there is no God then

once everything died nothing new would be created. He

creates from nothing and holds us into existence by His

very desire. He is the grand creator of all things.

The noblest power of man is reason.

The highest goal of reason is theknowledge of God.

- St. Albert the Great