Topic 28: Grace and the Virtues
Grace “is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1999).
Place in the Church
Opus Dei's work of spiritual formation complements the work of local churches. People who join Opus Dei or attend its activities continue to belong to their local dioceses.
Scott Hahn about Bishop Alvaro del Portillo
Scott Hahn talks about Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, the Statue of Liberty, and the joy of the faith. Bishop del Portillo is the first successor to Opus Dei's founder, Saint Josemaria Escriva, and was declared "Venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
Topic 1: The Existence of God
Can we know that God exists by reason alone? What are some of the main pathways for reaching God's existence. Can conscience and human freedom be paths to a personal God who loves us? These are some of the questions discussed in this summary of Catholic teaching.
Topic 2: Revelation
God wished to manifest himself as a personal Being through the history of salvation. He raised up and guided a people to be the custodian of his revealed word. Through that people he prepared the world for the Incarnation of his Word, Jesus Christ.
Topic 3: Supernatural Faith
The virtue of faith is a supernatural virtue that enables us to assent firmly to all that God has revealed.
Topic 4: God's Nature and Action
The God we come to know through faith and reason is "spiritual, transcendent, omnipotent, eternal, personal, and perfect. He is truth and love."
Topic 5: The Most Holy Trinity
Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is the central mystery of our faith and of Christian life.
Topic 6: Creation
The importance of the truth about creation comes from its being the foundation of God’s saving plans culminating in Christ. Both the Bible and the Creed begin with a confession of faith in God the Creator.
Topic 7: Elevation to the Supernatural Order and Original Sin
In creating the first man and woman, God constituted them in a state of holiness and justice. He also granted them the possibility of sharing in his divine life through the proper use of their freedom.