FAITH: RESPONSE TO THE WORD 0F GOD

15 By faith man accepts revelation, and through it he consciously becomes a sharer in the gift of God.

The obedience of faith must be offered to the God who reveals. By this, man, with full homage of his mind and will, freely assents to the Gospel of the grace of God (cf. Acts, 20, 24). instructed by faith, man, through the gift of the Spirit, comes to contemplate and savor the God of love, the God who has made known the riches of his glory in Christ (cf. Col. 1, 26). indeed, a living faith is the beginning in us of eternal life in which the mysteries of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2, 10) will at last be seen unveiled. Informed of God’s plan of salvation, faith leads man to full discernment of the divine will towards us in this world, and to Cupertino with his grade. "For faith throws a new light on everything, manifests God’s design for man’s total vocation, and thus directs the mind to solutions which are fully human" (GS, 11).

FUNCTION 0F THE MINISTRY 0F THE WORD

16 To put the whole matter in a few words, the minister of the word should be honestly aware of the mission assigned to him. Ibis b stir up a lively faith which turns the mind to God, impels conformance with his action, leads to a living knowledge of the expressions of tradition, and speaks and manifests the true significance of the world and human existence.

The ministry of the word is the communication of the message of salvation: it brings the Gospel to men. The mystery which has been announced and handed down deeply influences that will 10 have life, that innermost desire for attaining fulfilment, and that expectation of future happiness which God has implanted in the heart of every man and which by his grace he raises to the supernatural order.

The truths to be believed include God’s love. He created ail things for the sake of Christ and restored us 10 life in Christ Jesus. The various aspects of the mystery are to be explained in such a way that the central fact, Jesus, as he is God’s greatest gift to men, holds first place, and that from him the other truths of Catholic teaching derive their order and hierarchy from the educational point of view (cf. nn. 43, 49).