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342 • Part III. Christian Morality: The Faith Lived
Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that
belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him
are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to
the first commandment. (CCC, no. 2135)
All the Commandments call us to practice certain virtues and for-
bid a number of immoral behaviors. The positive invitation of the First
Commandment calls us to practice the Theological Virtues of faith, hope,
and charity by believing in the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, placing
all our hope in them, and loving them with our whole heart and mind.
Faith
God has given us the virtue of faith, which is a personal response to
the Lord’s Revelation of his holiness, love, beauty, and transcendence.
We experience hints of his majesty in creation, traces of his love in the
human love we receive, and impulses of his concern for us in our inner
life, especially in the movements of conscience. Our faith is also com-
munal, coming to us from our families and parish community. Above
all, our faith in God is a gift of grace and is constantly nourished by
the Holy Spirit from the moment of our Baptism, through our prayer
life, our participation in the Eucharist and the Sacraments, and our
Christian witness.
While it is the duty of all to worship and serve God, regrettably, there
are some who do not believe in him and others who seriously doubt his
existence. Some hesitate to believe because they cannot overcome their
objections to faith, or are puzzled by the mystery of God. Some of the
baptized later lapse into heresy. “
Heresy
is the obstinate post-baptismal
denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic
faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same” (CCC,
no. 2089).
Apostasy
is a total repudiation of the faith (cf. CCC, no. 2089).
Schism
is the refusal to submit to the pope’s authority as head of the
Church. Christ calls us to have a prayerful, reconciling attitude toward
people with difficulties in their faith, to help them toward assent to the
truth of faith.