Lesson 3: The Foundation of Catholic Faith: The Nature of Mankind and Sin

Introduction

Welcome to our third lesson in our series on the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Today, we focus on a foundational truth that underpins the entire Catholic message: the human condition after the Fall and our need for salvation.

Our purpose is to examine the biblical understanding of humanity's condition and God's divine provision for our redemption as taught by the Church through Scripture, Tradition, and the witness of the Church Fathers. My prayer is that this teaching will give you a clear understanding of this central theme as we continue laying the right foundation for your theological education and future priestly ministry.

As seminarians preparing for pastoral service, understanding these doctrines isn't merely academic—these truths will form the core of your preaching, sacramental ministry, and pastoral counseling for years to come. Let us approach this topic with both scholarly precision and spiritual humility, guided by the timeless wisdom of the Church as articulated in the Roman Catechism and the writings of the Church Fathers.

Man's Creation and Nature

If we want to understand the truth about humanity, we must obtain God's perspective through both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Scripture reveals that humanity is the pinnacle of material creation. Genesis 1:26 in the ESV-CE explains that all the earth was subjected to human dominion according to God's divine plan: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"

The Roman Catechism teaches this truth eloquently: "Man was made in the image and likeness of God. This is a dignity not granted to other creatures." It further explains that God "created man from the slime of the earth, so formed and constituted as to be immortal and impassible, not, however, by the strength of nature, but by the gift of God."

St. Irenaeus, writing in the second century, beautifully expressed that "the glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God." He taught that humanity was created to grow in likeness to God, a process interrupted by sin but restored in Christ.

St. Augustine elaborates on our creation in God's image in his work De Trinitate, explaining that the image of God in humanity is especially manifest in our rational faculties, which enable us to know and love God. He writes, "We are and we know that we are, and we love this being and this knowing."

Throughout history, humanity has been curious about its origins. The Church, while acknowledging that science can investigate the material development of the human body, insists that the human soul is directly created by God and cannot emerge from material processes alone. The Roman Catechism affirms that God "breathed into the face of man the breath of life, and man became a living soul," emphasizing the divine origin of the human soul.

Consider Acts 17:26, which teaches: "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." This passage reveals the unity of the human family—scientific evidence that aligns with Scripture's teaching.

From fish to fowl to animals to man, God created each one 'according to their kinds,' as Genesis 1:24-25 declares: "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.' And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."

Humanity is therefore distinctively different from the rest of creation in that we alone are created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 records: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Genesis 2:7 reveals that God created the first man from the dust of the ground: "Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."

The Roman Catechism explains that "God formed man from the slime of the earth," but the uniqueness of humanity lies in that "He created him to His own image and likeness, gifted him with free will, and tempered all his motions and appetites so as to make them subject at all times to the dictates of reason." This demonstrates God's sovereign power over life. Isaiah 43:7 declares God's purpose: "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." The Baltimore Catechism echoes this truth in answering the fundamental question of human existence: 'God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.'

The Tripartite Nature of Man

Scripture teaches clearly that man is a threefold being: body, soul, and spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 in the ESV-CE explicitly references each of these components: "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This passage reveals the tripartite nature of man, showing that humans are composed of three distinct parts.

Hebrews 4:12 further confirms this distinction: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." This verse clearly distinguishes between soul and spirit as separate components of human nature that can be divided or distinguished from one another.

The body is our physical component, formed from the dust of the ground as Genesis 2:7 tells us. It is through the body that we interact with the material world around us, experiencing physical sensations and carrying out actions. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, as 1 Corinthians 6:19 teaches: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?"

The soul (psyche in Greek) is the seat of our emotions, desires, and will. It is the animating principle that gives life to the body and is the center of our personality and self-consciousness. The soul includes our mind, emotions, and will—our psychological nature. This is what distinguishes living beings from inanimate objects. Matthew 10:28 refers to the soul as distinct from the body: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

The spirit (pneuma in Greek) is the highest part of man, that which is capable of God-consciousness and communion with God. It is through the human spirit that we can worship God, who is Spirit (John 4:24). The spirit is that part of our nature that can directly connect with the divine. Romans 8:16 confirms this understanding: "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." This verse shows that our human spirit is distinct from both our body and soul, and capable of interacting with God's Spirit.

Job 32:8 declares, "But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand." This indicates that the human spirit is connected to our highest intellectual capacities and our ability to comprehend divine truth.

In 1 Corinthians 2:11, Paul writes: "For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Here, the spirit is presented as the self-conscious element in humans, distinct from the soul's psychological functions.

Zechariah 12:1 describes God as the one "who formed the spirit of man within him," showing the spirit as a distinct creation within the human person.

Several Church Fathers recognized this tripartite understanding of human nature. Origen, in his work De Principiis, clearly distinguished between body, soul, and spirit. He wrote, "Man consists of body, soul, and spirit... the spirit is that part of our nature which turns towards God, while the body is that which inclines to sin."

St. Irenaeus also acknowledged the tripartite nature when he wrote, "The perfect man consists in the commingling and the union of the soul receiving the spirit of the Father, and the admixture of that fleshly nature which was moulded after the image of God." This tripartite understanding helps explain several uniquely human characteristics:

Man alone is responsible to God—our spirit enables us to have communion with God and discern His will
Man alone prays—from the most primitive cultures to the most sophisticated societies, prayer arises from the human spirit
Man alone possesses a conscience—Romans 1:18-32 teaches that humans have an inherent capacity to distinguish right from wrong

We can observe this tripartite distinction in creation:

A plant possesses a body but neither soul nor spirit
An animal has a body and soul (animating life principle and emotions) but no spirit
Man uniquely possesses body, soul, and spirit

Ecclesiastes 12:7 speaks of death as the time when "the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." This indicates the spirit's distinct nature and destiny.

James 2:26 tells us that "the body apart from the spirit is dead," showing the spirit's role in animating the physical body, distinct from the soul's psychological functions.

Tertullian spoke of the conscience as "a natural knowledge of God" and "the witness of the soul naturally Christian." He argued that even those without knowledge of Scripture possess an innate spiritual sense that points to God's existence and our responsibility to Him.

This tripartite understanding is vital for comprehending the effects of the Fall and salvation. When Adam sinned, his spirit became dead to God (spiritual death), though his body and soul continued to function. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The natural man needs spiritual rebirth because the human spirit is dead in sin until regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

The Sin Nature of Man

These distinctive human characteristics point to one central reality: the sin nature that afflicts humanity. Man enters the world with a spiritually dead spirit—a direct consequence of this sin nature. Ephesians 2:1,5 speaks of this condition: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins... even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." Because of this spiritual death, the unsaved person cannot truly know or respond to God.

We inherited this sin nature through Adam's fall. When tempted by Satan, Adam disobeyed God, introducing sin into the human race. Romans 5:12 states: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."

We are all born with this tendency to sin—a nature that responds to external temptation, causing us to sin against a holy God. This is our dire condition.

The good news is that God has provided a remedy through repentance and the Sacrament of Baptism. Scripture is clear about this path to salvation. On the day of Pentecost, when the people asked what they should do, Peter responded in Acts 2:38: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This verse shows the essential connection between repentance, baptism, forgiveness, and receiving the Holy Spirit.

Jesus himself emphasized the necessity of baptism in John 3:5 when he told Nicodemus: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This passage has been consistently understood in Catholic tradition as referring to baptismal regeneration.

In Mark 16:16, Jesus declares: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Here we see the intimate connection between faith and baptism in the process of salvation.

The Roman Catechism teaches that Baptism is "the first of all the Sacraments" and "the door of spiritual life," through which we are "born again to Christ our Lord, and begin to be numbered among His members." This teaching is firmly grounded in Scripture, as Paul writes in Romans 6:3-4: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Titus 3:5 further confirms this understanding: "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." The "washing of regeneration" refers to baptism, through which the Holy Spirit renews us.

Through Baptism, we receive a new nature capable of responding to and obeying God. Yet we retain our sin nature—often called 'the flesh' or 'the old man' in Scripture.

Galatians 5:17 describes these two natures: "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." This is the spiritual battle every Christian faces throughout life in this world, a battle in which we depend on God's grace through the sacramental life of the Church.

Angels and Demons

To fully understand man's position in creation, we must acknowledge other beings God has created—namely, angels. These are pure spirits without bodies, and Scripture reveals they are mightier than humans.

St. John Damascene defined angels as "an intelligent essence, in perpetual motion, with free will, incorporeal, ministering to God, having obtained by grace immortality in their nature."

Catholic teaching holds that angels, like humans, were created with free will. A portion of these angelic beings chose to rebel against God, falling into disobedience. Isaiah 14:12-15 has traditionally been interpreted as describing this rebellion: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit."

Revolution 12:3-4 further illustrates: "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth."

St. Augustine, in his City of God, explains that some angels "deserted the light of God and became the darkness" through their pride. He teaches that "the devil was a murderer from the beginning because he killed man, whom he could not kill in body, by persuading him to that sin by which he lost eternal life."

The Roman Catechism acknowledges the existence and fall of certain angels, noting that "some of the angels fell from the exalted condition in which God had placed them" and that these fallen angels "are the enemies of mankind" who "wage against us a perpetual war." It warns the faithful to be vigilant against their temptations.

St. Gregory the Great taught that there are nine choirs of angels divided into three hierarchies. He wrote, "We know on the authority of Scripture that there are nine orders of angels, namely, Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim."

Human beings, created with free will, can choose whether to serve God. God could have created us as mere automatons, but instead, He chose to create beings capable of voluntary service and freely given love.

When God created free beings able to choose obedience or disobedience, He foreknew that some would choose rebellion. The first sin occurred not on earth but in heaven when Lucifer rebelled. When humanity was created with free will, Satan tempted our first parents from obedience. Genesis 3 records how this temptation successfully drew humanity into sin.

The Consequences of Sin

As the moral governor of the universe, God cannot tolerate sin. When our first parents sinned, they lost the original justice in which they had been created. Genesis 3:23-24 records: "Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life."

St. Athanasius, in his work On the Incarnation, powerfully describes the consequences of Adam's sin: "For transgression of the commandment was turning them back to their natural state, so that just as they had their being out of nothing, so also, as might be expected, they might look for corruption into nothing in the course of time."

St. Irenaeus taught that sin brought about a rupture in the relationship between God and humanity: "Man, who had been created by God that he might live, lost his life, being injured by the serpent that had corrupted him."

The Roman Catechism explains these consequences clearly: "By the sin of Adam we have lost original justice, and are tainted with sin." It further elaborates that "in consequence of this sin we have fallen from our primitive state of dignity and excellence" and that "the body was rendered subject to all those afflictions, diseases, and miseries, and to the necessity of enduring the most painful tortures of death."

Beyond these immediate consequences, sin carries future implications. Scripture faithfully warns that every person will stand before God as judge. Romans 14:12 declares: "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."

The reality of death is universally understood, but Hebrews 9:27 adds a sobering truth: "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." God has created man, revealed His will through His Word and through the Church, and will hold every person accountable for their actions.

St. Basil the Great reminds us: "A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."

Sin's consequences affect all three parts of our nature:

Spirit – Spiritual death and separation from God
Soul – Corruption of the mind, emotions, and will
Body – Physical suffering and eventual death

Sin is not merely about crimes and moral failures—it encompasses anything short of God's perfection. Romans 3:23 reminds us: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The 'glory of God' represents absolute perfection, and all humanity falls short of this standard.

The Nature and Types of Sin

Scripture and Catholic tradition describe sin in multiple ways:

Breaking God's law(Romans 5:13):"For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law."
Rebellion against God or lawlessness(1 John 3:4): "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."
Moral perversity or iniquity(Psalm 32:5):"I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin."
Evil thoughts as well as evil deeds (Matthew 5:28):"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

St. Augustine defined sin as "any word, deed, or desire contrary to the eternal law." This definition has been foundational in Catholic moral theology.

St. Thomas Aquinas, building on Augustine, taught that sin is "an act deviating from the order to the end" and is both "against reason" and "against the eternal law."

The Roman Catechism distinguishes between original sin (the sin inherited from our first parents) and personal sin (sins we ourselves commit). It further distinguishes between mortal sin, which "kills the soul and consigns it to eternal death," and venial sin, which "does not destroy the principle of spiritual life, the grace by which the soul is united to God."

The Catechism explains that mortal sin is "grievous and is committed with full knowledge of its enormity and with the fullest consent of the will." Such sin destroys charity in the heart of man and turns a person away from God.

St. John Chrysostom warned about the progressive nature of sin: "Sin is a terrible thing, terrible, beloved, a worm with many heads, and once it has taken hold of the soul's core, if one does not quickly pull it out, it establishes itself in its home and cannot be easily removed."

The first human sin occurred in Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). The consequences were immediate and far-reaching:

They became conscious of their nakedness and tried to hide from God(Genesis 3:7-8):"Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."
They lost the grace of original justice
Physical death entered human experience
Adam's fallen nature passed to all his descendants

Romans 5:12-18 explains this transmission: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned... Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."

Sin also brought consequences upon all creation. Thorns, thistles, and other evidences of this are detailed in Genesis 3:14-19. Despite modern attempts to reframe human sinfulness as mere 'mistakes' or 'failures,' the existence of suffering, disease, and death testifies to sin's reality.

The Reality of Sin and God's Remedy

Jesus explained the human tendency toward sin in John 3:19-20: "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." Fallen human nature inclines toward sin. This is precisely why humanity needs a Savior—to be delivered from sin's power and consequences.

St. Leo the Great taught, "Without the assistance of grace, man has nothing but sin and falsehood." He emphasized our complete dependence on God's grace for salvation.

Without salvation, every person faces God's judgment. Romans 6:23 declares: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is the reality we face. No human effort alone can make us acceptable to God, for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

But there is good news! God has provided a remedy so that we need not suffer eternal separation from Him. God sent His Son into the world to provide our salvation. Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, did not inherit original sin. He lived a sinless life and, on the cross, willingly suffered to redeem us, satisfying God's justice and demonstrating God's love.

St. Athanasius explains the necessity of the Incarnation: "For the Word, perceiving that no otherwise could the corruption of men be undone save by death as a necessary condition, while it was impossible for the Word to suffer death, being immortal, and Son of the Father; to this end He takes to Himself a body capable of death, that it, by partaking of the Word Who is above all, might be worthy to die in the stead of all."

The Roman Catechism proclaims this truth beautifully: "For as in Adam we all die, so in Christ we all are made alive; and as, through the sin of Adam, men were born to this world subject to misery and eternal death, so through our Lord Jesus Christ, men return from the grave and are born to eternal happiness."

This redemptive act is described in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

St. Gregory of Nyssa describes Christ's work as "the Great Physician of souls," who "heals the wound of nature by a common remedy which is wrought by the virtue of that first resurrection which He accomplished in Himself."

Salvation addresses all three parts of our nature:

Spirit – Through regeneration, our spirit is made alive to God
Soul – Through sanctification, our mind, emotions, and will are progressively renewed
Body – Through resurrection, our bodies will ultimately be glorified

The Church teaches that Christ's sacrifice is made present to us through the sacraments, particularly Baptism and the Eucharist. The Roman Catechism affirms that through Baptism, "we are delivered from the tyranny of the devil and from sin," and through the Eucharist, we receive "a medicine to heal our daily infirmities and preserve the soul from mortal sin." Through these and the other sacraments, we receive the grace to live as children of God rather than slaves to sin. As 1 Peter 2:24 explains: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

Salvation in Catholic Teaching

Scripture teaches that humanity faces two possible spiritual destinies:

Those separated from God – Jesus speaks in John 8:44 of those who follow the devil: "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
The children of God –John 1:12:"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

St. Cyprian famously declared, "He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother." This underscores the Catholic understanding that salvation ordinarily comes through the Church and her sacraments.

St. Augustine taught, "The Catholic Church alone is the body of Christ... Outside this body the Holy Spirit gives life to no one." However, he also acknowledged God's mercy beyond the visible boundaries of the Church: "How many sheep there are outside, and how many wolves within!"

The Catholic Church teaches that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone, who is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). This salvation is offered to us through the Church and her sacraments.

The Roman Catechism affirms: "Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted in His Church Seven Sacraments, truly and properly so called, by means of which the fruits of His Passion are applied to the souls of the faithful." It explains that Baptism is "the door by which we enter into the fold of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of a communion with Him," and that through this sacrament, "we are cleansed from sin and regenerated to a new life in Christ."

Jesus declared in John 3:3: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This spiritual rebirth primarily refers to the regeneration of the human spirit, which was dead in sin. When a person is born again, their spirit is made alive to God, enabling communion with Him.

St. Justin Martyr, writing in the second century, described the transformation of Baptism: "Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated."

It's important to understand what salvation is and is not:

Salvation is not merely intellectual assent to doctrines – It requires faith working through love (Galatians 5:6)
Salvation is not earned by our own merits – It is God's free gift of grace, though we must cooperate with this grace
Salvation is not a one-time event – It involves initial justification and on going sanctification
Salvation is not individualistic – It incorporates us into the Body of Christ, the Church

Salvation encompasses all three aspects of our nature:

Spirit – Immediate regeneration through the Holy Spirit (John 3:6)
Soul – Progressive sanctification of mind, emotions, and will (Romans 12:2)
Body – Ultimate glorification at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

St. Augustine emphasized the necessity of God's grace: "What merit of man is there before grace by which he can achieve grace? When God rewards our merits, He does nothing but crown His own gifts."

The Council of Trent taught that "we are said to be justified by faith because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God." Yet this faith must be living and active. As St. James writes, "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). Good works are not the cause of our salvation but the necessary fruit of a living faith.

Jesus taught the necessity of spiritual rebirth to Nicodemus, one of the most religious, sincere, and moral men of his day (John 3:1-16). According to John 3:8, this spiritual transformation is a mystery: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." As John 1:13 tells us, this transformation can only be brought about by God: "who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."

The Council of Trent affirmed that justification is not only the remission of sins but also "the sanctification and renewal of the interior man." This process continues throughout the Christian life as we grow in holiness through the grace of the sacraments and cooperation with God's will.

Conclusion

We have examined humanity's creation in God's image, our tripartite nature as body, soul, and spirit, and the devastating effects of original sin. We've seen how sin entered the world and its consequences for humanity. Most importantly, we've explored God's gracious provision for our salvation through Jesus Christ, which comes to us through the Church and her sacraments. Titus 3:5 reminds us: "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."

St. Augustine beautifully summarizes our journey: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." This captures both the reality of our fallen condition and the hope of our redemption in Christ.

As we close, I must ask: Have you fully embraced the grace offered to you in Christ through His Church? Are you living as a faithful child of God? The Roman Catechism reminds us that the Christian life is one of ongoing conversion and that we must "daily strive to cleanse ourselves from the defilements of sin."

St. Gregory of Nazianzus exhorts us: "Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become gods for Him, since He became man for us."

For those preparing for priestly ministry, let us be burdened with the conviction to share this good news with those entrusted to our care.

In our next session, we will explore more fully the nature of the Church and the sacraments as the ordinary means of salvation, building on the foundation we've established today.