Saints LightFaith, Hope and Charity
Faith, hope and charity are God's gifts that connect us directly to Him: we believe Him, we trust His promises, and we love Him and others for His sake. They grow as we use them.
What this lesson teaches
- Faith, hope and charity are given by God at Baptism and are directed to God Himself.
- Faith trusts God who reveals; hope trusts His promises; charity loves Him and our neighbor for His sake.
- Despair and presumption are the two sins against hope.
- Charity is the greatest virtue and gives all the others their value.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 1812-1816
- CCC 1817-1821
- CCC 1822-1829
- CCC 2088-2092
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: 1 Corinthians 13:13; Hebrews 11:1; Romans 5:5.
A sample question from this lesson
Why are faith, hope and charity called theological virtues?
- Because only theologians practice them
- Because they come from God and are directed to God
- Because they are learned by study
- Because they were defined by a council
Show the answer
Because they come from God and are directed to God. They are infused by God, have God as their object, and adapt us to share in His life (CCC 1812-1813).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Virtue
- A firm and habitual disposition to do good.
- Theological virtues
- Faith, hope and charity: virtues given by God that relate us directly to Him.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"Faith, Hope and Charity" is lesson 3 of Grace, Virtue and Sin. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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Related lessons
- The First Commandment: God Comes First (The Commandments)
- Living as a Christian: Love, Commandments and Virtue (Start Here, free)