United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Chapter 2. God Comes to Meet Us • 17

courage, fortitude, and perseverance. Evangelizing a culture relies on deep insight into the mysteries of our faith and a keen vision for under standing the basis of our culture. Culture is not just an abstraction; it is the sum of the beliefs, atti tudes, and practices of individuals and communities. Evangelizing a cul ture means dealing with people. It involves more than persuading people of the truth of Christ and the Church. Sharing the Gospel with others means offering them its transforming power, not just for their minds, but also for their hearts. In our daily prayer, we need to lift up our fellow citizens and their needs to God’s loving concern for them. The Catholic Church provides us with numerous ways to witness and teach the truth and love of Jesus Christ. Church history shows that the renewal of faith is frequently accompanied by a return to the truths of the faith and witnessing to those truths. Such a renewal of faith will gradually influence our culture. FOR DISCUSSION 1. When friends and family members converse with one another, what do they reveal about themselves? What does God reveal of himself to us in treating us as friends and family members? How does God’s Revelation give meaning to our lives? 2. What is meant when we say that we have a “revealed” religion? What are positive features in our culture? How can culture be con verted and transformed by the Gospel? 3. What would help you to spend more time reading and praying over God’s revealed word in Scripture? Why can we say that growth in our faith will strengthen us to affect public policy with our beliefs? DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS • Revelation is the self-disclosure of the living God and his plan to save us. Revelation shows us that God desires to have an intimate and loving relationship with everyone. • The process of Revelation took centuries to unfold. God gradually communicated the divine mystery by words and deeds.