We should regard Creation as the continuing action of God, from the beginning till the end of time, as He brings about the Salvation of men and their destiny. When we think about the creation of the angels, the universe, and mankind, we should see it as a part of God’s all-powerful action at work in the Salvation of mankind. …

God’s saving deeds are seen in the history of man and of the world, especially in the life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, His Incarnate Son. God was present in ancient Israel through the covenants He made with man. These covenants included the original covenant God made with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:7-8, 15-17), the …

God continues to be present to us in our day through His New Covenant with man, and by using His unlimited power to help us. His saving work will be finished only at the end of the world. The most important events in the history of the world are the life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. It is through these …

Adam, the first man, abused his freedom by disobeying and rejecting God’s care. He wanted to search for happiness in his own way. This, coupled with the sin of Eve, was the Original Sin. God created man in a state of holiness, but man abused his freedom as a result of Satan’s temptation. He defied God and sought happiness apart …

When Adam sinned, he lost original holiness and justice. He cut himself off from God, and his human nature was harmed in its natural powers, and sickness and death entered his life. In losing these gifts, he could not pass them on to his descendants. As a result, people are born into this world separated from their loving Father and …

In Baptism, God unites our soul to Himself. God’s love, the Holy Spirit, is poured into our soul. Our soul is lifted to a new kind of life which is a sharing in God’s own life. Although Baptism gives us the supernatural gift of sanctifying grace, it does not bring us some special gifts which Adam and Eve alone received, …

The Blessed Virgin Mary was chosen to be the Mother of the Son of God, and thus she was preserved, from the very first moment of her conception, from the spiritual darkness of Original Sin. She was always united with God; her soul was flooded with His love. We call this privilege her Immaculate Conception. The Church celebrates this great …

Actual or personal sin is an offense against God. Personal sin, as opposed to Original Sin, is the willful disobedience to God’s will. This disobedience may be an action, a thought, a desire, or an intention. A sin must be a conscious and deliberate violation of the moral law. Thus, to sin is to actually say “no” to God. We …

When someone commits a personal sin, he: (1) fails to love God; (2) turns away from pursuing his lifetime goal of doing the will of God; and (3) by means of a serious offense (mortal sin), ruptures his relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To sin is to refuse to let God have His way in …

Mortal sin is a serious or grave violation of the law of God. It is the fully deliberate choice of a person who knows that what he chooses is gravely forbidden by God. The result of committing a mortal sin is the destruction of the life of God in the soul. By committing a mortal sin, we lose God’s life …