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God is love – that is the grounding belief of all Roman Catholic teaching. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit (The Trinity) exist in loving relationship with one another, and continually invite us to share in that love. The sense we have that something is missing in our lives is often God inviting us into to this loving relationship.
We also believe that love is the fundamental purpose of our lives: God created us to know God, to love God, and to serve God by loving others. Jesus tells us that in order to love others well, we must love ourselves. He reassures us that we are worthy of love not because of what we do, but because of who we are – God’s beloved daughters and sons. It is by living out love, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that we become the best version of ourselves – that we become like Jesus.
The Bible is often referred to as “God’s love letter to us.” In it, God reveals how much he loves all that He has created. It is in these Scriptures that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, teaches us the most perfect ways to love, advocating for and sacrificing for others. It is also where Jesus promises to send his followers the Holy Spirit, to empower them to love.
The short answer is: free will. God gives us the freedom to choose how we will conduct ourselves. When we choose the unloving way (sin), we damage our relationship with God, ourselves, others, and even creation. Adam and Eve were the first humans to choose their will over God’s, which turned the Garden of Eden into the fallen world we know. But God is merciful and just; when we turn back to Him, He forgives us and allows a fresh start, and healing of relationships can take place.
Here is a summary of Catholic belief:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is our official statement of beliefs, and draws from Scripture, Tradition, the Magisterium, and the writings of saints and theologians. Try to read it through the lens of a loving mother, who knows her children well, seeks to protect them, and wants only what’s best for them. The CCC is available in bookstores, and in digital form:
Catechism of the Catholic Church (digital form)