The Catholic Defender: Act of Faith
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The prayer expresses belief in the Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus, and the truths taught by the Church, ending with a commitment to live and die in that faith. A shorter version, as well as specialized versions for Eucharistic Adoration, also exist.
O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
These prayers are considered "acts" because they are not just recitations but active movements of the soul to grow in the theological virtues.
A Gift of Grace: A supernatural gift requiring the Holy Spirit's help.
A Human Act: A free, conscious choice to trust God.
Theological Virtue: Along with hope and charity, it is infused by God.
Faith: The virtue by which we believe in God and all that He has revealed, acting as a foundation for a relationship with Him.
Hope: The trusting desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing trust in Christ's promises.
Charity (Love): The greatest of the three, it is the virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves
Unlike human (cardinal) virtues, these are infused into the soul by God's grace.
They "inform" or give life to all other virtues, including the four cardinal virtues.
They direct human behavior toward God as the final end.
These virtues are central to the Catholic life and help believers participate in the Divine Nature.
While theological virtues (faith, hope, love) focus directly on God, they are complemented by the four cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—which guide human behavior in the world.
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The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit (e.g., charity, joy, peace) flow from the exercise of these virtues.
They have God as their immediate and principal motive
Their direct object is God Himself, rather than human morality.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by [the] Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34
The Act of Faith is a traditional Catholic prayer used to profess belief in God, the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the teachings of the Church, usually recited to strengthen one's faith. It expresses firm belief in divine truths and a desire to live and die in that faith, often grouped with prayers of Hope and Love.
O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins and that he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you have revealed them
who are eternal truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. In this faith I intend to live and die.
Amen.
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