Natural and Direct Revelation

“By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of His works. But there is another order of knowledge which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of Divine Revelation. Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.”   Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 50

Natural Revelation

Ever since the creation of the world, [God’s] individual attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.   -Romans 1:20

Miracles surround us! God’s provision for our food, for example, can be described in no other way. Whatever we plant, be it wheat or corn or fruit trees, we reap exponentially more than we sow. The apple is often used as a symbol for sin, and yet in spite of our sinful natures, every apple contains this evidence of God’s miraculous sustenance. Each apple contains four or more apple seeds, each seed containing the possibility of another apple tree, each tree representing tens to hundreds of apples a year, and thus not only hundreds and thousands of potential future trees, but millions of delicious apples for us to enjoy. And so it has been since God created that first apple seed. Evidence like this allows human intelligence and reason to answer that there is a creator, but not nearly enough information to satisfy our God-given longing for something more: understanding who we are, and how we should to live to the full amid the creation that surrounds us.

“Our Hearts are Restless”

Human nature has tried to fill that longing by pursuing pleasure and power, wealth, and notoriety, but this desire has been described as a “God-shaped hole” that only a relationship with our creator can fill. St. Augustine In his 5th Century Christian classic Confessions writes “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Yet how are we to know who God is, and who we are in Him?

Direct Revelation

God graciously arranged that the things he had once revealed for the salvation of all peoples should remain in their entirety, throughout the ages, and be transmitted to all generations. -CCC 74

God’s Owner’s Manual

My car came with an owners manual, filled with pages of  information on its features, operating instructions, safety precautions, engine specifications, and maintenance schedules. It states that the car runs best with a certain octane fuel and when the various engine lubricants are kept clean and at a certain level. I am free to adhere to all, some, or none of the recommendations. That is my right as the owner. If I use that freedom to fill my gas tank with kool-aid, my brake lines with chicken broth, and my coolant system with iced-tea, it won’t take long for me to discover that it won’t run as it was designed. So it is with Sacred Scripture, God’s Owner’s Manual. Through the pens of ordinary men, God has revealed himself gradually throughout the history of his chosen people, and “in the fullness of time” gave to the entire world “Christ the Lord, in whom the entire Revelation of God is summed up” (CCC 75). In Sacred Scripture, God has revealed Himself and “provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life” (CCC 68).

…But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.   -John 20:31

How should we best care for our car? Read the owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. How should we relate to our creator, treat our neighbor, and live the “more abundant life?” Read our Owner’s Manual, the Bible. If you don’t know where to start, begin with the Gospel of John, a few verses at a time, taking the time to meditate on the truths within that God has so graciously revealed to us.