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 TOPIC 1
THE LONGING FOR GOD

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 27-49

Supplementary reading: https://opusdei.org/en/article/topic-1-longing-for-god/

 THE LONGING FOR GOD

Main Points

Man’s natural capacity Current attitude

to know that God exists of people and cultures regarding
man’s longing
for God
 THE LONGING
FOR GOD
◦ In the depths of our heart we find
a longing for complete happiness
that points to the hope
of a definitive homeland.

◦ Starting from the world

and from the human person,
we can know with certainty
that God is the origin and end of the universe
and the supreme good.
◦ Rom 1:20: “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible
attributes are clearly seen –his everlasting power and divinity-
being understood through the things that are made.”

◦ The promise of reaching eternal communion with God in Christ

needs the act of faith,
but to believe in God’s promise is reasonable.
 THE LONGING
FOR GOD
God created man with a natural capacity
to eternal communion with himself.
 No earthly good can satisfy the longing for complete happiness –for complete truth,
goodness and beauty.

 the happiness that earthly goods offer

can never satisfy this inner longing
 necessarily partial, often deceptive and always temporary

“The desire for God is written in the human heart

because man is created by God and for God and God never ceases
to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops
searching for.”
CCC 27

“Throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest
for God in their religious beliefs and behavior: prayers, sacrifices, rituals, etc. These
forms of religious expression…
are so universal that one may well call man a religious being.”

Man: always seeking, searching,

for what is true ( intellect), good ( will) and beautiful ( heart)
CCC 28
“You have made us
for yourself, and
our hearts are
restless
until they rest
in you”

St. Augustine
Confessions 1,1
 Man’s natural capacity
to know that God exists
STARTING FROM MATERIAL CREATION (CF. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS)
• all things in this world are contingent beings (it is possible for them to be and not to be)
it is impossible to go back ad infinitum to explain their existence
there must be a necessary being who, by nature, cannot not be

• all things in this world participate in different degrees in truth, goodness, beauty
there must be a source where we find the fullness of truth, goodness, beauty: Truth, Goodness, Beauty Itself Itself,

• The different laws that govern material things show that the world is a “cosmos,” not a “chaos”
--studied by the human mind in physics, chemistry, biology There must exist a Supreme Intelligence behind the various laws that govern and
put order to, visible, material beings-

STARTING FROM MAN’S EXPERIENCE OF HIMSELF

• man’s capacity to reflect and think about his own thoughts and actions
shows that matter and purely material beings are not the only reality  there must be something immaterial in our nature
and, hence, an origin of this immaterial part, himself immaterial

• matter = “parts outside parts”

• we not only know, but also know that we know (hence, the science of logic and right reasoning);
not only act and choose freely, but also are aware that we are acting and freely choosing to act
(and hence, personal responsibility) for our free action

• We are aware that we must adhere to moral values that demand our adherence unconditionally and absolutely there must exist a Supreme
Lawgiver who is all-good and all-just.
 Reflections on man’s inner
experience of himself
◦ our desire for complete happiness would not have foundation
if there were no God who intended to bestow it.

Nor would:
 the universal desire for justice, solidarity and charity among men;
 the certainty of the truth, “we should not do unto others
what we would not have others do unto us”
 the experience of guilt and shame when we do something evil
 the peace and joy when we do something good
 our admiration and wonder at seeing a beautiful sunset,
landscape, or great work of art

◦ a Being must exist who is the origin and ultimate end of the visible world and of the
human spirit
◦ should this Being choose to reveal himself and call us to communion
with himself, it is reasonable to believe in him and count on his grace
to attain this communion
 Current attitude of people and cultures
regarding man’s longing for God

in general, we see a clear reference only in Western culture, especially in Europe

to an all-encompassing, ultimate reality (though deeply Christian for many centuries until the last two
is important to find meaning in one’s life centuries), is there a widespread indifference to, and
rejection of, God and religion

• the longing for God is present,

• dominated by the belief that the only form of objective
although expressed in a variety of religious and cultural forms and universally valid truth is scientifically, empirically verifiable truth

• other forms of non-scientific knowledge (e.g., the human soul

is immortal; God’s existence; the existence of human nature)
are purely subjective and relative
 Widespread attitude towards God and
religion in Western culture

utilitarian and individualistic mentality very self-centered, individualistic attitude towards

in approaching religion relationships with other people

• religion is valued only insofar as it gives wellness, peace, serenity • fear of life-long commitments

• proliferation of religions that have little content

or institutional structure

RESULT: general belief that man’s ultimate goal in life

is to make this world more comfortable and pleasurable
 The Church does not proselytize, People are looking,
but rather she grows by attraction not so much for teachers,
“to the beauty of God’s love”.
Evangelization “does not begin by seeking to convince others, but by as for witnesses.
bearing witness each day to the love
that has watched over us and lifted us back up”.
• St. Paul VI
• Pope Francis
 TOPIC 1
THE LONGING FOR GOD

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 27-49

Supplementary reading: https://opusdei.org/en/article/topic-1-longing-for-god/