And the Greatest of These

Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love

Act of Faith

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.

Act of Hope

O Lord God,
I hope by your grace for the pardon
of all my sins
and after life here to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it
who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind,
and merciful.
In this hope I intend to live and die.
Amen.

Act of Love

O Lord God, I love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect
good, worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die.
Amen.

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Who am I to argue with St. Paul?

With faith, all things are possible. Even if it is just to get us through the most challenging of times.

Hope is no more apparent and ready to act than when all seems hopeless.

And what of love? It is the greatest of all three acts, for no greater evidence of love is there than upon the cross. In that three-hour endurance of the wages of evil sin by the sacrificial lamb we find that there is no love without sacrifice. And no greater act of love in the history of mankind was there than that day on calvary, for all debts from “The Fall” came due and the Son of Man and God paid them in full. And with that payment the sing of death was eradicated for all time.