Who are the principal witnesses of the obedience of faith in the Sacred Scriptures?
There are many such witnesses, two in particular: One is Abraham who when put to the test ‘believed in God’ (Romans 4:3) and always obeyed his call. For this reason he is called ‘the Father of all who believe’ (Romans 4:11-18). The other is the Virgin Mary who, throughout her entire life, embodied in a perfect way the obedience of faith: Let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). 27. What does it mean in practice for a person to believe in God? It means to adhere to God himself, entrusting oneself to him and giving assent to all the truths which God has revealed because God is Truth. It means to believe in one God in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 28. What are the characteristics of faith? Faith is the supernatural virtue which is necessary for salvation. It is a free gift of God and is accessible to all who humbly seek it. The act of faith is a human act, that is, an act of the intellect of a person – prompted by the will moved by God – who freely assents to