RCIA Session 3 – Has God Revealed Himself in History?

Has God Revealed Himself in History?

RCIA – Week 3
This session forms part of a structured introduction to the Catholic Faith used in parish RCIA. It is intended to be read slowly and prayerfully, alongside participation in the life of the Church. This material is offered for formation and reflection. Reception into the Catholic Church always involves personal discernment and parish accompaniment.

Aim of this session

By the end of this session, participants should understand that:

  • revelation, if real, must occur in history
  • private inspiration is not sufficient
  • historical claims can be examined rationally
  • the Catholic Faith rests on public revelation, not private experience
  • the Church appeals to facts, witnesses, and continuity

This session moves from the possibility of revelation to the question of fact.

1. Revelation Must Be Public, Not Private

Last week we established that:

  • reason can know God exists
  • reason alone cannot know God’s will
  • revelation is reasonable if God exists

Now we must ask a further question:

If God has revealed Himself, how would that revelation appear?

A genuine revelation would need to be:

  • public, not secret
  • accessible, not private
  • stable, not constantly changing

Private thoughts, inner feelings, or personal insights cannot form the basis of a faith meant for all humanity.

Truth meant for all must be given openly.

2. Why History Matters

If God reveals Himself, He must do so:

  • through real events
  • at particular times
  • involving real people

Revelation cannot be:

  • a timeless philosophy
  • a set of abstract ideas
  • a purely interior experience

History matters because:

  • facts can be examined
  • witnesses can be questioned
  • continuity can be traced

The Catholic Faith makes a serious claim:

God has acted in history and left evidence of that action.

This immediately distinguishes it from:

  • myths
  • legends
  • personal spiritual systems

3. The Need for Witnesses

No historical event is known without witnesses.

If God revealed Himself:

  • there must be witnesses
  • those witnesses must testify
  • their testimony must be preserved

Witnesses must be:

  • numerous
  • consistent
  • willing to suffer for their testimony

False witnesses:

  • contradict themselves
  • seek advantage
  • abandon their claims under pressure

True witnesses:

  • maintain their testimony
  • accept loss rather than denial
  • pass on what they have received

The Catholic Faith rests on witness, not speculation.

4. Continuity of Revelation

If revelation is real, it cannot:

  • disappear after one generation
  • change its meaning with every age
  • contradict itself

There must be continuity:

  • of teaching
  • of worship
  • of authority

This continuity must be visible in history.

The Church does not claim:

that revelation is constantly changing

She claims:

Revelation was given, completed, and then handed on faithfully.

This allows truth to remain stable across centuries.

5. Distinguishing Revelation from Human Religion

Human religions often show:

  • contradictions
  • moral confusion
  • changing gods
  • uncertainty

Public revelation shows:

  • coherence
  • moral clarity
  • consistency
  • unity across time

This does not mean every believer is perfect.
It means the content remains intact.

Revelation must be judged by:

  • what is claimed
  • how it is preserved
  • whether it remains coherent

6. The Role of the Church

If revelation is public and historical, it requires a guardian.

Without a guardian:

  • testimony fragments
  • meaning shifts
  • authority collapses

The Church exists to:

  • receive revelation
  • preserve it faithfully
  • hand it on without alteration

She does not invent revelation.
She does not improve it.
She does not replace it.

She serves it.

7. Faith and Historical Evidence

Faith is not belief without evidence.

Faith rests on:

  • God’s authority
  • confirmed by signs
  • supported by witnesses

Reason examines:

  • credibility of testimony
  • coherence of teaching
  • continuity of belief

Faith then assents because:

God has spoken, and God cannot deceive.

Penny Catechism

Q. Why must we believe whatever God has revealed?
A. Because God is the truth itself, and cannot deceive nor be deceived.

Faith does not ignore history.
It takes history seriously.

8. Modern Objections Addressed

“History is unreliable.”

History may be difficult, but it is not meaningless.
Without trust in history, nothing can be known about the past at all.

“Religious witnesses are biased.”

All witnesses have perspectives.
The question is whether testimony is consistent, costly, and enduring.

“Isn’t faith just tradition passed down uncritically?”

The Catholic Faith invites examination before assent.
It does not fear scrutiny.

9. What Is Being Asked of You Now

At this stage, you are not asked to:

  • accept every doctrine
  • commit yourself fully

You are asked to consider this:

Has God acted in history in a way that can be reasonably examined?

That question will guide the coming weeks.

10. Questions for the Week

Reflect quietly during the week:

  • Would I trust any historical claim if I dismissed all witnesses?
  • Do I expect truth to be private or public?
  • What kind of evidence would I require if God had acted in history?

11. Closing Summary

If God reveals Himself:

  • it must be publicly
  • it must be historically
  • it must be preserved

The Catholic Faith claims exactly this.

Next week we will ask:

Who is Jesus Christ, and what claim does He make?

Optional Closing Prayer

God of truth,
if You have acted in history,
give us patience to examine the evidence
and humility to follow where truth leads.
Amen.