The Act of Faith is a short prayer in which we tell God that we believe in Him and in everything He has revealed. It is one of three traditional prayers, along with the Act of Hope and Act of Love, that express the three theological virtues.
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I believe that Thy 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 Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen.
When to Pray It
- In the morning, together with the Act of Hope and Act of Love, often after the Morning Offering
- When you are struggling with doubt
- Before receiving Holy Communion
- Anytime you want to renew your faith
Many Catholics learned the three Acts as children, as part of their preparation for First Communion.
What It Means
The Act of Faith professes three things:
- Who God is: one God in three Persons, the Holy Trinity
- What God has done: the Son became man, died for our sins, and will come again
- Why we believe: not because we have figured it all out, but because God Himself has revealed it, and God can neither deceive nor be deceived
That last line is the heart of faith. We trust what God has told us because we trust God.
The Virtue of Faith
Faith is a theological virtue, a gift from God that lets us believe in Him and in all He has revealed (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1814). It is called "theological" because it comes from God, is directed to God, and has God as its object.
St. Paul names the three theological virtues together:
"And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three." (1 Corinthians 13:13, Douay-Rheims)
Faith is a gift, but it also grows when we use it, which is why the Church encourages us to make acts of faith often.