Catholicism - Their God

Others such could be identified, but these three are plainly crucial and none of them could be discarded

We concede that there could be other ways of slicing this question, but would suggest Ans.3 because the Samaritan was 'merely' an imagined character in a story told by Jesus. He Himself is meanwhile elsewhere referred to as The Good Shepherd (Ans.2); the 'theophanies' (appearances of God, or at His clear and direct behest) in our outer two answers are more immediate and startling than the telling of a simple ~ if surprising ~ verbal parable

This is known as the doctrine of the Trinity: one God in three Persons (Father, Son and Spirit)

Ans.2 is broadly true but outside the terms of the question, not least since it offers nothing particularly positive about the role of the Church

There may well be substance in each of these answers; but in terms of the question and 'knowing God', there is probably nothing to beat the Sacraments. Other branches of Christianity share several of these in common, but not necessarily (for instance) Penance, and their understanding of what actually goes on at various levels during the Eucharist ~ from the Catholic point of view ~ stumbles crucially on at least one point (see elsewhere on this)

Though none the less sincere, these are generally quite brief ~ almost reflex ~ actions, and to most intents non-verbal. There is clearly a due place for these practices within the scheme of things, but compared with the others which are more sustained, concentrated and deliberate, they might be considered merely a 'nod to God'

Catholics necessarily believe in transubstantation, i.e. that during Mass the outward tokens of bread and wine are to deeper intents transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ crucified. Through what is doctrinally referred to as 'accident' (not in the everyday ~ or preferably occasional ~ sense of 'haphazard and unwished'), this is accomplished wherever Mass is celebrated. A lively sense of taste might perhaps be seen as a potential obstacle to full acceptance of this key belief

Surprisingly perhaps, prayer in itself is not a sacrament, though confession (an essential preliminary to any other form of intercessory prayer) is. The spiritual and general life of a communicant Catholic will meanwhile be grounded in the sacramental status of others around them as in Ans.4

Ans.1 is a paraphrase of the explanation in the Letter to the Hebrews (within the New Testament); Ans.2 is all very well as far as it goes, but fails to take account of any need for confession before forgiveness; Ans.3 is over-simplistic, not least since 'Jesus was never a Christian' ~ that label only emerged for His followers after His death and resurrection, and in any case it could very fairly be argued that the missionary aspects of the New Testament concentrate about as much on reaching and converting not-yet-Christians as on nurturing those who already are, during the period of expansion of the early Church (itself under persecution within the Roman Empire for its first three centuries or so). Ans.4 addresses merely the linguistic level without any reference to the deeper meaning of it all

We will look more closely into the matter of Papal Infallibility (Ans.3), elsewhere!