Rediscover, know, live our faith
In his audience address on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared: “The Second Vatican Council is a strong call to rediscover the beauty of our faith every day, to know it in depth for a more intense relationship with the Lord. , to fully live our Christian vocation “. How can we Catholics rediscover the beauty of our faith, intensify our relationship with Our Lord, and live our Christian vocation more fully during this Year of Faith? Here are some suggestions:
1. Read, study and meditate on the Faith. I would especially recommend Porta Fidei (The Door of Faith), the constitutive document of this Holy Year; The Catechism of the Catholic Church, that Benedict XVI called “an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council”; the documents of Vatican II, in particular the four Constitutions; the papal encyclicals of Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and especially the new encyclical of Pope Francis on faith; The Bible; the Fathers of the Early Church; the life of the saints; Jesus of Nazareth by Benedict XVI; and The eternal man by GK Chesterton.
2. Obtain the special plenary indulgence for the Year of Faith. if you haven’t already. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI solemnly decreed that this indulgence will be granted to all the faithful who meet certain prescribed conditions in addition to the usual conditions of confessing, receiving Holy Communion, and praying for the Holy Father’s intentions. . The special conditions for obtaining this particular indulgence can be found on the official website of the Year of Faith.
3. Receive the sacraments frequently. The sacraments are channels of grace through which we receive the strength necessary to faithfully follow Christ in our daily lives. We must especially receive the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist often to be cleansed of our sins and nourished spiritually for the journey of faith.
4. Spend more time in prayer. Christ says: “‘Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself if it does not remain in the vine, so neither can you if you do not remain in me'” (Jn. 15: 4), and “‘without me you can do nothing ‘”(Jn. 15: 5). When Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was once asked how she could achieve so much, she replied simply, “I pray.” If faith is an encounter with Christ and a loving personal relationship with Him, prayer is the heart and soul of that relationship. The more time we spend in prayer, the more united we will be with Christ, the deeper our faith will become, and the more fruit we will bear in the Lord’s vineyard. Scripture says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17). Simple daily prayers, such as morning and evening prayers and grace before and after meals, are important in nurturing our Christian lives. The Church also recommends the Liturgy of the Hours and the daily rosary; The latter is an excellent method of approaching Christ through meditation on the mysteries of his life in union with Our Blessed Mother Mary, the perfect follower of Christ and through whom all graces reach us. Above all, during this Year of Faith we must delve deeper into the Sacred Liturgy, “the great prayer of the Church.” Lex orandi, lex credendi: “As we pray, so we believe.”
5. Share your faith with others. The priceless gift of faith that has been given to us is not meant to be selfishly accumulated within ourselves, but rather to be freely shared with others. “Without cost you have received; without cost you must give” (Mt. 10: 8). We can all find little opportunities in our daily lives to witness to Christ and evangelize others through word and example. The more we take advantage of these opportunities, the more our faith will grow and become stronger. In his Message for World Youth Day 1992, Blessed John Paul II declared:
All the baptized are called by Christ to become his apostles in their own personal situation and in the world: “As the Father sent me, so I send you” (Jn. 20:21). Through his Church, Christ entrusts to them the fundamental mission of sharing with others the gift of salvation. He invites you to participate in the construction of his kingdom. He chooses you, despite the personal limitations that everyone has, because he loves you and believes in you. This unconditional love of Christ must be the very soul of your apostolic work, according to the words of Saint Paul: “The love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14).
Being disciples of Christ is not a private matter. Rather, the gift of faith must be shared with others. That is why the apostle himself writes: “If I preach the Gospel, this is not a reason for boasting, because an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe is me if I do not preach it!” (1 Cor 9:16). Also, do not forget that faith is strengthened and grows precisely when it is given to others.
Perhaps no better summary of Christian life can be found than that contained in the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians: “I, therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way worthy of the call that you have received, with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing one another out of love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you too were called to the only hope of your called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all and in all “(Ephesians 4: 1-6).
And perhaps no better prayer can be said for this Year of Faith than that of Benedict XVI: “May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and of the whole Church, help us to achieve and complete what the Council Fathers, motivated by the Holy Spirit, meditated in their hearts: the desire that everyone know the Gospel and find the Lord Jesus as Way, Truth and Life “.