Year of Faith: Getting in Step With My Lord

The Year of Faith, Annus Fidei, begins this Thursday: October 11, 2013. In a way, it's a global 'revival meeting:' sort of. Which doesn't mean that Annus Fidei is just a glorified pep rally.

Here's part of what Benedict XVI said about it last year:

"...Ever since the start of my ministry as Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ...."
("Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei")

On a Journey

"Nothing endures but change."
(Heraclitus, 540 BC - 480 BC)

Two phrases that jumped out at me in Porta Fidei were "...journey of faith..." and "...shed ever clearer light...."

I've run into folks who seem convinced that being a Christian means living like folks did in 'the good old days.' That's generally somewhere between 1850 and 1950. I don't see my faith that way. (February 14, 2011, September 26, 2009)

Doing Our Job

On the other hand, with due respect to Heraclitus, some things don't change. For example, Peter and the others were passing along what my Lord taught:

• 'Love God, love your neighbor'
  (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31)
• Everybody is our neighbor
  (Matthew 5:43-44, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-30; Catechism, 1825)

Two millennia later, the successor of Peter is doing the same thing.

But the Catholic Church isn't trying to bring back the 'good old days' of 1950; or 1850; or 1150; or 50.

We're passing along what Jesus gave us, and learning to do what he taught.

Part of our job is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the ill, visit those in prison: and sort out our inner faults, too. (Matthew 25; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1928-1942; for starters)

I sincerely do not think that maintaining the status quo, or trying to go back to some imaginary 'good old days' is going to make feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and the rest of that mandate, easier. And that's another topic.

Marching Through Time

I think this is a pretty good summary of one part of my faith:

"...To profess faith in the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord's glorious return...."
("Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei") [link to 1 John 4:8 added]

Like any other Christian, I'm waiting for my Lord's return. Meanwhile, there's work to do.

"...From his homily at Nova Huta in June, 1979, where for the first time he used the expression 'new evangelization,['] John Paul II taught us for 27 years how important it is to understand the significance of a new 'fervour', of new 'methods' and of new 'expressions'...."
("ABP Fisichella: Jesus at the heart of New Evangelization")

The message hasn't changed. 'Love God, love your neighbor, everybody's my neighbor,' still matters. What's changing is how I can share what my Lord said. And, at least as important, who Jesus of Nazareth is. And that's yet another topic.

Finally, as I said earlier this year:

"...I'm content to be 'out of step' with whatever philosophies are popular today. I think it's more important to be in step with my Lord. That's why I became a Catholic. I'm content to be part of the Church that's rooted in eternity, under the authority my Lord gave Peter,³ marching through time toward a city that hasn't been built yet...."
(April 1, 2012)

Year of Faith:

• Year of Faith/Annus Fidei
  Home page (English)
  • "Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei"
    Benedict XVI (October 11, 2011)
  • News
    • "ABP Fisichella: Jesus at the heart of New Evangelization"
      (August 11, 2012)
    • " ABP Fisichella: We need new evangelizers"
      (August 9, 2012)
  • We believe
    • Catechism of the Catholic Church
    • Documents of the II Vatican Council
  • Share

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