In the first article of this series, we considered the fact that God uses earthly and human realities to meet human beings and to express His love for them.
When the Church uses these earthly realities and ritualizes this encounter with God, then they become what we call sacraments. The first of these realities is water; the sacrament which uses water to place us in a very special relationship with God is called Baptism.
In the first article of this series, we considered the fact that God uses earthly and human realities to meet human beings and to express His love for them.
When the Church uses these earthly realities and ritualizes this encounter with God, then they become what we call sacraments. The first of these realities is water; the sacrament which uses water to place us in a very special relationship with God is called Baptism.
When the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became incarnate on earth, in Jesus Christ, He became the most perfect Way that the God could communicate with us humans.
God had communicated since the creation of human beings. God did this, first of all, through nature: human beings could simply look on the greatness of the natural world about them and be led to the knowledge of God.
Those of us who are “cradle Catholics” — baptized as babies, raised in Catholic homes, educated in Catholic schools — may wonder why we should participate in the Year of Faith declared by Pope Benedict XVI.
We’re already believers, so this Year of Faith must be for other people, right?
Wrong!
In announcing the Year of Faith, the Holy Father said it is a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei, 6). In other words, the Year of Faith is an opportunity for all Catholics — even cradle Catholics — to experience a new conversion. It’s an opportunity to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him.
The pope has described this conversion as opening the “door of faith.” This door was originally opened at our Baptism, but many of us weren’t aware of what was happening at that time.
During the Year of Faith we’re called to open it again, walk through it, and rediscover and renew our relationship with Christ and his Church.
MADISON — Catholics all over the world are preparing for the Year of Faith proclaimed by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, which is to begin this October.
In his recent document on the year of faith, Porte Fide, the Holy Father states, “Ever since the start of my ministry as the 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.” The Holy Father goes on to explain that he wants to arouse a desire in the hearts of the faithful to make a profession of faith that is sincere, hopeful, and full of conviction.
