By Ken Ogorek
We’re about halfway through the Year
of Faith announced by Pope Benedict XVI—now to be brought in for a landing by
our Holy Father Pope Francis. This Year of Faith commemorates two landmarks: the start of the Second Vatican Council and
the promulgation of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
Connections between Global Solidarity
and the Year of Faith abound. Here are three:
1) Knowing our Faith, 2) Celebrating our Faith, and 3) Sharing our
Faith. Let’s briefly flesh out each of these areas a bit.
Knowing our Faith
Part of what’s asked of us during this
Year of Faith is revisiting the basic doctrinal and moral teachings of our
beautiful Catholic faith. With a firm grasp on what God in His great love
reveals to us in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition we know that a sense of
connectedness to our sisters and brothers both near and far is not optional for
people of Catholic faith; it’s in a sense part of Jesus’ great commission to each
of us: Go everywhere, baptize everyone, teach them everything!
Jesus doesn’t say “Only be concerned
about your own back yard. Don’t worry if some folks don’t even know how
important baptism is, let alone that they’re invited to celebrate it. And for
gosh sakes don’t speak the truth in love so neighbors near and far will know
what my loving Father intends for them!” When we truly know our Catholic faith
our sense of Global Solidarity is strong.
Celebrating our Faith
Our Catholic faith is a beautiful gift
from a loving God. When we renewed our baptismal promises recently at Easter we
heard the words “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are
proud to profess it.”
The word catholic means universal.
Worldwide! Part of what’s beautiful and powerful about our faith is that it
doesn’t change in its basic truths from one part of the world to another. God
speaks to all people in all places because of His great love for each of us. God’s
great love for each of our sisters and brothers, manifest in the teaching of
His holy, Catholic Church, is certainly cause for joyful celebrating. For proud
professing. For global sharing.
Sharing our Faith
In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis we
see the Year of Faith as a warm-up for an intensified focus on evangelization. Faith
grows stronger when it’s shared. And that brings us full circle to this third
connection between Global Solidarity and the Year of Faith.
In the multifaceted effort of
evangelization we must provide opportunities for and challenge folks to live
out their Catholic faith in a variety of ways. Living our faith means sharing
that faith with neighbors near and far. And sharing our faith includes works of
mercy—both spiritual and corporal—often directed toward the least of our
sisters and brothers, toward those most in need.
Local needs are great. But the eyes of
faith also see opportunities for outreach in distant lands—outreach that
enriches us as we encounter Jesus in our sharing with neighbors whose homes we
see at various points on the globe.
Connectedness
The phrase Global Solidarity doesn’t
figure prominently in most Year of Faith language. But it’s in good company. Global
Solidarity is a concept that like many—speaking the truth in love, living a
sacramental prayer life, radiating joy—is organically connected to our Catholic
faith and makes a fitting feature for this current Year of Faith. For more
information on the Year of Faith please see our local Year of Faith page at www.archindy.org.
