A Year of Faith

Details: 07 September 2012

A year ago, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the Catholic Church would celebrate a Year of Faith from October 2012 until November 2013. At the time it seemed that this affair was being announced so early that nobody would bother to take notice. But now its start is just around the corner—and plenty of folks have taken notice!

Now is a fitting time for each of us to take stock of our Catholic Faith. How well do I know its teachings? How well do I live its precepts? How connected am I to my parish? How often do I receive the Sacraments of Confession and Communion? How many of the Church’s resources do I use on a regular basis? These and a host of other questions can help us to assess areas of our faith life that could benefit by taking full advantage of the upcoming Year of Faith.

One of the advantages of the pope’s surprisingly early advertisement of this special year is that many Catholic leaders got busy early in developing resources to promote spiritual growth during the Year of Faith. Many of these resources are programs that will be promoted and sponsored by parishes. Others were developed specifically for use by small faith communities—established ones or newly-formed ones. Yet others possess the flexibility to be used individually or in group settings. In any case, there are many resources from which to choose.

We should begin thinking now about the particular areas of our faith that need improvement, and then pledge to do specific things that will foster growth where it is most needed. We could discover some common needs or interests that may be offered at the parish. Examples of such are: parish devotions, such as Eucharistic Adoration, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Rosary, etc.; a parish Bible Study; an Adult Catechism course or RCIA; prayers for the return of inactive Catholics; discussion groups for One Book, One Diocese selections.

We also can do some things individually to stimulate our spiritual growth. Making a parish retreat (Light of the World, 40 Hours, Parish Mission, etc.) or an individual retreat at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House (Waverly) would constitute a tremendous personal vow that would reap abundant spiritual fruit. Other ideas include: committing to attend Mass on weekdays; arriving early to pray the Rosary in preparation for Mass; reading a daily devotion booklet; praying daily with the Sacred Scriptures; learning some new prayers; subscribing to a good Catholic publication; weekly acts of service to the needy; joining a parish organization.

As the Year of Faith coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s launch, our observance also could include reading some key documents that came out of that momentous meeting, such as the Constitutions on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), on Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) or on the Church (Gaudium et Spes, Lumen Gentium).

If we truly hope to join the Holy Father in observing the Year of Faith, we must plan now to set aside some of the time habitually spent on recreation (e.g. television, internet) for a more worthy cause—namely, our spiritual growth. Any and all genuine efforts in this regard surely will be rewarded with God’s copious graces. Make plans now for a fruitful Year of Faith.