27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 6, 2013
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
So now we come to the end of the “Year of Faith” and it is a good time to reflect. Pope Benedict XVI called this year, beginning October 2012 till October 2013. What an amazing year it has been!! Who would have guessed a year ago what the Holy Spirit had in store for us in this Year of Grace.
Check out the new Mercedarian friars’ video of Pope Francis’ pro-life homily, given before he was Pope, below. The homily is heard against the exciting backdrop of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro recently.
(Read the recent homily about St. Raymond Nonnatus on the )
Benedict called the Holy Year for several reasons, but especially to call our attention to the need to know the faith that we profess each Sunday in the Creed. It is no coincidence that the year began on the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council in 1962. The call came forth from the Holy See and each diocese, to encourage us to reinvestigate the council documents.
Study the Catechism
Many parishes and deaneries in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia offered talks by experts explaining the faith to us in the light of the Second Vatican Council documents. Hopefully, we were able to take part in some of these talks or at least take time to read the Catechism to understand more fully what we believe.
These opportunities for discussion were truly grace-filled, but the Holy Spirit had an even more memorable surprise in store for us this Year of Grace. On February 28th, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would resign from the office of St Peter, citing his failing health and the discernment of the Holy Spirit. This was the first time in 600 years that a Pope had resigned, and so it drew great interest from people throughout the world. God would bless us with the election of Pope Francis, the first pontiff from the New World.
Each pope’s perspective
Within all these historic events, it is important for us to remember that popes are human beings. They have human limitations, different personalities, and different talents. Each pope brings to the Office of St Peter a unique perspective which can show forth Christ to the world. It is true that the gift of “binding and loosing” has been given by Jesus to St Peter and his successors in Matthew 16:18-19. This means the Popes are infallible when intending to make a definitive pronouncement in the area of faith and morals. (This does not happen often.) Otherwise, they have the same limitations and weakness that we struggle with.
We must be cautious too, in choosing favorites or dismiss one pope in favor of another. This is like choosing a favorite child or a favorite relative in the sense of dismissing the teaching and example of previous popes. God speaks to us through them all in different ways. It is better to just acknowledge the fact that we have been blessed since 1978 with three holy popes. Soon to be Saint, John Paul II emphasized for us the virtue of Hope saying at his election, “Be not afraid.” Benedict XVI has emphasized the virtue of Faith or knowing what we profess to live. He called this Year of Faith to allow us to focus again on what the Second Vatican Council taught. And, then half way through the Year of Faith, the Holy Spirit shocked us all by giving us Francis.
A pastoral pope
Our new pope is a truly pastoral man who accentuates that we must “encounter God in the world.” We must go forth into a world that is messy and bring the light of Christ. This is the virtue of Charity in action. If we do not love sincerely, than our faith and hope are sterile. Let us not make the mistake of thinking one pope is changing the message of the other, but only building on the others. Faith, Hope, and Love are all essential virtues for the Christian; one is not better than the other.
Today’s readings, as God would have it, focus our attention on faith as we end the Year of Faith. The apostles say to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” Isn’t this the prayer of us all? We all worry when doubts come to our minds. Am I losing my faith? But faith is a gift. “Faith is to believe what you do not see…” says St Augustine.
Stir up the faith
God gives us this gift freely through grace and the Sacraments. Because God wishes us to choose Him freely, He allows us to endure temptations and thoughts that question what we cannot see. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we are doing something wrong. By persevering through these thoughts, asking God to increase our faith, we “stir up” the flame of faith. It is like a muscle that must be exercised by acts of faith. Pope Francis especially exhorts us to do this. We are to take the content of faith, which Benedict XVI emphasized, and put it into action in the world.
So as we close the Year of Faith, let us take what we have learned from this year’s catechesis and take it out into the streets. This is how our faith is strengthened. Faith must be applied through prayer, acts of faith, and acts of charity. Then others will see it and be inspired to look more deeply into the saving mystery of Christ. This is how we evangelize and live fully the Gospel message.