The Year of Faith in the Light of Vatican II Documents By: Jude Ekenedilichukwu Ezuma, Rev

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1 With Porta Fidei 1, the Pope inaugurated the year of faith October 11, 2012 to November calling on all the faithful to intensify our reflection on the faith! He says [our] reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing [ PF #8; emphasis added]. This is to say that: - We must be witness to our faith in word and in deed - To do this, we must have a practical knowledge of the faith - Thus, the need for an intense reflection on our faith! To engage in this intense reflection on faith is to be involved in a lifelong renewal and witness to the faith. As a way to initiate this process, the pope repeatedly made reference to two important sets of documents in Porta Fidei: the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Documents of the Second Vatican Council. He describes the former as a precious and indispensable tool for arriving at a systematic knowledge of the truth [cf. #11]. But the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] is itself a fruit of Vatican II [PF #11]. In our last ToT session, Fr. Mario J. Arroyo [Pastor, St. Cyril of Alexandria], dealt with the topic of The New Evangelization in the Year of Faith, with highlights from the CCC Today, we want to reflect on the importance of the Council and to highlight some of its documents. Goal: to whet your appetites for the documents as any attempt to deal with all in this limited session will be ridiculous [a full semester course in the seminary!] Before we do that, a quick Summary of Porta Fidei will be in order 2 : - The gift of faith: faith is a gift of God, freely received by us - We are to give witness to the faith we have received through words and actions. This is the New Evangelization - In order to be effective witnesses of the faith, we have to let it take roots in our hearts - This involves having a practical knowledge of the faith - The CCC is an aid to get an orderly presentation of the faith - The CCC, by the way, is a fruit of Vatican II. Let us therefore examine Vatican II: Caution this is only an overview At this point, pass out the Summary of Vatican II documents 1 Hereafter designated simply as PF 2 Here also, encourage participants to prayerfully study this document if they are yet to 1

2 Remember to explain the why of Vatican II [aggiornamento; renewal letting open the windows for the Spirit to come in!] Also, the thrust of Vatican II [as help: the complexion of the church before and after Vat II] 1. From the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy The first document that the Council Fathers deliberated on was the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [Sacrosanctum Concilium] to underscore the importance of liturgy [and especially, the Eucharist] in the journey of and witness to the faith of the Believer. BXVI, remarks in Porta Fidei We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed;... and also the source from which all its power flows [PF #9]. Emphasis: The Eucharist is the summit of the activities of the Church, and also, the source from which its power flows! In the Eucharist, we encounter the Risen Christ, the One who offered the sacrifice of the Cross as the Lamb of God for our redemption. Excursus it was in the Eucharist that the Disciples of Christ on their way to Emmaus recognized him [see: Luke 24:13-35]!! Just as Christ entered their conversation, bringing light, meaning, leading them to a recognition of the Risen Lord in the Eucharist, he wants to enter the conversation of our lives formed through faith. The Eucharist is the starting place! It is very important!! [Quip going to Mass on Sunday is a VERY big deal!!!] For this Reason, Sacrosanctum Concilium notes that Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy [SC 14]. Document - calls this [full, conscious, active participation] the right and duty of the Faithful - makes it the NUMBER 1 criterion to be considered before all in the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy [#14] - Excursus: how liturgical celebrations are different today, owing to Vat II e.g. use of vernacular [as opposed to Latin], removal of communion rails, priest no longer backing the people and so no more doing of private devotionals during the Mass as was the case then, etc all to encourage fuller, more active participation Summary/Suggestion: The renewal of faith starts with prayer; thus the Eucharist. SC calls for active participation. This can be achieved through 2

3 - Adequate preparation BEFORE MASS [e.g. praying/reflecting on readings before going to Mass (readings ; getting to Mass early to allow time to quiet down and pray before Mass; etc. - Actively participating at Mass through responses, singing, etc. - Spending time with the Eucharistic Jesus 2. From the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church A. Secondly, Vatican II tried to answer the question of who we are as a church in Lumen Gentium Church s relationship ad-intra This document deals with the mystery of the Church in RELATION to Christ. Opening statement: Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered together in the Holy Spirit eagerly desires, by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature, to bring the light of Christ to all men, a light brightly visible on the countenance of the Church [LG #1]. - Thus, Christ reveals the true nature and vocation of the Church [expatiate] - It is by adhering to Christ, that she is able to shine brightly for all B. In the same vein, it is Christ alone who can reveal humanity s highest calling to all In the document Gaudium et Spes 3 [Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World], in which the Council Fathers dealt with the relationship of the Church to the world, it discusses extensively the deepest questions and quest that is common to every human being and makes the resounding statement that humanity can only find itself in Christ. In other words, in Christ alone will we find fulfillment of all our deepest aspirations: The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear. It is not surprising, then, that in Him all the aforementioned truths find their root and attain their crown. 3. From the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Since it is the Incarnate Word that sheds light on the mystery of man, it is important that the word of Christ find a home in us. Christ himself, the Eternal Word made flesh [cf. John 1:1, 14] addresses us in the Gospel of John [8:31] saying, If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 3 This document explores the relationship of the Church ad-extra i.e. what the church is to the world: her call and mission to be a universal sacrament of salvation, to be a visible witness to the world of the Gospel message of salvation. 3

4 Beloved, Christ who was incarnate, died for our sake, rose from the dead, is now seated at the Father s right hand until he comes again to judge the living and the dead, continues to speak to us through the revealed word. If we are to abide in his word in order to become truly his disciples, then we must have an ONGOING relationship with the REVEALED Word of God, the Canonical Sacred Scripture. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized. - Again, at Vatican II, the Council Fathers urged all the Faithful to make the reading and praying of the Scriptures a habit. - From Vatican II s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation [Dei Verbum], we read: The sacred synod also earnestly and especially urges all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the "excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:8). For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ"(according to St. Jerome) Therefore, they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, whether it be through the liturgy, rich in the divine word, or through devotional reading, or through instructions suitable for the purpose and other aids which, in our time, with approval and active support of the shepherds of the Church, are commendably spread everywhere. And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for "we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying [DV #25]." Reiterate the following points - All the faithful are urged - Through frequent reading of the Sacred Scriptures - To gain excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ [for the word is alive and living!] - Thru the Liturgy [Unity of the two tables in the Eucharist] o SC [above, from paragraph 9] describes the Eucharist as the source and summit of our Christian faith, calling all to full, conscious and active participation in it o For in the Eucharist we encounter the: table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist. JP II of Blessed memory, in his Apostolic Letter, Mane nobiscum Domine [Remain with us, Lord] paragraph 12, remarks: The Eucharist is light above all because at every Mass the liturgy of the Word of God precedes the liturgy of the Eucharist in the unity of the two tables, the table of the Word and the table of the Bread. o That is, all Scriptures point to Christ as the fulfillment of God s definitive covenant with the whole of creation This unity is seen visibly in the story of the Disciples on their way to Emmaus [Luke 24:13-35 assign to all to read!] 4

5 In this story, Jesus, beginning with Moses and all the prophets shows his disciples how all the Scriptures point to the mystery of his person [cf. Luke 24:27]; then, at the breaking of the bread [Eucharist] they recognized him [cf. Luke 24:30] Thus: importance of reading Scriptures before Mass ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL: to grow in our relation with the Revealed Word - Thru devotional reading [e.g. Bible app, private prayer, etc.] - In the context of prayer - And with the [approval] and guidance of one s pastor CONCLUSION/SUMMARY We conclude as we began, with our initial quotation from BXVI s Porta Fidei [#8]: Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing. To do this, we must have a practical knowledge of the faith to which we give assent. According to BXVI knowledge of the content of faith is essential for giving one s own assent for there exists a profound unity between the act by which we believe and the content to which we give our assent [PF # 10]. Yes, faith is not merely an intellectual matter; the heart must be involved as well indeed, it involves the whole of the person. But as we read from 1 Peter 3:15, we should Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope [/faith]. To do this, BXVI encourages all to intensify their reflection on the faith through the study of the CCC [Fr. Mario last week], whose foundations are the Vat II documents. Today, I have given you snippets of the riches of Vatican II documents I challenge you to prayerfully study them. Some Proposals: - Study a Document in an area of interest where you want to gain more knowledge of the faith [e.g. the role of the faithful; the word of God, etc.] - You may do so individually or in a group. Whatever form you choose, always remember that your priests and deacons are FREE resource persons you have so, put us to work [I couldn t say no to Angel, Valerie and the team of ToT to give this presentation even if I wanted to without facing their wrath ] - Or: Begin a committed journey with the Scriptures o Many opportunities/ways to do this 5

6 Bible app for daily mass readings Study a book of the Bible prayerfully, with guidance from your pastor - Finally, do this in the context of PRAYER REMEMBER: we have a responsibility to proclaim and give witness to our faith. BXVI in Porta Fidei reminds us all that Confessing with the lips indicates in turn that faith implies public testimony and commitment. A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with him. This standing with him points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes. The Church on the day of Pentecost demonstrates with utter clarity this public dimension of believing and proclaiming one s faith fearlessly to every person. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us fit for mission and strengthens our witness, making it frank and courageous [#10] LETS GET TO WORK, THEN! 6