What religion would you choose to embrace, other than the one that you presently adhere to? Although I have a deep and abiding respect for all other faiths, the only religion I would freely choose to embrace is my own. Why? We believe that our faith is a supernatural virtue which is infused in us by our creator. In the document Dei Verbum (5) we read that "we must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart ... who opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth". Our Christian faith entrusts us to God whom we cannot see. For this reason we come to an understanding of our religion which gives our lives genuine rational meaning. That happens when, through our Churchs teachings, we encounter that God in our daily lives. Through our learning of scripture and the sacraments and the example of so many spiritualities taught by generations of saints and mystics, we grow in our faith and our beliefs. There is no time when we are fed more than when we celebrate the Eucharist and where we are also impelled to feed the hunger of others. So many people have passed on their faith to us by the example of their own lives. In a world which cries out for a word of truth spoken with conviction, believers inspire us frequently by the way they express their own fidelity. In many ways, our entire believing community is also a wonderful teacher for us. Thus, we are also challenged to bring healing to a broken world, in working for the reign of Gods kingdom among us. That is why I am truly happy to know so many fellow-believers who are living witnesses to the power of Gods love at work in our world today. |