“…They called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith…” (Acts 14:27).
In the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that God has opened the door of faith for the early Church. But did you know that God has opened the door of faith for each one us and he invites us to step through the threshold into a deeper relationship with him. The upcoming Year of Faith is an opportunity for every Catholic to turn towards Jesus Christ, encounter him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and rediscover the Faith and Church.
With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, Porta Fidei . . . , Pope Benedict XVI declared that a “Year of Faith” will begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013. October 11, 2012, the first day of the Year of Faith, is the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. . . (Vatican II) and also the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. During the Year of Faith, Catholics are asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the catechism so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.
The USCCB activities for the Year of Faith will emphasize and foster the New Evangelization, utilizing the new Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis on-line resource, Disciples Called To Witness: The New Evangelization. Disciples Called to Witness focuses on reaching out to Catholics – practicing or not – who have lost a sense of the faith, in an effort to re-engage them. The resource examines what the New Evangelization is, its focus, its importance for the Church and how dioceses and parishes can promote it and provides dioceses, eparchies and parishes with resources to assist Catholics in renewing their faith and sharing it with others.
Click here for resources from USCCB on the Year of Faith.
Year of Faith Webinar from Loyola Press
Year of Faith Retreat from Loyola Press
Posted on June 15, 2012 by scherbart