Year of Faith 2012 (2)

My brothers and sisters in Christ, last week began with a series of articles in the Pastor's Bench to prepare for the Year of the Faith to which we are called by our Holy Father Benedict XVI. At the parish level, these are the first five points on which we will be focus. These five points come from the Holy Father's letter Porta Fidei. 1. In preparation for the Year of Faith, all of the faithful are invited to read closely and meditate upon Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter, Porta fidei (you can find a version of this letter by visiting this website: http://www.annusfidei.va) 2. The Year of Faith will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, mystery of faith and source of the new evangelization, the faith of the Church is proclaimed, celebrated and strengthened. All of the faithful are invited to participate in the Eucharist actively, fruitfully and with awareness, in order to be authentic witnesses of the Lord. 3. Priests should devote greater attention to the study of the documents of Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing from them resources for the pastoral care of their parishes –catechesis, preaching, Sacramental preparation. They should also offer cycles of homilies on the faith or on certain specific aspects such as, for example, “the encounter with Christ”, “the fundamental contents of the Creed”, and “faith and the Church.” 4. Catechists should hold more firmly to the doctrinal richness of the Catechism of the Catholic Church 5. It is hoped that there will be a renewed commitment in parishes to the distribution of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and of other resources appropriate for families, which are true domestic churches and the primary setting for the transmission of the faith. I invite you to keep these points in your mind, and the other five will mention next week, in these ten points we will base the celebration of this important year of faith at the parish level ■ Fr. Agustin, Pastor.