The purpose of a life of Faith is to
open the doors of our hearts in two directions: first, to God, disposing
ourselves for Eternity; and second, to our neighbor, in order to deepen our
capacity for relationship so that we may allow God to share His Life with
us. When we allow ourselves to be
deluded by the world’s promises, we go down the wrong path. When we get distracted as to what is central
and most important, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
Faith teaches us to say to God, “Thy
will be done.” If we cooperate with the
grace that is offered, we grow in our capacity to set aside our own will in
favor of God’s Will. If instead we
always choose our own way and reject the graces offered, in the end, all that
God can do is say to us, “thy will be done,” and leave us out of the
Kingdom. We can lose everything by
trying to claim it all for ourselves.
As a parish family, we have three
primary functions. We are first gathered
as a People to worship God. The Liturgy
– the Mass, the Sacraments, and the Prayer of the Church – lifts us up to a
relationship with God that already tastes Eternity. Second, we are entrusted to one another as
brothers and sisters, to care for one another and to embrace the needs of
others, especially the poor, as our own.
This includes our social needs – the time we spend with one another as
families and in recreation. Third, we
are meant to pass on the generations to come the wisdom we have received. All of our activities must be chosen keeping
these priorities in mind.
Over the past several years, through
the celebration of our Golden Jubilee as a parish, we have had a chance to look
to our past and to acknowledge those who have laid the foundation for all that
we have become. Now, as we enter into
the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of St. Timothy School
As the School makes celebrates its
50th Jubilee, I have two dreams for the outcome of this year: First, I would like to see the formal
establishment of an Alumni Association, which will continue to keep contact
with those who have shared the St. Timothy experience and allow them to be part
of all that happens in the next seasons of the life of our School. This will require a concerted effort on the
part of the alumni themselves. We have
made a beginning during the time of the Parish Jubilee, but it is time to move
forward in earnest.
Second, I see clearly that it is
time to move ahead with our Catechetical efforts in the Parish and School by
making concrete plans to use the space “set aside for future needs” in the
lower level of the new classroom building next to the Parish Activities Center
and Gym. The future is now! During this year, we will take time to study
the possibilities and to put to use this space for its intended purpose.
At the beginning of our Parish
Jubilee in 2011, we were able to announce that the debt incurred with the
Diocese of Columbus
Year of Faith October
11, 2012 – November 24, 2013
CHAPTER THREE MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD
ARTICLE 1 I BELIEVE I. The Obedience
of Faith
144 To obey (from the Latin ob-audire,
to “hear or listen to”) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been
heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is
the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is
its most perfect embodiment.
Abraham — “father of all who
believe”
145 The Letter to the Hebrews,
in its great eulogy of the faith of Israel’s ancestors, lays special emphasis
on Abraham’s faith: “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a
place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing
where he was to go.” (Hebrews
11:8; cf. Genesis 12:1-4.) By faith, he lived as a stranger and pilgrim
in the promised land. (Cf. Genesis
23:4.) By faith, Sarah was given to conceive the son of the promise. And by
faith Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice. (Cf. Hebrews 11:17.)
146 Abraham thus fulfills the
definition of faith in Hebrews: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped
for, the conviction of things not seen”:
(Hebrews 11:1) “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him
as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3; cf. Genesis 15:6.) Because he was
“strong in his faith,” Abraham became the “father of all who believe.” (Romans
4:11, 18; 4:20; cf. Genesis 15:5.)
147 The Old Testament is rich in
witnesses to this faith. The Letter to the Hebrews proclaims its eulogy
of the exemplary faith of the ancestors who “received divine approval.” (Hebrews 11:2, 39.) Yet “God had
foreseen something better for us”: the grace of believing in his Son Jesus,
“the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 11:40; 12:2.)
Comment: The tendency of our culture is to see matters
of Faith as merely private. While it is
true that the act of Faith can take place only in the intimacy of the human
heart, it is more than a private matter.
It involves obedience to God and the willingness to follow. Abraham had this kind of Faith. Do you see the implications of your Faith for
your relationship with the world around?
Who will be your own descendants in Faith?
“Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and
action.” (1 Jn 3:18)
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