THE LIGHT OF FAITH

Be illumined! Illumine!

9th February, 2014: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

"The Light of Faith: this is how the Church's tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus": so begins the encyclical Lumen Fidei. Light is an image very often presented in relation to faith, the faithful and the life of a faithful. It is an explicit call by the Lord right from the Old Testament times that the people of God have to be light to the nations (Is 42:6). With Christ's call today to be light of the world, it becomes an inevitable criterion to be identified as Christ's disciple or not!

Faith as Light: The first reading reminds me of a Zen story that I have heard of the Master who asked his disciples: When do you think it is dawn? The disciples attempted various responses, like - when we see the difference between a tree and a pillar; when we can identify a black thread from a white, and so on. The Master, discontent with everything, finally said: it is dawn, when you look into the eyes of the one next to you and see your brother or your sister! The first reading  tells us exactly that... when you accept the gift of faith from the Lord, your eyes are opened that you can see into the eyes of those around you and see your brothers and sisters; in their suffering and in their pains, you can feel your heart weeping and your eyes welling. We are reflecting today on the theme of LIGHT... the light that illumines us, the light that makes us see the real meaning of life and the true sense of being human. Which can do that task better than our faith - Faith is the Light we are offered by the Lord, as a gift! 

The Faithful as Light: Once we accept that gift, the gift of faith from the Lord, we as faithful, we become the Light! Receiving the light, we become the Light. The Lord sets us as the light to the nations, the light to the world, the light on the lampstand, the city on the hilltop! Our faith does not rest on human wisdom, or logical reason, or scientific thinking, or systematic and mind blowing theologies! Our faith is primarily founded on the power of God, reminds St. Paul in the second reading today. Illumined by the Light, we become the light! Jesus declared, "I am the light of the World" (Jn 8:12); but did not stop with that. He challenges us today, "You are the light of the World." Every person of faith is called to be a light that is set on the lampstand, to spread the light to the entire house, to illumine those around him or her. But it is important that we remember always that the source of our light, is the Light which illumines us all, the Light eternal of which we are rays, the eternal fire of which we are sparks.

The life of the faithful as Light: Being the light...what does that mean? It involves two important elements: One, everyone sees you; and two, one is able to see because of you! Just two days have passed after an exam that I gave, where the examiner asked me, what would be the apt mode of proclaiming the Good News to those who have not heard it. I said, "by living my everyday life!" One may ask, but where is the proclamation - I believe it is in the very living! Our life cannot have two shades - personal and public, sacred and profane, spiritual and secular... If I am a Christian - I should be seen! That is the first dimension of being light - my life has to be lived in its integrity. When the light can be seen, then one can see, because of the light. When my life can be seen by the other as a open book, the other can draw an inspiration to live by, and that is proclamation; that is evangelisation; that is illumining! It is through my life, my words, my actions and everyday choices that I become a light to the other; "if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness!" and thus one will become the light in darkness to the upright.

Let us keep this light burning in our hearts whole day today, to evaluate our daily life and see, if we really possess the Light of Faith, if we really live our life in a manner as to become light to those around me! Let the Eternal Light of Lord fill our hearts to be illumined and to illumine!

THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

The first Apostolic Exhortation from Pope Francis: EVANGELII GAUDIUM

Pope Francis presents to the Church the reflections on the basis of the Synod held last year on the theme of New Evangelisation. At an immediate glance this exhortation is the key note address of his papacy... as we know by now in his first 258 days (until today)... the oft repeated sentiments are - never losing Hope, total trust in the Mercy of God, never ending Forgiveness of God, going to the Peripheries in search of the last, least and the lost... these are all joyful presentation of the Gospel... the Holy Father emanates the same joy in the exhortation, inspite of taking stock of all the problems and crises that do exist!

The letter beckons our reading, as it comes from the heart of some one who has already won the hearts of such a vast number of persons in the world..specially his children in faith. Let us pay heed to the words of this shepherd and unravel in our lives the secret treasures that are in store for us, in living and proclaiming the Gospel in our daily lives!

Will soon post summaries of the chapters..one by one...

and for now, 

READ THE DOCUMENT HERE: click on the link below.

THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL - Apostolic Exhortation from Pope Francis: EVANGELII GAUDIUM

Participating in the Fruits of the Risen Lord

15th August, 2013: 

Solemnity of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary

"...The revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages" 

These were the words with which Pope Pius XII in the year 1950 defined the dogma of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, in the document Munificentissimus Deus (art.40). Today's is a beautiful occasion when Holy Mother the Church invites us to celebrate as a solemnity on three major counts.

First of all, we are invited to Celebrate the Faith, the Faith of Mary, the young girl who cooperated with the Divine Plan and totally abandoned herself into the hands of God with her words - Be it done unto me according to your Word. The first concern for her was the Word - the Word of God which became flesh in her womb - and she became the Temple of God, the Ark of the Lord as we read in the first reading today. God acknowledged her faith, her response of faith, her obedience of faith with wondrous gifts! If the Immaculate conception is understood as the grace that God gave in preparation for her role in the Salvation history, Assumption can very well be understood as the reward that God blessed her with for her Absolute Cooperation! We are called to celebrate this faith, which Elisabeth acclaims in the Gospel today - Blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of what God has spoken!

Secondly, we are invited to Celebrate the Hope, the hope of Resurrection, the core of our faith. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in sin" says the part of the epistle that just precedes the second reading of today! Christ is the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ, we hear in the reading. God anticipates that for Mary as a sign of hope for us who belong to Christ, to show us that we are destined to be fruits in the line of Christ. Everyone who thinks and laments of death and the darkness of death, is today invited to open his or her eyes in hope and look at the fact that Christ has overcome death and each of us is called to overcome death, as Mary, a human being just like you and me, has overcome that death. Nothing, not even death has any claim over us... God alone, God's only Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ alone can claim us to Himself. We are called to celebrate this hope, which St. Paul affirms that death will be the ultimate enemy to be destroyed!

Thirdly, we are invited to Celebrate the Love, the love that God Almighty had lavished on his predilected daughter, the love that Jesus showered on his sweetest mother, and the love that the Holy Spirit covered the most beautiful handmaid of God with.  Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus (art.25), makes a splendid reflection saying, the primary reason for belief in the Assumption is "the filial love" of Christ for His mother. Mary herself knew how much God loved her - she proclaimed "My soul magnifies the Lord, for the Lord has looked with favour on me and done great things for me!" Just like Elisabeth who felt the blessings of the Lord by the mere presence of Mary, we too will feel that love, that favour, that blessings from the Lord, if we stay close to Mary, our sweet loving mother. 

Today, Celebrating the faith we are called to become like Mary, persons who listen to the Word and thus become bearers of that Word, like she became the Ark of the Lord! Celebrating the hope we are called to fix our eyes on the Saviour and ever yearn to belong to Him, so that we can taste the fruits of his Resurrection, as Mary participates in the fruits of the Risen Lord. Celebrating the love of the Lord, we are called to become personification of this love in our contexts, and inspire people as Mary did, to praise the Lord in the words that our Blessed mother gives us today - My soul Magnifies the Lord!

                               

LUMEN FIDEI - VII

Blessed is she who believed

Concluding Section (Art. 58-60) and some Personal Remarks...

As a concluding note the encyclical presents to us a model or an exemplification of all that has been spoken about. And in right words it says, "the Mother of the Lord is the perfect icon of faith" and quotes the words of St. Elisabeth in the Gospel according to St. Luke (1:45), 'Blessed is she who believed'. Calling the Blessed Mother, "good soil", the encyclical calls to our attention the meaningful expression of Justin Martyr, 'In receiving the message of the angel, Mary conceived faith and joy'(58). Mary can be pictured as someone who closely followed Jesus in his entire salvation journey right from the moment of the Word becoming flesh to the moment when this son of hers was raised to the right hand of the Father as the eternal Lord and sovereign judge (59). 

The last article(60) is a beautiful prayer made on behalf of us all, to the Blessed Virgin ...

to Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen one,... 

to Remind us that those who believe are never alone,... and

to Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus.

Personally...

The experience of reading through and reflecting on this Encyclical has borne one remarkable fruit in me - not to look at faith as something that is just between me and my God. It is definitely much more than that, it is something that defines my day to day life, my every relationship, my decisions on even the most ordinary things, my priorities - in short the entire world in which I live. I cannot think of my faith as something that is apart from me, for it has become the very personality that I am, from the very moment that I accepted it in my baptism and confirmed it through other sacraments of initiation. It is a gratuitous gift that God has placed within me, in the core of my being and it affects every aspect of my life. It makes me go out of myself and find myself in solidarity with the brothers and sisters in the same Lord to whom all of us respond in our own way, influenced by our personal traits and social upbringing. The very understanding of the institution of the Church as the communion of persons united in one expression of faith, is something that can facilitate readily our journey towards making present the Reign of God on earth.

However, there is one point on which the encyclical gives away a necessity of growth within the Church and the Official Magisterium of the Church. It is the aspect of Inclusive Language. The encyclical, or the least to say its English translation, still has a language that is highly masculine. Except in three places (art. 21,26,45), everywhere else the reference to a Christian or to the person to whom the encyclical is addressed, remains masculine - that is "he" or "him" or "man"! If the Magisterium can learn from the evolving times and the growing sensitivity, and become more inclusive in its language, it would be a more Reign-likely picture of the Church that it can offer to the world. 

If at all there is something that can be felt as a lack, it could be pointed out that the practical application of faith and the pastoral challenges it poses could have been treated a little more elaborately. Though the fourth chapter undertakes the task, personally at the end of the chapter, I could not help feeling disappointed that some current issues and urgent problems have not been touched upon. The feeling notwithstanding, the encyclical given its nature cannot speak of everything and within its scope, it appears quite complete!

Being the first one of the Pontificate of Pope Francis, LUMEN FIDEI has set the tone to the pastoral-minded Pontiff's wish for the flock that he shepherds. He has thrown a candid invitation to the faithful, to live their faith than just to possess it. Living the faith brings one's religious convictions to the daily life, and to the events and persons that fill it, and requires one to converse, dialogue and relate with the other, thus building relationships that lead each and every one to do one's part towards building the Reign of God, here and now!

The End... A personal summary by... Antony Christy sdb. 

LUMEN FIDEI - VI

God prepares a city for them

Chapter 4: Articles 50-57.

Faith is not merely a journey alone, affirms repeatedly the encyclical, it is also a process of building, building a city, a society, a place where humanity can live together. As Noah the first builder in faith built the Ark, and Abraham set up tents, we are called to build the world in to a place habitable for humanity today. As we see in those persons of faith, firmness of faith marks the city which God is preparing for humankind. Faith is born of an encounter with God's own love and hence it does not speak of an interior firmness or steadfast conviction of the individual alone; it illumines every human relationships (50). The light of faith enhances the "richness of human relations, their ability to endure, to be trustworthy, to enrich our life together"(51). Anything other than love, if it becomes the basis of human unity, it involves calculations of utility! Hence a the light of faith is at the service of justice, law and peace, as a way of creating enduring and enriching human relations. The Old Testament for example, presents to us persons like Samuel and David, whose faith enabled them to "administer justice"(51).

The Old Testament bears witness to the fact that blessings were passed from fathers to the sons, establishing for us, that "the first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family"(52). Marriage and the origin of New Life, are direct interventions of God's love. "Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love"(52). Passing on Faith in the family happens in the process of shared expression of faith within the family, helping children to become aware of their faith and grow and mature in it. The Young people need the closeness of the family and the Church, as they find themselves in the troublesome yet rich phase of their life(53). The encyclical recalls the experiences of the World Youth Days and finds in them but a manifestation of the yearning of the Young, to live their life to the fullest. "Encountering Christ, letting themselves be caught up in and guided by his love, enlarges the horizons of existence, gives it a firm hope which will not disappoint"(53). "Faith is no refuge for fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives" (53) declares the encyclical.

Faith, in concrete a situation, becomes the light for the life in the society. It invites one to look at the other as a blessing, as someone through whose face the light of God's love shines. A human person is not cast adrift in the nature of the world; he or she can never renounce one's proper moral responsibility nor can presume "to be a sort of absolute judge endowed with an unlimited power to manipulate the world around him"(54) or her.  Revealing the love of God the creator, faith enables us to respect nature and discern in it a "grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our protection and care"(55). A concrete expression of faith requires that we are responsible for 'just forms of governance' which believes that authority comes from God, at the service of the common good; for 'possibility of forgiveness' which requires time, effort, patience and commitment. "Rather than avoiding conflict, we need to confront it in an effort to resolve and move beyond it, to make it a link in a chain, as part of a progress towards unity"(55).

Faith as the source of consolation and strength amid suffering, sheds a special light on personal lives of those who suffer and on suffering as a human reality. "Christians know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet it can have meaning and become an act of love and entrustment into the hands of God who does not abandon us; in this way it can serve as a moment of growth in faith and love." "Even death is illumined and can be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, the ultimate "Go forth from your land"(Gen 1:12)" (56). Persons who suffer have been sometimes extraordinary mediators of light, as Francis of Assisi saw his light of faith from a person with leprosy and Mother Teresa found her light from the poor and dying.(57) "Faith is not a light that scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey" says the encyclical bringing out the aspects of the accompanying presence of God with us and the ray of hope that faith offers at the service of common good. We can hear the voice of Pope Francis distinctly when we read those lines which address us saying, "Let us refuse to be robbed of hope, or to allow our hope be dimmed by facile answers and solutions which block our progress" (57).

Ending with the note of hope the encyclical earns itself the image of a beacon that guides a Christian today, in his or her life of faith, to walk one's journey with courage and optimism amidst the shadows that befall the times. (to be continued...)

LUMEN FIDEI - V

I delivered to you what I also received

Chapter 3: Article 37 - 49.

The Chapter invites us to understand the need for handing on faith from one to the other and underlines the element of a shared faith, picturing to us the role and the function of the Church, as the Mother of our faith. Infact, that is the subtitle of the section that begins this chapter saying, "since faith is hearing and seeing, it is also handed on as word and light"(37). A simple but profound image is given to us to understand this fact, from the Easter Liturgy where hundreds of small candles are lit from the One Paschal Candle, and the light is passed on from one candle to the other! Because faith is born of an encounter which takes place in history and lights up our journey through time, it must be passed on in every age(38), states the encyclical. Passing on is such an important element in our human life, for our knowledge and self awareness itself is linked to the others who have gone before us, to begin with those in the prime place - our parents! In the same way, when it comes to our faith, it is the Church, the mother, who teaches us to speak the language of faith (38). This relationship between faith and Church can be understood from various terms, such as Tradition, Shared experience, handing on, communication etc.

Those who believe are never alone; faith is always shared and it tends to be spread; it invites others to share in its joy (39). "Faith needs a setting in which it can be witnessed to and communicated, a means which is suitable and proportionate to what is communicated"(40). Faith and memory are related and the Church like a family passes on the store of memories! Of the means that the Church has to play this function, the first and foremost is, Tradition, which comprises of "everything that serves to make the people of God live their lives in holiness and increase their faith" (40). 

Another prominent means is the Sacraments which are special means of passing on faith - they communicate "incarnate memory, linked to the times and places of our lives, linked to all our senses"(40). Baptism, gives new context and a new environment and through them a new life. One cannot give baptism to oneself, it is something received. The communal nature of Baptism is brought out in the elements like the Trinity, in whose name baptism is carried out - the filial identity granted by God, who is a communion; the Water, which at one and the same time symbolises death and the eventual rise to new life. It epitomises the womb from where one is born to new life (41-42). Baptism is a rebirth that gives one a new life, a new name. It is important that we see the significance of the infant baptism here, for "faith is a reality lived within the community of the church; part of a common 'We'"(43).

The Sacramental character of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. Eucharist is a precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of his love, the self-giving gift of himself (44). There are two dimensions of faith that we can find intersecting in the Sacrament of the Eucharist - One, the dimension of history - as an act of remembrance, making present the mystery of the past; second, the dimension of being led from the visible world to the invisible world! (44) The Celebration of the Sacraments bring together, faith and memory! For a specific instance, the Creed that is professed with its Trinitarian Structure, the Christological Confession and the Fellowship Factor, brings into picture the collective memory that signifies a "new life of faith as a journey of Communion with the living God"(45). 

Faith, Prayer and Decalogue is the following section that highlights the other shared elements of our communitarian faith - The Lord's Prayer, which is a way of sharing Christ's own Spiritual experience and the Decalogue, which gives "concrete directions for emerging from the desert of the selfish and self enclosed ego in order to enter into dialogue with God, to be embraced by his mercy and to bring that mercy to others" (46). Thus, the profession of faith, the celebration of the sacraments, the path of the ten commandments and prayer - are the 4 elements of the memory that the Church hands down; notice here that these are the very four traditional formats in which the Catechism of the Catholic Church proceeds (46).  

The final point that the section makes is about the Unity and Integrity of Faith - as expressed by the words of Paul in Eph 4:4-5- one faith, one body, one spirit, one baptism, one Lord! The society today rules any acceptance of one truth, as a breach of freedom of expression or autonomy of the self, while paradoxically it is ready to unite for one cause or one issue! Disregarding this bias, the Church affirms that Faith is one, because of the oneness of God, the One Lord Jesus, and the one body and one spirit which shares that faith (47). Since Faith is one, it has to be professed in all its purity and integrity (48); choosing some aspects and leaving out some is no Faith! Apostolic Succession (49), which is the gift of Christ to the Church, guarantees this oneness of faith and the integrity of truth.

In short the Chapter brings out the fact of the Church as the subject who has and expresses the faith, as a response to the self-revealing God who has changed the lives of the persons forming part of it, called them and constituted them into one body, one spirit, in the one Lord Jesus Christ.  

The question that remains to be treated is, what would be the practical import of this faith in the concrete life in today's world. The next chapter would begin to analyse this question (to be continued...).

LUMEN FIDEI - IV

Unless you believe, you will not understand

Chapter 2 : Articles 23 - 36.

The subject matter gets denser here! But let's not lose heart or despair... proceed reading and absorb the crux of the second chapter.

The first section of the chapter, Faith and Truth, begins with a reflection on an incident in the life of King Ahaz who decides to seek the security of the support or protection of the great Assyrian empire and Prophet Isaiah warns him not to. The Prophet directs the king to trust only in God, the rock of Israel. The prophet challenges the king to understand the Lord's ways and to see in God's plan the faithfulness of God (23). The lesson for us: "we need knowledge, we need truth, because without these we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward" (24). Faith without truth becomes a mere sentiment. 

Today truth is either absolutised to convenient concepts by Pragmatism, Scientism, Technologism and their sorts or reduced to subjectivity by Relativism. Consequently, the ultimate truth that is sought or the Question of God becomes IRRELEVANT, leading thus to fanaticism (25). Faith shows the right way of understanding truth. As St. Paul asserts in Rom 10:10, one believes with the heart. It is at the meeting point of faith and the heart(love) that true knowledge is born. "Faith's understanding is born when we receive the immense love of God which transforms us inwardly and enables us to see reality with new eyes" (26). Speaking of love in relation to faith requires that we do not lose sight of the fact that love can never be reduced to a mere ephemeral emotion. Only to the extent that love is grounded in truth can it endure over time, can it transcend the passing moment and be sufficiently solid to sustain a shared journey of persons. In short, love and truth are inseparable (27). It is in appreciation of the love that God had for them, that the people of Israel understood the overall unity of the divine plan (28).

Faith as hearing and sight, is the following section that takes the discussion further into the realms of philosophy. It begins with St. Paul's logic that Faith comes from hearing (Rom 10:17) and that the freedom to hear, acknowledge and respond to the voice is expressed in 'obedience of faith'(Rom 1:5). While the Greek categories would contrast hearing and seeing, the Old Testament Biblical categories combine them! Hearing God's voice is accompanied by a desire to see God's face(29). In the New Testament, Gospel of John brings these together in a beautiful synthesis stating that, to believe is to both hear and see - recognising the voice of the Good Shepherd (10:3-5) and seeing what God does and believing in God (11:45); for John believing is to see (11:40) and to see is on order to believe (20:8). The finest synthesis between hearing and seeing, is achieved in the faith in Christ, the word made flesh (1:14)- the spoken word that gets to be seen and believed!(30) The encyclical quotes Augustine to bring the synthesis to the next level that to believe involves also, touch. St. Augustine's words: "to touch him with our hearts: that is what it means to believe"(31).

The Dialogue between Faith and Reason, has been initiated right in the beginning at the moment of the historical encounter of the Gospel message with the Greek philosophical culture of the ancient world (32). The light and the word, as two beckoning forces that summons response from a person in his or her freedom - the former is related to seeing and the latter to hearing. St. Augustine in his earlier philosophical mindset gave importance to seeing whereas in the later he came to understand the truth that these both are to be taken together and he speaks of "word which shines forth within" (33). Philosophically, truth does not lie in subjectivity nor in totalitarianism, but in the point where one realises that truth humbles, that it sets one on a journey, that it enables witness and dialogue (34).

Faith and search for God, are related to each other especially when we acknowledge the fact that our God, is a "God of perpetual surprises"(35). "The more Christians immerse themselves in the circle of Christ's light, the more capable they become of understanding and accompanying the path of every man and woman towards God" (35). Hence dialogue with other religions is enabled by the very light of faith in Jesus and arises from the conviction that God who is light can be found by anyone "who seeks him with a sincere heart"(35).

Faith and Theology, are intrinsically related. Christian theology is born of the desire to explore more and more the horizons illumined by the light of faith. Theology, at one and the same time, is at the service of faith and draws life from faith. It is at the service of faith in as much as it protects and deepens the faith of the ordinary persons and it draws life from faith when it presents the Magisterium, as the source and collective expression of our faith. 

Looking at faith from various standpoints and providing an enlarged picture from where to understand our faith and its fundamental relationship to every other facet of Christian life, the encyclical would proceed in the next chapter to present to us the important truth that faith is not only to be understood; it is to be proclaimed. (to be contd...)

LUMEN FIDEI - III

We have believed in Love

Chapter 1: Articles 8-22

Having established in the introductory note, that this is "a time when mankind is particularly in need of light" (4), in the first chapter the encyclical draws on history to paint the canvas of a holistic understanding of Faith. Beginning from Abraham, the father in faith (8-11), the focus traverses right up to the Church which serves as 'the one body in faith'(21), journeying through the experiences of Israel, the people of God in faith (12-13), those of Moses, the mediator of God in faith (14-15) and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son in whom we are made sons and daughters of the God who has loved us, called us and chosen us from eternity.

Presenting Abraham, the encyclical highlights from his experience that faith is "our response to a word which engages us personally" with a God, who is a God of persons (God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob) (8); a word which is at the same time a call and a promise (8) - a call to be faithful and a promise of the faithfulness of God (9). The words of St. Augustine is recalled fittingly here, "Man is faithful when he believes in God and his promises; God is faithful when he grants to man what he has promised." The man of faith gains strength by putting himself in the hands of the God who is faithful, explains the letter. 

God's light shines for Israel through the remembrance of the Lord's mighty deeds, recalled and celebrated in prayer and worship, and passed down from parents to children (12). Israel as congregation of faith, were akin to us in their weaknesses in the face of the temptation of unbelief, defined in the word, IDOLATRY. It was after all their incapacity to bear the mystery of God's hiddenness (13). And as then, even today the way out of idolatry is true faith that "turns to the living God in a personal encounter" (13).

Moses is brought in as the icon of the meeting point of the communitarian aspect of faith and the personal commitment to faith. "The individual act of faith finds its place within a community, within the common 'we' of the people," affirms the encyclical (14). From Moses,the mediator who enabled people have a vision of God, through the eyes of faith, the encyclical makes a shift to Jesus the ultimate mediator, the one who makes known God to us, as John explains in his prologue.

Jesus, specially in his death, portrays the ultimate light of faith. The world may look at the death on the Cross as a scandal of faith, but "it is precisely in contemplating Jesus' death that faith grows stronger and receives a dazzling light," revealing to us a love that is capable of embracing death to bring us salvation (16), a love that can be encountered, a love fully revealed in Christ's passion, death and resurrection (17).

Today, for us therefore, "faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is participation in his way of seeing" (18).  There can be three shades of believing that form a complete expression of faith in Jesus - Believing that (that what Jesus tells us is true), Believing (accepting Jesus' words and testimony because he is truthful) and Believing in (that is allowing Jesus into our personal lives, moving closer to him, clinging to him and following him all the way) (18). 

It is the Spirit that inspires us to make this move of faith towards Jesus and call him "Lord"; it is the Spirit that enables us to accept Christ's experience and call God, "Abba Father". Faith is a gift, a free gift of God, in the Spirit, who makes is children of God, in Christ Jesus (19-21).

Faith is necessarily ecclesial; it is not a private matter or a completely individualistic notion or a personal opinion (22). As Abraham "heard" God and obeyed him in faith, our faith too comes from hearing and it is meant to be expressed in words to be heard and proclaimed, says the encyclical at the end of the first chapter.

Some wonderful affirmations of this section on what faith is, inspired by the history of salvation, are worth being recounted here: 
- Faith opens the way before us and accompanies our steps through time. (8)
- Faith is our response to a word which engages us personally. (8)
- Faith is the capacity to bear the mystery of God's hiddenness. (13)
- Faith is God's free gift, which calls for humility and courage to trust and to entrust. (14)
- Faith is participation in Jesus's way of seeing the reality. (18)
- Faith in Christ, is the light that illumines the origin and the end of life. (20)

With this framework of understanding faith, the following section will proceed to comprehend the depths of faith in relation to various other frameworks of understanding. (to be contd.)

LUMEN FIDEI - II

Part 1: The Introduction or Prelude (1-7)

The first section is not sub-titled but the purpose is very simple, a presentation of the encyclical's situation, background and the context that necessitates the theme.

Pope Francis explicitly places on record with gratitude the contribution of Benedict XVI in the encyclical and says that he has merely added his contribution to the "fine first draft" prepared and handed on by his predecessor(7). And he underlines the occasion that serves as the backdrop of the encyclical - the year of faith proclaimed, again, by his predecessor to commemorate the 50th year of the initiation of the great Vatican Council II, which he calls rightly, "Council of Faith" (6). 

The term 'light' in the theme 'Light of Faith' does not serve an aesthetic end, but it brings out essentially the quality of faith that the Church wants at this juncture to underscore - the illumining nature of faith! The Modernity has found this light childish and only for the weak and the ignorant. It is here Nietzsche is quoted as skeptically suggesting to his sister, "if you want peace of soul and happiness, then believe, but if you want to be a follower of truth, then seek" (2). It is as if to suggest that faith and seeking are two opposed dimensions of human knowing. And as a result of this, "humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself, in order to be content with smaller lights which illumine the fleeting moment yet prove incapable of showing the way" (3). This is the context within which the light of faith is presented by the Church as a guiding beacon. 

The teaching founds itself on the conviction that "once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim" (4) and declares that "faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives" (4). Faith is a light, both from the past and from the future. From the past, because it is inspired by the foundational memory of the life and death of Jesus Christ. From the future, because Christ has risen and he draws us to life, to life eternal (4).

Presenting these as the fundamental premises for us to position ourselves, the encyclical proceeds to bask in the light of faith, from the past and from the future. (to be contd.)

LUMEN FIDEI - I

Part 0: My Initial Feelings...

We are in wonderful times! That was my initial feeling as I saw today (5th July, 2013) the Holy Father Pope Francis, accompanied by the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, stand on the lawns of the Vatican Gardens and address the media, presenting the first encyclical of his Pontificate! As "brothers in faith" - that is how Pope Francis refers to himself and his predecessor - they stood there witnessing to the real concept of service of authority, within the portals of the Church.

Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) comes to complete the Trilogy begun by the former Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. Of his three encyclicals, two were reflections on the  Cardinal Christian Virtues of Love and Hope. The present encyclical comes to complete the reflection, offering to dwell on the virtue of Faith. Deus Caritas Est, published in 2005, on Christian Love and Spe Salvi, published in 2007, on Christian Hope, are the two of the Encyclicals which have been complemented with the present one signed by Pope Francis on 29th June, 2013, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The significance of the feast of the two saints and the encyclical being written by two - one signed and one unsigned- authors, seem to be more than a coincidence.

My another feeling of "Wonderful Times" came from the fact that I was able to read the encyclical the very day that it was presented by the Holy Father to the World - thanks to the advancement of the Social Media and the presence of the Church in the world of Media. Beginning with this note, I intend to post here, my first glance of the encyclical. I wonder how far a theological reflection it could be, however I don't wish to claim that this would be so! All that I propose to do is present a personal initial summary on the Encyclical in parts, deferring a theological reflection for another moment. 

There are certain 'firsts' that mark this encylical and its context, a list of that can be interesting.

- obviously, it is the first time an encyclical has been written by two persons! Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. However, it is signed by only one - for we have One Pope and there is no confusion about it.

- for the first time, a Pope and his predecessor present an encyclical standing together, side by side as brothers in faith.

- for the first time an encyclical quotes the likes of Nietzsche (for some who consider themselves traditional or conservative, this can be brain-jammer!!!)

- and ofcourse for the first time, I am reading an encyclical on the first day of its release!(how significant is that for you, anyway!)

Some Intial Details of the Encyclical:

Lumen Fidei, is a rather short encyclical on Christian Faith, with just 60 articles, divided into four chapters with a prelude and a closure. The prelude (1-7) is a general presentation of the encyclical with the introduction to the theme and the last three articles (58-60) as always, present the theme in relation to the Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Church and seeks her intercession for a renewal of faith. The remaining 50 articles are divided into four chapters, namely, We have believed in Love (8-22); Unless you beleive you will not Understand (23-36); I delivered to you what I also received (37-49); and God prepares a City for them (50-57). 

As Pope Francis himself acknowledges the major contribution of Benedict XVI, we can well notice the theologian's reflections dominating the first three chapters while the final chapter changes its tone into more pastoral, indicating the change of hand. However, the beautiful transition that is not only in the text but in the whole Church and its happenings, is so admirable to witness. (to be continued...)