Understandingand Praying

the “Door of Faith”.

Padre Diego Cabrera Rojas, ssc

Concept of the Logo

Concept of the Logo:The logo is composed of a square , bordered fiel on which a boat symbolizing the Church, is represented as sailing on a graphically minimal representation of waves. The main mast of the boat is a cross from which sails are displayed in the form of a dynamic signs which compose the trigram of Christ “IHS” (Iesus Hominum Salvator); The background to the sails is a sun which, associated with the trigram, refers also to the Eucharist.

Motive50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (11 Octubre 1962)

20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Pope Benedict XVI, established a year

particularly dedicated “to profess the true Faith”.

With the Apostolic LetterMotu Proprio

Porta Fidei(The door of Faith),

published on the 10/11/11,Benedict XVI invites us

to get closer to our Faith,Through the reading of the

documents of the II Vatican Council

and the Catechismof the Catholic Church.

Motu Proprio

• Un motu proprio es un documentode la Iglesia Católica emanado directamente del Papa, por su propia iniciativa y autoridad. Contiene la promulgación de una ley particular, que modifica y perfecciona La Constitución Apostólica.

“In the light of all this, I have decidedto announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversaryof the opening of the II Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013.

The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith.

This document, an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council, was requested by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 as an instrument at the service of catechesis”. (PF 4)

Apostolic Letter“PORTA FIDEI” (Door of Faith)

By Benedict XVI

The Year of Faith is a “summons to an authentic

and renewed conversionto the Lord,

the One Savior of the world”Catholics are asked to study

and reflect on the Documents of Vatican II and the Catechism

of the Catholic Churchso that they may deepen their

knowledge of the faith. Catechetical leaders are

encouraged to incorporate Year of Faith activities and events

during the coming year.

The Year of Faith, will

beginon October 1,

2012, the fiftieth anniversary

of the openingof the Second

Vatican Council,

The Year of Faithwill conclude on

November 24, 2013, the Solemnity

of Christ the King.

twentieth anniversaryof the publication of the

Catechism of the Catholic Church

(October 11 of 1992)The starting date

of 11 October 2012 also marksthe twentieth anniversaryof the publication of the

Catechism of the Catholic Church,a text promulgated by my

Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II,with a view to illustrating

for all the faithfulthe power and beauty of the faith.

was requested by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishopsin 1985 as an instrument at the service of catechesis”.

ANTECEDENTIt is not the first time that the Churchhas been called to celebrate a Year of

Faith.My venerable Predecessor the Servant

of GodPaul VI announced one in 1967,

to commemorate the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul on the 19th

centenaryof their supreme act of witness.He thought of it as a solemn moment

for the whole Church to make “an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith”; moreover, he wanted this to be confirmed

in a way that was “individual and collective, free and conscious, inward and outward,

humble and frank”.He thought that in this way the whole Church

could re-appropriate “exact knowledgeof the faith, so as to reinvigorate it,

purify it, confirm it, and confess it” (PF, 4)

From 7th to 28th of October 2012, was celebrated the XIII General Assemblyof the Synod of Bishops.

“the theme is“The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. (PF 4)

Year of Faith

October 11th 2012 November 24th 2013The fiftieth anniversary

of the opening of the Second Vatican Council

Solemnity ofOur Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King

From 7th to 28th of October 2012, was celebrated the XIII General Assemblyof the Synod of Bishops. the theme is:

“The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”

The Synod of Bishops The Synod of Bishops was established by Pope Paul Vl

by Motu proprio "Apostolica sollicitudo" of 15 September 1965.Pope Paul Vl gave the definition of the Synod of Bishops

at the Sunday Angelus of 22 September 1974:"It is an ecclesiastic institution, which,

on interrogating the signs of the times and as well as trying to provide a deeper interpretation of divine designs

and the constitution of the Catholic Church,we set up after Vatican Council II in order to foster the unity

and cooperation of bishops around the world with the Holy See.It does this by means of a common study concerning the conditions

of the Church and a joint solution on matters concerning Her mission.It is neither a Council nor a Parliament but a special type of Synod".

“The new evangelizationis not a program. It is a mode of thinking, seeing and acting, It is a lens through whichwe see the opportunitiesto proclaimthe Gospel anew. It is also a recognitionthat the Holy Spiritis actively workingin the church ”. (Cardenal Wuerl Donarl, Arzobispo de Washington, relator general del Sínodoy ponente general de la Asamblea sinodal. Noviembre 1st, 2012)

“The duty to announcethe saving truth is not just

the responsibilityof clergy and religious.

On the contrary, this synod highlighted the important role

of every disciple of Christin the mission of spreading the faith.

The discussion accentuatedthe crucial and vital participation

of every Catholic, especially through the eager dedication and gifts

of the lay faithful to the missionof evangelization.”

(Cardenal Wuerl Donarl, Arzobispo de Washington, relator general del Sínodoy ponente general de la Asamblea sinodal. Noviembre 1st, 2012)

“Like the first disciples who walked with Jesus as his friends,today's Catholics are calledto proclaim his Good News to an indifferent and sometimes even hostile world that now more than ever needs that message of Christ's truth and love”.

“Today, like the first disciples,we can be Jesus's witnesses,and proclaim his Good News

in our everyday lives. With our hearts

transformed by Christ, we can change the hearts of others,

and transform the world.”(Cardenal Wuerl Donarl, Arzobispo de Washington, relator general del Sínodoy ponente general de la Asamblea sinodal. Noviembre 1st, 2012)

Challenges for the Synod- Intereligious dialogue, especially with the muslim world;

- violence and limitation of religious freedom ;

- The ecumenical commitment;

- The mass media, which requires a new language and a new form of communication in the Church.

- Great is the challenge the new evangelization poses in the context of culture and, therefore, in the relationship between Person - community - society.

Therefore, a great contribution may comeFrom the “Atrium of the Gentiles"as well from the works of social justice and charity of the Church with the poor and the suffering.

(Cardenal Wuerl Donarl, Arzobispo de Washington, relator general del Sínodoy ponente general de la Asamblea sinodal. Noviembre 1st, 2012)

Some “tools” for a new proclamation of the Gospel:

- Parases, - Small Christian communities, - Schools, Universities, - pilgrimages, - Catechists.

- Most of all, marriages, the family,the domestic church, the institutionwhich help us to pass on our Faitheven in very difficult situations,which help to form the humanperson, who needs lot of suport in this secularized world.

¿What is the invitation of the Year of Faith?

“The Year of Faith is a “summons to an authentic and

renewed conversion to the Lord,

the One Savior of the world”

What is our commitment in the Year of Faith?

“The Year of FaithShould be an expression

of an unanimous commitmentto rediscover and study

The fundamental contents of our faith”.

Hechos 14, 27

Knowledge of faith opens a door into the fullness of the saving mystery revealed by God. The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27)

is always open for us, ushering us into the lifeof communion with Godand offering entry into his Church.It is possible to cross that thresholdwhen the word of God is proclaimedand the heart allows itselfto be shaped by transforming grace. (PF 1)

“And when they arrived, they called the church together and reportedwhat God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”.

To enter through that dooris to set out on a journey

that lasts a lifetime.It begins with baptism (Rm 6, 4),

through which we canaddress God as Father,

and it ends with the passagethrough death to eternal life,

fruit of the resurrectionof the Lord Jesus, whose will it was,

by the gift of the Holy Spirit,to draw those who believe

in him into his own glory. (Jn 17, 22)(PF 1)

“We were buried ... with him by baptism into death,so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory

of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”.

Rom 6, 4

To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (1 Jn 4:8):

the Father, who in the fullness of timesent his Son for our salvation;

Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world;

the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return. (PF 1)

“To the extent that he freely cooperates, man’s thoughts and affections,

mentality and conduct are slowlyPurified and transformed, on a journey

that is never completely finished in this life” (PF. 6).

“To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed,

and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year”. (PF 9)

“Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes. ”. (PF 10)

¿What does it want?

1°That as church,

We us all will be introduced,

Into a timeof reflection

and rediscoveryof faith.

2° to feel invited to a

authentic and renewed

conversionTo the Lord,

The only Savior.

ConversionOf the world.

3° to make a joyfull eclesial commitment for the new evangelization.

Some Ways

1.

To celebrate Our Faith

In the liturgy,especially

In the Eucharist.

2. To walk again through the history of our Faith.

3. To intensify the testimony of charity.

¿What to believe in?

Thecontent

ofour

Faith.

¡what webelieve in!

• Catholics are asked to study and reflect on the • Documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of

the Catholic Church so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.

• Catechetical leaders are encouraged to incorporate Year of Faith activities and events during the coming year.

The credibletransmittersof the truth of our Faith.

¿To whom would we believe?

¿Who do we believe?

Jesus is who sustains us,

to whom we give our full trust.

“Faith is neithera submission

to some indisputable proof

Not a blind leapIn the dark.

It is both:A calculated risk”.

(W.J. O’Malley, s.j.).

LA FE

Faith is an act of freedom,It is fruit of a joyful encounter with God

It is experienced, nurtured and celebrated in Church

The believer is…

… a person who melts faith and life

• Faith is a personal decision.• Faith thrives on personal relationship with God.• Faith needs a constant deepening.• Faith has a Community dimension.• Faith involves a public commitment.• Faith is expressed in the testimony of life.• Faith is celebrated in the Church.

Living Faith

By faith,Mary acceptedthe Angel’s word and believedthe messagethat shewas to becomethe Mother of Godin the obedienceof her devotion (Lk 1, 38).

Visiting Elizabeth,she raised her hymn of

praiseto the Most High

for the marvels he workedin those who trust him

(Lk 1, 46-55).

With joy and trepidation she gave birthTo her only son, keeping her virginity intact

(Lk 2, 6-7).

With the same faith,she followed the Lord in his preaching and remained

with him all the way to Golgotha (Jn 19, 25-27).

By faith,Mary tasted the

fruitsof Jesus’

resurrection, and treasuring

every memoryin her heart

(Lk 2, 19.51),

she passed them onto the Twelve

assembled with herin the Upper Room

to receivethe Holy Spirit

(Act 1, 14; 2, 1-4).

Trusting in Joseph, her husband, she took Jesus to Egypt to save him from Herod’s persecution (Mt 2, 13-15).

By faith,the Apostles

left everythingto follow their Master

(Mt 10, 28).

They believed the words with whichhe proclaimed the Kingdom of God present and fulfilled in his person

(Lk 11, 20)

They livedin communion of life

with Jesuswho instructed them

with his teaching,(Jn 13, 34-35).

leaving thema new rule of life,

by whichthey would be

Recognizedas his disciplesafter his death

(Jn 13, 34-35).

By faith,they went out to the whole world,

following the commandto bring the Gospel to all creation

(Mc 16, 15)

(Mc 16, 15)

and they fearlessly proclaimed to allthe joy of the resurrection,

of which they were faithful witnesses.

By faith, the disciples formedthe first community,

gathered aroundthe teaching

of the Apostles,in prayer,

in celebrationof the Eucharist,

(Act 2, 42-47).

holding their possessions in commonso as to meet the needs of the brethren

(Act 2, 42-47).

By faith,the martyrs

gave their lives,bearing witness

to the truthof the Gospel

Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdames

that had transformed them

and made them capable of

attaining tothe greatestgift of love:

the forgivenessof their

persecutors.

By faith,men and womenhave consecrated

their lives to Christ,leaving all things behindso as to live obedience,

poverty and chastitywith Gospel simplicity,

concrete signs of waiting for the Lord

who comes without delay.

By faith, countless Christians

have promotedAction for justice

so as to put into practicethe word of the Lord,

who came to proclaimDeliverance

from oppressionand a year

of favour for all. (Lk 4, 18-19).

By faith, across the centuries,

men and womenof all ages,

whose namesare written

in the Book of Life,(Rev 7:9, 13:8)

Sister Dorothy Stang, assassinated on the 2nd February 2009 in Brazil while defending Brazil Rain Forest from over exploitation.

have confessedthe beautyof following

the Lord JesusWherever

they were calledto bear witness:

In the Family

Professional life

In Public Life

and the performing of charisms and ministries entrusted to them.

our Faith Also drives us to:

reconognizeOur Lord Jesus,

presentin our lives

And in history.

FAITH AND LIFE: a mosaic

Believing to understandunderstanding to believe better

“Evidently, knowledge of the content of faithis essential for giving one’s own assent,

that is to say for adhering fully with intellect and will to what the Church proposes.”

(PF 10)

¿Which resourses could we use this Year?1. Prayer.2. Catechism of the Catholic Church y/o its compendium.3. The II Vatican Council documents.4. The document of the Synod of Bishops on the New

Evangelization. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_20050309_index-profile_en.html

5. Other documents of the Church.6. And of course ¡The Holy Bible!

PrayerIt is through our personal relationship

with God how do we grow solid in our faith.

Our prayer can be:a) vocal

- Shouts of Praise - Shouts of worship

- Thanksgiving- Confession

- singing- Supplication

- requestsb) mental

-Inspirational readings- Bible reading

- Video- Movies- music

c) silent.- Meditation

- Contemplation

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The whole bookor the compendium,

will help usto be in touch

especially with the first part:

The Profession of Faith.

Catechism of the Catholic Church First Part

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH1a. Sección: “I believe”, “we believe”.

2a. Sección: The profession of the Christian Faith (including its twelve articles).

I is worthy to read also the other three parts:

- Celebrating the Chiristian mystery,- Life in Christ

- The Christian Prayer.

DOCUMENTS of THE II VATICAN

CONCIL

To know them.To read them.To assimilate

them.To welcome them.To put them into

practice with renew zest.

A the base of everything is:

Three propousals for all of us: Profession of Faith, life and Announcement.

1°. It is desirable that all of us

In the Diocese of Los Angelestake this opportunity

to cultivateour relationship with God,

deepen and confess publiclythat faith in our churches,

in our seminars;and at home

with our family.

2°. It is convenient and desirable to exhort and support each other

to live to the endThe community dimension

(social and ecclesial)of our faith

3°. Every priest and every parishioner is already an evangelizer,

so we all should feel urged by love to: Better convey what we profess,

To form more agents of evangelization And to celebrate with joy our faith with others.

¡TIME OF GRACE!

• “Saint Paul asks his disciple Timothy to “aim at faith”(2Tim 2, 22)

with the same constancy as when he was a boy(2Tim 3, 15)”. ¡Let us hear that invitation!

• “may this Year of Faith make our relationship with Christ the Lord increasingly firm,”.

t

• “Let us entrust this time of graceto the Mother of God, proclaimed “blessed because she believed” (Lc 1, 45) . (PF 15)

TIME OF HOLINESSSt. Paul’s Greek term

for ordinary believers is hagioi,“saints, holy ones”

not just meticulously purified souls,

but all believers, made holy. It is not we who qualify as holy,

but Christ’sgenerous acceptance of us

that negates our unworthiness.William J. Omalley “Accesible Hollines. The good news: We're all

invited. The bad news: It takes effort.America magazine, July 30, 2007.

Accesible HolinessSeeking holiness means

trying to healthat separation

and regainthat person-to-Personfriendship that makes

us holy once again.The very word

“religion,”in fact, means

connection.William J. Omalley “Accesible Hollines. The good news: We're all

invited. The bad news: It takes effort.America magazine, July 30, 2007.

Here is the key: Jesus loves imperfect people. On that score, all of us qualify. We can, therefore, consider holiness without the distancing, antiseptic “requirements” that make the subject, and pursuit of the reality, inaccessible to ordinary mortals.

William J. Omalley “Accesible Hollines. The good news: We're all invited.

The bad news: It takes effort.America magazine, July 30, 2007.

Baptism and confirmationare incalculably preciousassurances of inclusionin a second family thatwill welcome us back,

no matter what.Reconciliation gives

a concrete pledge thatwe can never make ourselvesso unworthy that we negate

what Jesus did for us.William J. Omalley “Accesible Hollines. The good news: We're all invited.

The bad news: It takes effort.America magazine, July 30, 2007.

Today´s Challenges

'A disciple is a person attentive

to Jesus’ word (Lk 10:39), someone who acknowledges

that Jesusis the Teacher

who has loved usso much

that he gave his lifefor us.

Each one of you, therefore,should let

yourself be shapedby God’s word

every day.

This will make youFriends

of the Lord Jesusand enable you

to leadother young people

to friendshipwith him.

'I encourage youto think of the giftsyou have received

from Godso that you can pass

them onto others in turn.'

Benedict XVI, Message for WYD 2013. ['The Pilgrims' Inn', blog of the editor of MISYON.]

Prayerforthe

Year of Faith

Intention for Marchfor the reparation of sin and

the grace of conversion.

O my God,I firmly believe

that You areone God

in three divine persons,Father,

Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe thatYour divine Son

became man and diedfor our sins,

and thathe will come

to judgethe living and the dead.

I believe these and all the truthsthe holy Catholic Church teaches because

You have revealed them,who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

In this faith I intend to live and die.

We turn to you in humble supplicationfor ourselves and our Parish and Diocesein which we work, live, and pray,that this Year of Faith may bea true source of renewal for each of us.

May we be strengthened to live our faith in the midst of the world with joy and love.

We ask thisthrough our Lord

Jesus Christ your Son,who lives and reigns

with youin the unity

of the Holy Spirit,one God,

for ever and ever.Amen.

Seleccion of Photos and edition:Fr. Diego Cabrera Rojas, ssc