This Sunday, the Solemnity of Christ the King, marks the
closing of the Year of Faith. It marks the closing of a year dedicated in a
particular way to the renewal of our faith and to the purpose of the New Evangelization,
that of being evangelized so that we may go forth to evangelize. Yet it is certainly not an end to the call of
the New Evangelization. In the document
that Pope Benedict used to open the Year of Faith, Porta Fidei, we read, “We
cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden
(cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to
the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to
believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within
him (cf. Jn 4:14)” (Porta Fidei, 3). How
have you gone to the well this past year?
What have you drawn up from its living waters? Where will you go from here?
For me, the Year of Faith has been one of deeper conversion and a
stronger turning towards Christ. I am
profoundly grateful for the graces of this Year of Faith, both for the entire
Church and for myself personally and vocationally. One of the most noticeable changes of the
past year was the election of Pope Francis.
What a gift he has been for God’s people, and what a gift to witness the
humility of Pope Benedict XVI. Through
the example of these two holy men, my spirit has been renewed and my vision has
become clearer.
Another of the great gifts of this year has been the renewed focus on
the Sacrament of Penance, proposed by Cardinal Dolan as the Sacrament of the
New Evangelization. On October 9, 2012, at the Synod of Bishops for the New Evangelization,
he said, “the sacrament of reconciliation evangelizes the evangelizers, as it
brings us sacramentally into contact with Jesus who calls us to conversion of
heart and inspires (us) to answer his invitation to repentance.” Faith is a gift, and the grace of forgiveness
is one its greatest effects. It paves
the way for peace, and through peace we can experience love and truth in
life-changing ways. Any relationship
with Jesus is a life-changing one that challenges us and makes demands. The grace we receive through the Sacrament of
Penance strengthens our hearts to reject sin and turn to the Gospel, to be
forgiven and to experience joy. If you
have not received the healing graces of this sacrament this past year or for a
very long time, turn to it, and be strengthened for the trials that are sure to
come. This, and each of the sacraments,
are given to us as sure signs of grace that are effective means of deeper
conversion in our hearts.
Turning from sin and experiencing conversion and a deepening of our
faith is always accompanied by many challenges and blessings, but nothing is
more worth it, and nothing can compare to the “unutterable and exalted joy” of
believing in Jesus and loving Him who is King of the Universe. May you know peace, joy and all good things
as you mark the close of the Year of Faith and rejoice in Christ our King,
attentive to the ongoing call to conversion. “In this you rejoice, though now
for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness
of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by
fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Without having seen him, you love him; though you do not now see him
you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome
of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet 1:6-9).
Written by Kristen
