Personally and as a Community, We Witness
To Our Faith in God
By Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia
 

When Cardinal Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II, wrote Sources of Renewal, he stated he was “introducing the reader to the relevant documents of Vatican II, but always from the point of view of translating them into the life and faith of the Church.”

As pope he continued his efforts through encyclicals, apostolic letters and overseeing the ongoing developments that flowed from the Council. The Final Report of the Extraordinary Synod of 1985 stated the need “for a deeper reception of the Council. And this requires four successive phases: a deeper and more extensive knowledge of the Council, its interior assimilation, its loving reaffirmation and its implementation. Only interior assimilation and practical implementation can make the conciliar documents alive and life-giving.”

Several efforts have been made over the years in the Diocese of Scranton to work for a deeper reception of the Second Vatican Council. These included “Follow Christ,” “Project Evangelization,” RENEW and activities surrounding “The Welcoming Church.” Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton is continuing and developing those efforts as it promotes spiritual and pastoral renewal.

Restructuring of parishes is but one phase or component of Called to Holiness and Mission; prayer, study and reflection on the mission of the Church and parish is a necessity.

Several essays and books have been written on the theme of moving the understanding of people from maintenance of buildings to the mission of the Church, in order for the evangelizing mission of the church to be more effective as it addresses the challenges and conditions of the 21st century. Catholicity and good stewardship of resources – the mutual sharing of gifts – is an important consideration at this time in our efforts of restructuring and renewal.

Pastoral planning will be an ongoing part of the culture of the parish and Diocese of Scranton; pastoral planning and evaluation will never come to an end. The Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils working with implementation committees will review changing demographics, finances, resources and challenges and evaluate how a parish or cluster of parishes is meeting the challenges of the mission. There are a variety of ways of reviewing a parish. One is to see how the profession of faith helps us to witness personally and as a parish to persons and local cultures the truth of our faith.

We Believe In One God, The Father, The Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth

How does a person and a community live and witness to its beliefs? Through its activities, choices, decisions, way of living, and through the use of its time, talent and money. “How do I live my faith?” is an important question for each person to review from time to time. How a parish is giving witness to its faith is equally important.

St. Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians, said: “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us…” The Corinthian community is his letter of recommendation, that they exist and how they live what he preached, how they witness to the faith he taught, is his letter of recommendation.

How do we, personally and as a community, witness to our faith in God as Father and Creator? All of creation is a gift, because God freely creates and continues in existence what he creates. There is one human family created in the image and likeness of God. No attitude or practice of racial or ethnic discrimination or hatred is compatible with faith in God as Father and Creator.

How can parishes share the gifts of ethnic heritage and enrich the experience of Catholicity in the parish? How do parishes work to build a sense of community, belonging and hospitality in the parish? The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church includes various themes and concerns about the human person as the “image of God,” the human person and human rights, principles of the Church’s social doctrine, and the consequences of the Church’s teaching on the family, human work, economics and political life, justice, peace and safeguarding the environment, etc.

In a paper from the International Theological Commission, titled Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God, it was noted that the doctrine of the image of God “has begun to enjoy a greater prominence” in Church teaching once again. This theme affirms human dignity and the sanctity of human life. This doctrine is studied in the light of communion and stewardship, persons in communion with God and persons as stewards of visible creation. The document notes: “The steward must render an account of his stewardship, and the divine Master will judge his actions… Neither science nor technology are ends in themselves; what is technically possible is not necessarily also reasonable or ethical… Human stewardship of the created world is precisely a stewardship exercised by way of participation in the divine rule and is always subject to it.”

In Sources of Renewal, then Cardinal Wojtyla noted: “The concept of the Creator and the work of creation involves in some measure the fatherhood of God and his ‘hidden design’, the plan which is full of wisdom and is the fruit of the Creator’s goodness and benevolence. The work of creation was prompted by love.” Pope John Paul II also directed attention to Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council. Concern for the environment and stewardship of natural resources, respect for human life and dignity are important teachings of our Catholic faith.

Two recent publications can help an individual, and adult faith, moral and spiritual formation groups, Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils and parish and cluster implementation teams come to a deeper understanding of our faith in God as Father and Creator, most especially concerning the environment. The Ten Commandments for the Environment: Pope Benedict XVI Speaks Out for Creation and Justice provides a commentary on talks of Pope Benedict. Another work, Catholics Going Green: A Small Group Guide for Learning and Living Environmental Justice by Walter Grazer, is a six-session adult study guide.

What does the teaching of the Church require of us? How do we as individuals and as parishes in partnership witness to the teaching of the Church on creation, the environment and the Church’s social doctrine? The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church notes that the social doctrine of the Church is an integral component of its evangelizing mission.

Reflecting on God as Father and Creator should fill us with gratitude and motivate us to be generous. Nothing is owed to us, everything is given to us. How do we show our gratitude? How do we share our gifts?

The Church praying is the Church believing and the Church living. How do we understand our faith in God as Father and Creator? How do we celebrate it? How do we witness to this article of faith in our lives and in our faith communities?