after the pope published the document lumen fidei, many have read it in diverse enviroments, but still there are some who have not yet come across the document. I took some time to read it and put some outlined summary of it, as I was giving a talk about it over the weekend to a group of couples of Christ for family life. here is the summary:
The
encyclical starts with what the ancients put their faith in and proceeds to
move directly to what our culture believes about faith – that it is something
for the blind, those driven by emotion. But, at the same time, our culture is
discovering that reason is not enough. Confusion has set in on what is good and
evil, right and wrong. Faith in Jesus and love in Him gives us a new vision to
see the world.
Promulgated on 29th june 2013, and
published on 5th july, 2013.
1st
of two popes: Benedict XVI and Francis.
Readings:
1. He. 11,1 – definition of faith.
2.
Ef.
2, 8-9 – saved by faith not works
3.
LK.
18, 8 – your faith saves you.
4.
Jm
2,14 – faith without works.
5.
1
cor. 13,13 – the three theological virtues – faith, hope, love.
6. Rm 14,7 – kingdom of God.
CONCEPT OF THE LOGO
The logo is composed of a
square, bordered field 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 dynamic signs
which compose the trigram of Christ (IHS). The background to the sails is a sun
which, associated with the trigram, refers also to the Eucharist.
Important Remarks.
Faith is a “theological” and “supernatural” virtue given by God (no. 7).
This context connects the idea of faith with the idea of experience and personal encounter, which establishes a relation between man and God, without making it clear whether this is the intellectual relation of knowledge or the affective relation of love.
The central idea is that faith is first of all existential, the product of an encounter with the living God that reveals love and leads to communion (no. 4, no. 8). It is essentially dynamic, openness to the promise of God and memory of [that promise about] the future (no. 9), openness to love (no. 21, no. 34), attachment to the source of life and of all fatherhood (no. 11), an experience of love (no. 47)…. It consists of “the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God’s call” (no. 13).
In short, faith, as it is presented in Lumen fidei, is first of all an experience of life and of love, fully realized in the “encounter with Christ” (no. 30): “Faith knows because it is tied to love, because love itself brings enlightenment” (no. 26). Jesus is said to be the one savior because “all God’s light is concentrated in him, in his ‘luminous life’ which discloses the origin and the end of history” (no. 35)
If faith increases our knowledge, it is not initially and principally inasmuch as it teaches us certain objective truths by authorized testimony, but rather inasmuch as it unites us to the life of a subject, inasmuch as it initiates us, through loving thought, to another thought and another love.
It is not learning objective truths, but becoming united to the life of a subject and being initiated by loving thought to another thought and another love.
“Believing means entrusting oneself to a merciful love which always accepts and pardons, which sustains and directs our lives, and which shows its power by its ability to make straight the crooked lines of our history” (no. 13). “Faith transforms the whole person precisely to the extent that he or she becomes open to love. Through this blending of faith and love we come to see the
Kind of knowledge which faith entails, its power to convince and its ability to illumine our steps.
Faith knows because it is tied to love, because love itself brings enlightenment. 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” (no. 26).
Chapter 1 – We Have Believed
in Love (cf. 1 John 4:16)
1.
Abraham,
Israel, Christian, salvation, ecclesial form of faith.
2.
Salvation
History—the story of God’s people—to see faith throughout history. It begins
with Abraham and finds its summation in Jesus.
3.
God
is not something beyond us; He is someone who acts in the here and now. He is
in our journey.
4.
Looking
into our own history, can we perceive God´s intervention in it? Mention?
Chapter 2 – Unless You
Believe, You Will Not Understand (cf. Isaiah 7:9)
1.
Seeks
to understand the relationship between faith and several other aspects - Faith
and truth, knowledge of truth and love, faith as hearing and sight, faith and
reason, faith and search of God, faith and theology.
2.
Faith
is rooted in reality when it is rooted in truth; that truth which does not
become cold and impersonal. The truth which in faith possesses us; we do not
possess truth. As we become more possessed by truth, we grow in humility and in
the knowledge of the faith.
3.
Which
are the truths which we seek to understand in our life?
Chapter 3 – I Delivered to
You What I Also Received (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3)
1.
Church
– mother of faith, sacraments, prayer, Decalogue, unity and integrity.
2.
The
nature of our lives forces us to have faith in the truth others are giving us;
our Christian faith is passed on from one generation to the next. We accept
this faith in a community and in the communion of the Church. The sacraments
allow us to experience this faith in a special way. (Baptism and Eucharist.)
3.
Is
there any element of faith which I don’t understand or I don’t agree with in
the history of the church?
Chapter 4 – God Prepares a
City for Them (cf. Hebrews 11:16)
1.
Faith
and common good, family, light for life in society, consolation and strength
amid suffering.
2.
faith
should be the foundation of our society, marriage and family which in turn
helps form our other relationships as well.
3.
Proclaiming
God publicly, God in our society: are we ashamed of him?
4.
Faith
also provides strength in suffering. Faith does not answer every question, but
provides a lamp to help us navigate through the darkness and the presence of
God who is with us personally in our suffering.
5.
In
the end, faith should provide us with joy. The sign of our faith lives should
be a joy in Jesus.
6.
F.A.I.T.H.
– face the reality, accept it, imagine a positive change, trust in God, and
hope in Him.
Conclusion.
Blessed is
she who believed – Lk 1,45.
When
our own spiritual lives bear fruit we become filled with joy, which is the
clearest sign of faith’s grandeur. Mary accepted Jesus with joy, we too should
follow her example.
