Every year the Church earmarks a number of Sundays to celebrate
different aspects of Christian life. These special days have become a familiar part of church life - Vocations Sunday, Emigrant Sunday, Mission Sunday.
The idea is to emphasise and acknowledge the work that goes on in the different areas of church life, to be aware of it, focus on it, and if possible support and encourage it.
From time to time the Church does this not just for a day but for a whole year. So three years ago, in 2010, the Church designated the year as a time to reflect on the ministerial priesthood—the Year of the Priest.
During that time the Church asked us to pray about, reflect on, and encourage vocations to the priesthood.
Last October Pope Benedict XVI announced the Year of Faith. October was chosen to commemorate the opening of Vatican 11, fifty years ago.
During this year, October to October, liturgies, conferences and gatherings will reflect on the importance of faith in our lives.
Last November a Synod, that is a meeting of Church leaders was held in Rome. The theme of the Synod was the New Evangelisation---in other words new ways of spreading the faith.
Next July World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
WYD, as we call it takes place every 2/3 years and is a gathering of young people from the four corners of the world to celebrate their faith in the presence of the Holy Father.
The theme of WYD 2013 is the Lord’s instruction ‘’ go, make disciples of all nations.’’ Again picking up on the theme of faith in the context of the ancient Christian tradition of pilgrimage.
Fr Jim Doyle, Frs Paddy and Denis Browne, myself and thirty young people from our diocese plan to take the road to Rio and join with millions of young people in what is in effect, a global festival of faith.
The most obvious thing about World Youth Day is its joyfulness, this has become its trademark, its days are marked by music and laughter, colour and celebration.
These are some of the global events that will mark the Year of Faith but it is important that it be celebrated at the local level too. During this special year all Catholics are asked to nourish their faith by prayer, reflection and reading.
We are asked to make a special effort to understand our faith better, to practice it more fervently and to live it more joyfully.
Pope Benedict described the Year of Faith as "a moment of grace........to proclaim him with joy to the people of our time........and to rediscover the journey of faith."
This happens best when we participate in the life of the church at parish level, such participation roots our faith in the reality of everyday.
Next May a three day Eucharistic Gathering will take place here in St Aidan’s Cathedral. The Gathering is being organised by the people and priests of St Aidan’s and St Senan’s parishes.
Over the three days the programme of events has been arranged to help us appreciate, discuss and even question the gift which has been passed on to us, so that in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict, "we can rediscover the journey of faith."
A very interesting and exciting range of speakers has been lined up for the event and even though it is being held in the Cathedral people from all over the diocese are most welcome.
In this Year of Faith we are also asked to look at the lives of the saints, whose witness offers us hope and teaches us how to live as Christians.
These holy men and women were sinners who continually tried to grow in their relationship with God, and in doing so left us a witness of faith lived out in everyday life.
Sometimes faith is seen as a burden---the burden of belief! On the other hand many people are searching for faith, looking for something which will give meaning and purpose to life.
They envy us, they would love to be able to accept Jesus as Lord, to share our faith and be part of our community.
Faith is important---we all need something to believe in, something to belong to, something which makes sense of things. We are painfully discovering these days what can happen when people find life meaningless.
So faith is not an add-on to life, it is something which is vitally necessary, something which helps us to navigate the challenges which life will inevitably confront us with.
Last October when Pope Francis was still Bishop of Buenos Aires he wrote a Pastoral Letter about the Year of Faith. He began by talking about something which we are all very familiar with—closed doors!
"Among the most striking experiences of the last decade," he wrote, "is finding closed doors.
Little by little increasing insecurity has made us bolt doors, employ vigilance, install security cameras and mistrust strangers who call at our door.........the closed door is the symbol of our today."
He then went on to talk about the door of faith. Pope Benedict used this image when he launched the Year of Faith. The image of a door is rich in symbolism, it often refers to the human heart.
We can step through a door into a new place, we can answer a door and experience a new reality.
This is the hope of the Year of Faith, this was the invitation of Pope Benedict last October.......that we would walk through the door into a richer, more joyful experience of the presence of God in our lives and in our world.
In the words of the poet..... "traveller, there is no path----paths are made by walking."
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.