Year of Faith

Year of Faith

 When we use the word “faith” it has two meanings: the faith in which we believe, i.e. the Catholic faith and the faith by which we believe i.e. the gift of faith given to us by God that enables us to believe. 

This is the logo for the Year of Faith.

2013 is the Year of Faith.

The boat in the logo represents

the Church. The main mast of the boat is a cross

and its sails are the shape of the sun which

represents the Eucharist.  On the sails are the

letters IHS, the first three letters of the

Greek name for Jesus.

What is a creed?

A creed is a statement of belief.

Many religions use creeds as concise,

authoritative summaries of their

essential beliefs. They are often spoken

during worship or initiation rites such as

baptism. Creeds are also referred to as

professions of faith. In the Christian Church

the two most important creeds are the Apostles’

Creed which is a summary of the faith

of Jesus’ Apostles and the Nicene Creed

which came from two councils or meetings

in the 4^th century. It is more detailed

than the Apostles Creed.

What does the word “Catholic” mean?

Catholic means “universal” or “general” and it

was applied to the Christian faith believed

‘everywhere, always and by all’. St Ignatius

of Antioch first used the word around 35 AD.

It was used to distinguish true believers from

false ones (known as heretics).

The Season of Lent

The season of Lent is one of the two Penitential

seasons of the year. It starts with Ash Wednesday

and lasts for forty days finishing in Holy Week.

It is a time for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Lent is an opportunity for people to reflect on their

lives and identify what they need to change. It is a

season of preparation for the feast of Jesus’ Resurrection

which is the greatest feast in the Church’s calendar.

The Sacrament of Penance

The Sacrament of Penance has been known by

several names over the years. It was called confession

when the emphasis was on people confessing their sins

anonymously in private. Then it became known

as penance when the emphasis was on doing something

to make up for what you had done wrong. Now it is

more commonly known as reconciliation and it is

celebrated mostly within the community. The

emphasis is on recognising our need to change,

admitting our failure to love God and people in our lives,

asking for forgiveness, receiving absolution and making

peace with each other. It is good to celebrate this

Sacrament during Lent.

What is holiness?

Holiness is being holy. Strictly speaking only God is holy.

God’s holiness is acknowledged in the worship of the

Church in prayers such as the Holy, holy, holy which

we pray at Mass. Traditionally certain people, places

and things are regarded as holy because of their

relationship with God. All Christians are called to

holiness in the way they live their lives. The Saints,

such as St Patrick and St Joseph whose feasts

we celebrate this week are models of holiness for us. 

Examples of qualities or expressions of holiness

are love, courage, faithfulness, truth and respect.

What is grace?

Grace is God’s giving of Gods own self to us.

It is God’s life, presence and action among us.

Grace is a supernatural gift which heals and

elevates our humanness so we can share in God’s

life. God constantly offers us the new life of

grace which will restore our friendship with God

and enable us to live with mercy, compassion

and integrity. 

Holy Week

Holy Week is the week from Passion or Palm Sunday

until the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. Throughout

the week the events of Jesus’ last week on earth

are recalled. The liturgies include the Scripture

readings of these events and rituals such as washing

of the feet and veneration of the cross. The Easter

vigil on the Saturday night celebrates with great joy

Jesus’ resurrection with lights, bells and alleluias.

 The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is an eternal and

universal Kingdom where truth, justice, peace and

love reign. It is spoken about in the Old and New

Testaments. Jesus came to build the Kingdom when

he came to live on earth. Now it is the work of all

Christians to continue to build the Kingdom or Reign

of God here on earth. The Kingdom will be completed

when Jesus comes again in glory at the end of time.

The Feast of the Annunciation

This feast celebrates Mary’s agreement to become the

mother of Jesus. Although just a teenage girl in the

isolated village of Nazareth in Galilee, Mary said “Yes”

when asked by the Angel Gabriel to be the mother of

God’s Son, Jesus. Mary understood the implications of

being an unmarried mother in her society but she

trusted in God and gave birth to the Saviour of the world.

This year the feast is transferred to April 4 because

March 25, when it is normally celebrated, occurs in Holy Week.

 Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time is the days in the Church calendar

that are not included in the seasons of Advent, Christmas,

Lent or Easter. Ordinary time falls in two distinct periods:

The five to eight weeks between the Epiphany and Ash

Wednesday – the beginning of Lent, and the twenty three

to twenty seven weeks from Pentecost to the Feast of

Christ the King. During Ordinary Time the gospel stories

are about Jesus’ ordinary life. The liturgical colour for

Ordinary Time is green.

 The Trinity

The Trinity is the central belief of the Christian faith.

This belief is that there are three persons in one God - 

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity

is the relationship between Jesus who is one with God and

whose spirit is also the Spirit of God. At the heart of

the Trinity is community – a relationship of love between

three blessed persons which all Christians are called to

work for on earth and eventually become part of in heaven.

The Trinity is a mystery which is not to be solved but to

be entered into more deeply.