Year of Faith

So I'm trying to do a short daily blog on the Magnificat Year of Faith companion. I am writing it to and with my family on a private site, but decided to share here as well...


This is from the introduction which was taken from Benedict's Apostolic Letter "Porta Fidei" the lines in Italics are his and the rest is mine. enjoy



Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy.
I feel like the first place I did experience love received was in my family.  I hope that I will also be able to communicate that experience to my children as grace and joy.  I loved going to Church, probably that had to do with the promise of candy from Judy Schneider, (James I know you loved the candy :) ) but I know it wasn't only that.  I remember laying on Dad's shoulder and feeling so safe and special that he was holding me and the great anticipation of Christmas mass and the beautiful music.  The car rides to our Grandparents' house although long are also sprinkled with sing-a-longs and car counting!  I remember Mom telling us about the saints' with such excitement.  It wore off on me.

Only through believing does faith grow and become stronger;
This line made me think of the movie "Peter Pan" where they all chant "I do believe in fairies...their belief makes their faith stronger, so strong that it raises Tink from the dead...sometimes we have to believe first and the life that we are hoping against hope to come into existence comes...When I have had moments of fear and for me they come as a lack of trust in God-- that He is going to come through or that He will come through the way I want Him to (very presumptive on my part) I have tried a similar exercise with the words, "I surrender I surrender I surrender to You." or " I trust I trust I trust in You."  Both are something that I have trouble with.

http://youtu.be/hFnul4k5hUM

Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so has to live with him.
I had a lot of thoughts when I read this sentence...like married couples live together because they stand together and vice-versa...Families live together because they should stand with each other and it teaches us how to live with each other...it also made me think of why we follow Jesus, because we ultimately want to be with Him.  Not just with Him in the Spiritual sense, but we want to be satiated, to have the “hole” filled by something that will not pass something that will wrap us up, make us feel safe and not ever leave.  I know Jesus is the answer to that hole...I also know that I just can’t seem to get enough of Him this side of life and that only in Heaven where He is truly with us, where we are really living together will I find the satisfaction of my soul

...it demands social responsibility for what one believes
This made me really think of my siblings, I feel this is something that really motivates us to do our best to make the world the place where Jesus’ Kingdom is becoming more alive at every minute.  I am so proud of all of you.

many are...sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world.  
This is the ultimate search to find meaning and truth...I was talking to this girl at work and she had just spent the night in jail and I told her she should write that story down and she replied that she blogged it..I responded that I blog about transcendentals: truth beauty goodness, the pursuit of meaning in life...she looked at me with a completely blank stare...I guess she’s not ready for that journey so I’m going to be praying for Jessica a lot this year that she starts to search, and I’m praying for all of us that we will never be satisfied with where we are but continue always to search for the definitive truth, and know that that truth is a person with whom we can have a relationship with, a “true relationship.”  For He truly loves us and wants to set us free with the Truth that He is.