Category Archives: Lumen Fidei

Not surprisingly, Pope Francis sees the human fulfillment of his encyclical in Mary, the mother of our Lord. Somewhere it has to work, otherwise faith is only dangling doctrine.  But if there is an example to whom we can turn … Continue reading →

To speak and to enact the light of faith is to experience suffering.  It sometimes comes from the world that rejects the vision and values of God.  But it also comes from within the Christian church as fellow believers disagree … Continue reading →

As we learn to get along in the family unit, we are given the will and means to get along with the human family.  Faith is carried into the world as naturally as it was held in the home. The … Continue reading →

Pope Francis rightly notes that the family unit is the first waystation on the journey to transmit faith in the world.  Beginning with marriage and then possibly with children, people learn how to trust, form relationships, forgive, cooperate, and love. … Continue reading →

As I have re-read Pope Francis’ first encyclical, I see not only its content, but also the way it serves as a model for doing theology about anything.  The Pope moves from a consideration of the selected topic itself (the … Continue reading →

With so many denominations and parachurch organizations on the earth, even if we believe in Christian unity we cannot think of it the way the Church did until1054 a.d., when the Roman Church split dramatically for the first time.  We … Continue reading →

Not surprisingly, Pope Francis rounds out his comments about the Church’s transmission of the faith by pointing to the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments.  The Lord’s Prayer is not only a prayer to pray, it is a way of … Continue reading →

The Church must hand down living faith if it is to perpetuate the Christian life from generation to another.  Doctrine alone is insufficient.  There must be encounter, and this comes when the Church worships In worship we encounter God through … Continue reading →

The Gospel light is too good to keep to ourselves.  But when we share it with others, we immediately create a community.  We create the Church–two or more gathered together in the Name of Jesus.  After 2,000 years of this … Continue reading →

Having looked last week at Pope Francis’ theme “Faith and Theology,” we find ourselves moving from Chapter Two into Chapter Three. That might not seem like a big deal, except it represents a movement into the ecclesial dimension of the … Continue reading →

Theology is the outcome of faith, because (like the first apostles) we must declare what we have seen and heard.  Theology is the systematic means for doing that. Like the varying watage of light bulbs, theology comes to us through … Continue reading →

Faith is a “light” to illuminate our path toward God in the same way that a flashlight is a means to show the way home. This is probably why the imagery of light and illumination can be found in all … Continue reading →

We continue our exploration of the nature of the truth which informs and forms our faith.  We have noted that it is truth rooted in love, and mediated through the senses.  Today, we understand it to be truth that is … Continue reading →

Faith is not immaterial.  It is mediated through the senses–particularly hearing  and sight.  The ultimate object of this is the Incarnation.  We have “seen and heard” the Word made flesh. The original disciples did this through actually walking and talking … Continue reading →

Pope Francis turns to the heart of faith–the “truth” that emerges from the Lover-beloved relationship.  We have faith ultimately because God is Love…and because God loves.  And we have been given…and accepted…that love. We believe because we are loved, and … Continue reading →

Faith does not exist on its own.  It must be connected in some way to truth.  Otherwise, we believe a lie.   At the same time, however, the truth we believe in as Christians is not the same as factual or … Continue reading →

When we begin to live in the light of faith, we see that our salvation incorporates us into the Church.  We come to Life as one member of the larger Body of Christ.  We cannot live apart from the Church … Continue reading →

The light of Christ comes to us and shines out of us as we put our faith in him.  Our faith is comprised of two basic features: (1) our trust in Christ as the Way, Truth, and Life, and (2) … Continue reading →

All that the Old Testament matriarchs and patriarchs looked and longed for came into being in the Incarnation of Jesus.  The Cosmic Christ (“angel of the Lord”…”Word”…or whatever else we have called it) became flesh and dwelt among us, full … Continue reading →

After Abraham, the biblical narrative moves quickly to Israel–a people and a land.  Both are not yet realized, and a long journey into personhood and place occurs.  Trust is at the heart of Israel’s development, but it is marked with … Continue reading →

God began the creation saying, “Let there be light!”  From the first moment of cosmic existence, light has been the illuminating and invigorating factor.  Consequently, we can go back before Jesus (the fullness of Light) and see men and women … Continue reading →

When we are in the darkness, the need for light is even more necessary and urgent.  The light of faith is needed in order to give light to the totality of our lives, not just religion. The light we need … Continue reading →

Despite every attempt by God to make revelation a matter of light and life (that is, positive and inviting), the fallen world prefers darkness to light (see John 3:19).  This is precisely the response to be expected from an egoic … Continue reading →

Creation began when God said, “Let there be light.” Redemption begins with the same declaration, “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people” (John 1:4). Like natural life, born out of the darkness of creation … Continue reading →

With our exploration of Henri Nouwen’s book at an end, I want to turn to Pope Francis’ first encyclical, Lumen Fide. The implications of his words go beyond the Roman Church.  I hope you have a copy of Lumen Fide so … Continue reading →