Homily

1st November, Proclamation of St Newman as Doctor of the Church

On the 1^st November, St John Henry Newman was made the 38^th Doctor of the Church. This special title marks the important theological or spiritual contributions that saints have given the Church throughout history. St Newman joins the ranks amongst important saints like St Thomas Aquinas, St Thérèse of Lisieux and St Catherine of Siena.

In the Holy Father’s homily for the proclamation mass, he drew heavily upon St Newman’s writings, which have long been a treasure of the Church. One of the most historically quoted of these writings was his “definite service” reflection.

Drawing upon this reflection of St Newman, the Pope took the opportunity to speak of our lives shining brightly, not through merits of our own (“not because we are rich, beautiful or powerful”), but instead this life shines when we “discover within ourselves the truth that we are called by God…that our lives serve something greater than ourselves.” This is indeed the vocation that we all have, it is the same call that God has made across generations. We might think of vocations solely through the lens of religious or consecrated life, but there is a greater call to everyone to live lives of holiness in the Church of God; and because we all belong in this Church, we can all offer our own unique contributions to it.

Reflecting on these words, we thought about the sense of real vocation that we see amongst the people and the communities that we work alongside. Whether it be a registered charity or a parish justice and peace group, we have the pleasure of working with people whose charitable actions (helping the poorest and most vulnerable people, and living in solidarity with them) are fundamental to who they are and where they feel God is calling them to – each person with their own unique gifts that they can contribute to the Body of Christ.

To read the Pope’s full homily, click here<<

16th November, World Day of the Poor

Of course, we could not write this edition of Papal Insights without noting what the Holy Father said on World Day of the Poor this year.

One of the things that struck us the most in his homily was how the Pope raised the tragedy of loneliness. He says that loneliness “challenges us to look at poverty in an integral way”, because truly, what good is our almsgiving if we do not aim to develop human connections with the person who receives what we’re offering?

He went on to say: “We also must develop a culture of attention”, truly recognising the person in front of us as someone who is made in the image and likeness of God, and not just a passive recipient of our charity.

No amount of mere economic progress can truly improve the lives of the poor, until we begin to prioritise integral human development. According to the Pope, this attitude – one that prioritises connection – must happen first within our families, then it may spread beyond.

This homily, as well as his recent similar remarks in Dilexi te and his papal message for World Day of the Poor, has helped us to reflect personally on the work that we are doing.

How can you be more attentive to the real needs of those around you?

To read the full homily on World Day of the Poor, click here<<

Apostolic Letter

23rd November, In Unitate Fidei

Lastly, we wanted to focus on a recent letter written by the Holy Father on the unity of the faith: In Unitate Fidei (on the 1700^th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea).

Reflecting on the separation between churches, the letter expresses thanksgiving to the truths that both affirm, as well as a commentary on the vocation of Christians. The Holy Father writes:

“In following Jesus, the ascent to God passes through descent and dedication to our brothers and sisters, especially the least, the poorest, the abandoned and the marginalised”

The letter places special importance on Christian reunification and the creeds that unite us. Not only should we constantly pray that we may be one but we should also recognise the importance of the creeds as a mission statement. As Christians we know that the creeds are not just doctrinal mandates, but that they are crucial to our understanding of God and his plan for humanity. More particularly all Catholic social action is rooted deeply in the beliefs expressed in the creeds.

The Nicene Creed, reads:

“For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.”

This might give us pause for thought. If the very idea that God came to us and joined himself to our humanity, should this not affect our view of humanity and life on Earth? Should this not guide each and every interaction that we have with all people?

Furthermore, unity is part of God’s will. Not only does Jesus pray that we may be one, but also we must recognise that God only has one kingdom, when we work towards building this Kingdom of God we have to build it together.

The final part of this letter is a prayer that gives thanks to God for our core beliefs as defined in the creeds but also asks God for the grace to be united in faith with our departed brothers and sisters from other denominations:

Holy Spirit of God, you guide believers along the path of history.

We thank you for inspiring the Symbols of Faith [the creeds] and for stirring in our hearts the joy of professing our salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father. Without him, we can do nothing.

Eternal Spirit of God, rejuvenate the faith of the Church from age to age. Help us to deepen it and to return always to the essentials in order to proclaim it.

So that our witness in the world may not be futile, come, Holy Spirit, with your fire of grace, to revive our faith, to enkindle us with hope, to inflame us with charity.

Come, divine Comforter, source of harmony, unite the hearts and minds of believers. Come and grant us to taste the beauty of communion.

Come, Love of the Father and the Son, gather us into the one flock of Christ.

Show us the ways to follow, so that with your wisdom, we become once again what we are in Christ: one, so that the world may believe. Amen.

To read the full letter, click here<<