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INTENTION : |
That the public, prayerful celebration of faith may give life to the faithful.
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In celebrating a feast, usually people not only recall an event of particular importance, but by doing so make it of fresh importance to their lives; that is, celebrating emphasises the value of the event remembered. That is true also for our faith: if it is not 'celebrated' regularly, little by little people forget it, and, more and more, it loses value and importance in their lives. In the general intention for this month the Holy Father invites us to celebrate our faith, and reminds us that only in celebrating it together can it remain truly alive and be 'source of life'.
Further, for the defence of Sunday and of the Christian feasts, he makes us understand that continual remembrance of faith is important not only for us personally but also as a testimony of faith for others. For that reason the celebration of faith should not be carried out only in a private and hidden way, but it should be celebrated 'publicly', to remind many other people of it, as far as possible. All the same, the Holy Father not only speaks of public celebration, but also indicates its quality; that is, it should be really 'prayerful'. If the celebration of our faith were only public, it would simply recall a historical fact, and mean the bringing to mind of an event, but could not give witness to it as our trust in God present and active.
The celebration of faith is not reduced to the mere external fulfilment of the Lord's command at the Last Supper: 'Do this in memory of me', but is the recalling of his continuing presence among us and of the merciful love which he offers us. In this sense every celebration of our faith is the invitation to nourish ourselves spiritually from his love so as to be constantly more shaped and transformed by it - the invitation to constantly draw living water from the source of true life. Prayer according to the Pope's intention is not a simple intercession for others, but rather seeks to move us to achieve it in ourselves, celebrating the faith as far as possible in a public way and praying that all may experience it increasingly as 'source of life for the faithful.'
Fr. Anton Witwer, sj
Postulator General for the cause of the saints of the Society of Jesus.
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