March 26 - “Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge.”

On May 24, 2015 (Pentecost Sunday) Donald Wuerl issued a pastoral letter entitled “Being Catholic Today:  Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge.” He has remarked that “Our Catholic Identity, even when challenged, should remain a source of conviction and pride.  As God was with those who first accepted the challenge, ‘You will be my witnesses,’ so God is with us as we accept the summons to be faithful witnesses to our Catholic faith today in all that we say and do,”  Our Archbishop has identified five key themes of being Catholic today.  Let me present these themes to you now.
Theme One:  Our Catholic Identity is given to us by Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of Baptism and the communion fellowship of the Church.  This is our encounter with him.
Theme Two:  The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Good News of God’s kingdom.  This was entrusted by Jesus to the Apostles and their successors the Bishops.
Theme Three:  Our Participating in the Church’s Mission is carried out in union with our bishop.  Together with all the baptized, we are missionary disciples.
Theme Four:  Religious liberty is the freedom every person has to live his or her life according to God’s will.  We strive to live what we believe and order our life according to the truth.
Theme Five:  Expressions of Catholic Identity are central to the mission of the Church.  Our schools and institutions are as much a part of the Church as our parishes.
We are going to look at each of these themes at greater length over the next several weeks. I shall leave you with this thought expressed by the Cardinal in “Being Catholic Today”:
"The Church brings what it has always brought:  an invitation to faith, an encounter with Christ, and a way of living inspired by the Gospel.  We are called to share this Good News with others to let them know of the beauty of life in Christ.  There is no greater, no more perfect gift that we can give to others.”