By Br John Sweeney, LC


What if you were to come across a door marked, “This way to the greatest adventure of your life”? Did you know that you’ve already gone through it? This door is our baptism, or as Benedict XVI put it, the “Door of Faith.” Entering this door means setting out, hand in hand with Christ, on a lifelong journey to eternal life. In the Apostolic Letter PortaFidei, the Pope has invited all of us to spend this coming year learning the Faith better, living it more fully, reflecting on it, and celebrating it together. He hopes that by doing so, we may rediscover the joy and enthusiasm of encountering Christ, and that this will help us step up our pace in following him on our journey.


This journey is not always easy.  Often we find ourselves in the desert. It is up to each one of us to know what direction we should go, and to help others find their way as well. So, in addition to helping us grow in our own joy and enthusiasm, the Holy Father  wants the Year of the Faith to be an opportunity to share it with our families and our communities.


In PortaFidei, Benedict XVI reminds us of two toolswe have for finding the right way.  First, the legacyof the Second Vatican Council serves as our compass. Just as those on a journey have need of a compass to keep track of their bearings, all Catholics should keep the teachings of Vatican II in mind to stay on track themselves and help others do the same.


Second, the Catechism of the Catholic Churchis a travel guide which lays out all the stages on our journey.  We profess a common faith, we celebrate God’s intervention in our lives, we walk in Christ’s footsteps, and we pray for one another.


Throughout the Year of the Faith, we will be offering you aids on this website to help you get the most out of the tools that the Holy Father mentions: the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism.  But, don’t limit yourself to just listening, reading, and praying. Go with your family and join your diocese and your parish in celebrating the Faith that we live together.