Florida Catholic | Archbishop Favalora's Column

You’ve got to know your faith

Published: 01.11.08

My dear friends,

A recent edition of the Florida Catholic noted that more people can rattle off the McDonald’s jingle about the Big Mac than can list the Ten Commandments.

A book released last year by Steven Prothero, chairman of the religious studies department at Boston University, documented that 60 percent of Americans cannot name even half of the commandments.

Among Prothero’s other disheartening findings: 50 percent of high school students think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

What does this lack of knowledge say about our society, especially with all the election-year talk about political candidates’ religious practices and values?

How can we know what we are voting for — or against — if we do not know what we believe?

Faith is obviously not knowledge because our belief in God cannot be proved factually. But we cannot say “I believe” and remain ignorant of the tenets of our faith.

What do we believe in? Who is this God who intervenes in history, who called his people out of slavery in Egypt and made a covenant with them forever? Who is this God who sent his only Son to redeem humanity from the slavery of sin?

What does that relationship of faith between ourselves and Emmanuel — “God with us” — require of us? How should we treat our neighbor in light of how God treats us?

These are profound questions in the face of an increasingly complex and secularized society, and we cannot find the answers simply by “Googling” on the Internet or wearing rubber wristbands emblazoned with the slogan “What would Jesus do?”

The Catholic Church relies on a rich, 2,000-year, theological tradition to come up with answers to the many complex questions of our day. That rich tradition of faith and knowledge is not difficult to access.

For starters, it is compiled in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is also available in abbreviated form in “Fountain of Grace,” our own archdiocesan compilation of the catechism.

Our offices of adult faith formation and religious education offer classes year-round on topics such as foundations of Catholicism, introduction to the sacraments and the church after Vatican II. Our office of lay ministry offers a two-year School of Ministry for anyone interested in digging deeper into the richness of our faith.

St. Thomas University offers online spirituality classes and brings in biblical scholars year-round for workshops and talks. Barry University’s Center for Dominican Studies also brings in outstanding theologians to speak at its campus each year.

The Southeast Pastoral Institute offers courses year-round, both for people seeking degrees and for those seeking simply to learn more about their faith.

Every year, our office of worship and spiritual life brings in experts from Rome to speak about different aspects of the liturgy. This February, the topic will be the sacrament of reconciliation.

Members of Ascending Life, a movement for seniors, tap the resources of St. Thomas University and meet regularly for enlightenment. Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables offers its own free lecture series featuring experts from the community.

Young adults gather around DVDs at St. Gregory to study the catechism, and courses on the Bible are taught by our campus minister at Florida International University.

With all these options, there should be no reason for Catholics in south Florida to be uninformed about their faith. Why not give some thought to taking advantage of these classes or workshops?

The definition of theology is “faith seeking understanding.” The more deeply we know and understand our faith, the richer our spiritual insights and the stronger our beliefs.

For the New Year, determine to grow in your understanding of your faith. Make it your New Year resolution.

You’ve got to know your faith

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