Vatican
City, 23 January 2013
(VIS) - "I believe in one God", the first article of the
profession of faith that accompanies our lives as believers, was the
theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during this morning's general
audience. This sentence is "a fundamental affirmation,
seemingly simple in essence, but which opens us to the infinite world
of a relationship with the Lord and with His mystery. Believing in
God means adherence, … acceptance, … and obedience … Faith is a
personal act and a free response... Being able to say that you
believe in God is thus both a gift and … a human responsibility in
an experience of dialogue with God who, out of love 'speaks to men
and women as friends'."
Where
can we hear the voice of God who speaks to us? "Fundamentally,"
the Pope said, in "Sacred Scripture, … which speaks to us of
faith … narrating a story in which God carries out His plan of
redemption and draws near to humanity through … persons who believe
in Him and who entrust themselves to Him." One of these persons
is Abraham, "the first great role model in speaking about faith
in God." Abraham, who was able to leave his homeland, trusting
in God alone and His promise, is considered the "father of all
believers". His was a leap in darkness, "but the darkness
of the unknown is illuminated by the light of a promise. … In the
divine plan he was destined to become 'father of a multitude of
nations' and to enter a new land to live in."
"Faith,"
the pontiff continued, "leads Abraham along a paradoxical path.
He will be blessed, but without the visible signs of blessing. He
receives the promise of becoming a great nation, but has a life
marked by the sterility of his wife, Sarah. He is led to a new land,
but will have to live there as a foreigner." … Nevertheless,
"Abraham is blessed because, with faith, he is able to discern
the divine blessing, going beyond appearance, trusting in God's
presence even when His paths seem mysterious."
That
is why, "when we affirm that 'I believe in God', we are saying,
as does Abraham, 'I trust in You. I entrust myself to You, Lord'. …
Saying 'I believe in God' means basing my life on Him, letting His
Word guide me every day in my concrete choices, without fear of
losing something of myself. … Abraham, the believer, teaches us
faith and, like a foreigner on earth, points out our true homeland.
Faith makes us pilgrims on earth, situated in the world and in
history, but on the path toward our heavenly homeland. Believing in
God thus makes us heralds of
values that often do not coincide with fashion or the opinion of the
moment. … In many societies, God has become the 'great absentee'
and many idols have taken His place, above all the desire for
possessions and the autonomous 'I'. Also, the significant and
positive progress in science and technology has given humanity the
illusion of omnipotence and self-sufficiency and a growing
selfishness has created many imbalances in personal relationships and
in social behaviour."
"And
yet," the Holy Father emphasized, "the thirst for God is
not quenched and the Gospel message continues to resonate through the
words and deeds of many men and women of faith. Abraham, the father
of all believers, continues to be the father of the many children who
are willing to walk in his footsteps and who make their way in
obedience to the divine call, trusting in the Lord's benevolent
presence and accepting His blessing in order to become a blessing for
all. It is the blessed world of faith to which we are all called, to
walk without fear following the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Affirming
that 'I believe in God', then, compels us to leave, to continuously
go out of ourselves just as Abraham did, in order to bring the
certainty that comes to us from faith into our daily realities. It is
the certainty of God's presence in history, even today; a presence
that brings life and salvation."
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