Lumen Fidei

“Lumen Fidei” (“The Light of Faith”) the first encyclical of Pope Francis, comes towards the end of the Year of Faith and issues an urgent call to all the faithful 'to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim'.

Lumen Fidei identifies four ways the faith of believers can be augmented and reinforced.

• The first is in our capacity to see by the light of faith. “There is an urgent need,” the encyclical says, “to see once again that faith is a light” intended to illumine “every aspect of human existence.” Faith ultimately means to see things “as Jesus sees them, with his own eyes,” an eye transplant every believer needs.
• The second intensification is in our hearing. Faith comes through hearing, St. Paul writes (Romans 10:17), and each of us needs to tune anew into the Good Shepherd’s voice speaking to us, calling us to follow him and summoning us to become those who “hear the word of God and do it,” with loving, trusting obedience (Luke 8:21).
• The third growth is through the sense of touch. The encyclical challenges us to open ourselves to the interior caress of Christ’s love and to respond like the hemorrhaged woman in the Gospel (Luke 8:45): by reaching out in faith to touch him in return. This heart-to-heart contact happens, above all, through the sacraments.
• The last maturation is in our memory. Faith, Lumen Fidei declares, is a living memory of the history of salvation preserved in the heart of the Church. Like Mary’s heart, our heart is called to ponder the meaning of these wondrous deeds, treasure them and unite God’s past miracles and future promises in a present full of confident hope.

Lumen Fidei seeks to strengthen our faith in each of the four ways so that we can more fully share in St. John’s authentically sacramental outlook, “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1) and can transmit that glorious living memory to others.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Lumen Fidei summons all those in the Church to take the bushel basket off the light of faith and set it on a lampstand for the whole world to see.

Luke 8:16-18

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”