We have seen that faith is the essential ingredient in our lives as Christians. Without faith we cannot please God (see Hebrew 11:6). That is why we must always turn to Jesus Christ, the author of our faith and the person who will bring our faith to its completion and fulfilment (see Hebrews 12:2). We have to turn to Jesus Christ due to the many challenges to our faith in the present age which can still be described as “wicked age” (see Ephesians 5:16).
If we are to be careful about the sort of lives we lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people, we need to strengthen our faith. The challenges include gross and rank immorality which sees life with the spirit of self-indulgence. No wonder the evil and corruption that are reigning in our society. We need to have increase of faith so as not to do like Esau who sold his birthright for a plate of food (see Hebrews 12:16-17). We must turn to Christ in the face of widespread neo-paganism, the tendency of baptised person who claimed to have rejected Satan and all his works and pomp going back to idol worshipping and superstitious activities, sometimes in the name of culture.
Indeed, we must turn to Jesus Christ to lead us through the myriad of prophets, teachers, pastors, men and women of God who parade themselves, often with mighty signs and wonders to deceive even the elect (see Matthew 24:24). Finally, we must turn to Jesus Christ to save us from “spiritual worldliness” which leads to religiosity bereft of God (see Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, no. 93-95).
Cooperate with Christ for increase of Faith
While we turn to Jesus Christ for the gift of faith, we must be ready to do our own part to hold on to our faith and to increase our faith. Our responsibility is to increase our faith by learning about our faith. We have to learn about our faith by opening our eyes and mind to the word of God, the word of God in Sacred Scriptures and in the Sacred Tradition.
We are called to study the Bible, which is one of the major sources of our knowledge of our faith. St. Paul urges us to “keep to what you have been taught and how to be true; remember who your teachers were; and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15). The holy scriptures are the source of the wisdom from God before which the wisdom of the world becomes folly. Indeed, the teachers, the apostles lead us to the complete truth.
Emphasis on Bible Study for increase of Faith
The reading and study of the Bible is paramount and fundamental to our faith. We are invited to study the Scripture because all “scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright. This is how someone who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must do all possible to study the scriptures in order to be filled with divine wisdom and not with the wisdom of the world.
Priests should undertake Bible study so as to be better equipped to teach the people the Bible. Bible study classes should complement the reading of the Bible and the homily which is based on the Bible. Fellow Catholics, we love the Bible; we read the Bible. Let us study the Bible so as to be enriched with the word of God.
Sacred Tradition is also the Word of God – Verbum Domini
While emphasising the centrality and importance of the Holy Scriptures in the lives of Christians, we must be aware that the Bible is not the only source of the word of God. We must also turn to the teaching of the apostles (see Acts 2:42). We must remain faithful to the teaching of the apostles whether written or by word of mouth. St. Paul rightly admonished the Christians in Thessalonica: “Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
The Sacred Tradition is the teaching from the apostles and we are bound to accept that as God's word. Jesus Christ had mandated the apostles to go and teach all nations. He did not hand the Bible over to them to hand on to all nations. He taught them and they in turn carried on the message of eternal life. This message is available in the Holy Scriptures and in the teaching that comes down to us from the apostles whether written or not.
Listen to the Magisterium and grow in Faith
The Church empowered by Christ continues to teach the message of Christ with the power given to her by Christ. The power of the Church to teach is called the magisterium, which can be solemn or extraordinary as well as ordinary. We must accept with faith and respect the teaching of the Church using the power given to her by Jesus Christ who gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of Heaven with these words, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
We have to listen to the Church for the abiding word of God. The Church teaches in writing and in preaching. We must listen to the preaching of the Church. We must accept the catechetical instructions of the Church in order to grow in the faith. How can we grow in faith if we do not listen to the preachers and teachers of the Church (see Romans 10:14-15). The teaching of the Church through homilies, catechetical instructions and in our area, Sunday Evening Instructions is necessary to grow in faith.
With Catechesis, we grow in Faith
Let us be more committed to these means of increasing our knowledge of God and of his will for us. Priests, catechists and other teachers of faith are enjoined to “proclaim the message and welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, give encouragement – do all with patience and with care to instruct” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). You are to devote your time, talents and treasure to proclaim the message of eternal life and to instruct people in the way of truth and life.
Catechetical instruction for the young and old, for those preparing to receive sacraments and those who have received the major sacraments must engage priests, catechists and others. Similarly, moral religious instructions in primary and secondary schools must occupy the attention and time of priests, teachers and catechists. Catholics are urged to take their catechetical formation more seriously in order to increase their faith.
Take heed that False Teachers and Prophets do not lead you astray
We must be careful. There are many false teachers and prophets. Many of them teach what they do not understand (see 1 Timothy 1:7). Many teach what they should not teach for the sole purpose of sordid gain (see Titus 1:11). Some are only interested in making personal gains (see 1 Timothy 6:4). The number of teachers is increasing daily. Their powerful sound systems, television advertisements and other technological means of spreading information are invading the atmosphere and capturing the attention of people.
But the Lord continues to warn the faithful to be careful. We must resist their misleading teachings and attractive ways of leading people astray, either with interesting words or with attractive powerful signs and wonders. St. Paul tells us that “the time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then they will shut their ears to the truth and turn to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
My sisters and brothers, the time has come and we are suffused with the false teachings by self-centred and avaricious people who claim to be men or women of God (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5). The advice of St. Paul is apposite and timely: “You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were...” (2 Timothy 3:14). Do not allow yourselves to be led astray by anybody! St. Paul tells us: “Make sure that no one captivates you with the empty lure of a 'philosophy' of the kind that human beings hand on, based on the principles of this world and not on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
And I would add, do not be led astray by those who shout 'Lord, Lord' and claim to speak in and perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ but are false prophets and false Christ even with their extraordinary signs and wonders (see Matthew 7:15, 21-23; 24:24-25)! Remain faithful to the Catholic faith in all its richness!
Spread the Good News to increase your Faith
My dear brothers and sisters, I urge you to receive the word of God and transmit to others in order to increase your faith and the faith of others. Be like Andrew, one of the early disciples of Christ. After encountering Jesus Christ went to his brother Simon Peter and said to him: “We have found the Messiah – which means the Christ and he took his brother Simon to Jesus Christ.
In doing that he transmitted the faith to his brother whom Jesus Christ named Cephas, which means Rock (see John 1:40-42). Andrew's faith was strengthened by his bringing his brother to Jesus! Similarly, we are called to act like the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus Christ, the Word of God and went off to invite her fellow Samaritans to come and see the person who told her the truth about herself (see John 4:1-42). Let us all be Spirit-filled evangelizers, spreading the word of God which we receive in every place and time.
Indeed, we can imitate St. Paul in proclaiming Christ, in admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom, to make everyone perfect in Christ (see Colossians 1:28).
Utilizing the Social Media for Evangelization
Communication has greatly improved. Modern means of communication offer us the opportunity and means to spread not only news but also good news to our friends and contacts. Electronic media opens the whole world to our communication. Indeed, we can reach every part of the world and every segment of humanity connected to those media, especially the social media. The various forms of social media provide believers of the opportunities to give and receive the good news of salvation. His Holiness, Pope Francis is leading the way.
He can be reached in Twitter and other social media. Write about Christ and circulate to your friends and contacts and the word of life will spread more and more to the ends of the earth. Do not be afraid or ashamed to present the correct and authentic Christian moral principles and norms to a world that is being dominated by false and distorted morality and ways of life. Be the salt of the earth and the life of the world as you spread the light of faith and good moral life.
Living the Faith to increase our Faith
Finally, we can increase our faith by living the faith. St. Paul gives us the advice: “So then, as you received Jesus as Lord and Christ, now live your lives in him, be rooted in him and built up on him, held firm by the faith you have been taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Practise your faith! Practice makes perfect. Faith without works is dead (see James 2:17, 26).
We must put our faith into practice so that our faith will become firmer and more stable. I have tried in my Pastoral Letters to teach and instruct on how to live the faith. In my 14 years as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, I have tried to bring down the faith into every situation and circumstance in our diocese. In our Diocesan Newspaper, I write in every publication “LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD” on page 6 of the THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK. Please read and study the pieces of information, instruction and applications of faith to your daily life and circumstances.
My annual pastoral letters carry the faith into every area of life – social, political, economic, family, culture and so on. Study the pastoral letters to see how to live your faith!
Synods of Faith
The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has celebrated two diocesan synods as Synods of Faith. In our two diocesan synods we have also tried to put our faith into practice. In the First Diocesan Synod from 3rd to 10th April 2005, we reflected on “Living the Faith in the Family of God in the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi 'so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith' (Ephesians 3:17). We reflected on how we were to live our faith in evangelisation, in proclamation, inculturation, Justice, Peace, and Social Communication.
After reflecting on the propositiones (proposals) from the synod delegates, I issued the Post Synodal Exhortation Message of Eternal Life in which I gave practical ways of living the faith. In our Second Diocesan Synod from 7th to 14th November 2015, the diocese reflected on “Living the Faith in Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi 'You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world' '(Matthew 5:13, 14). The synod delegates in their Nuntius (Message) after the synod called on all Christians and men and women of goodwill to embrace justice and reconciliation as the solid and authentic road to peace.
I am still to reflect on the propositiones (proposals) of the synod delegates. I am certain that we cannot live the faith without giving up injustice, bitterness, conflicts and disagreement and working seriously for peace through truth, justice and reconciliation.
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