What we believe, our faith expresses who we are. It is, in so many ways, written on our hearts. This is what we hear from the prophet Jeremiah (Jer.31:31-34): I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. God loves us, all of us, all the time. God believes in us, trusts us. Can we believe in one another? What follows is an expression of belief, a creed from our Catholic sisters and brothers in far off Indonesia:
A Creed from Indonesia (abridged)
- We believe in God, Creator of us all,
who has given the earth to all people.
- We believe in Jesus Christ,
who came to encourage us and to heal us,
to deliver us from oppression,
to proclaim the peace of God to all humanity.
Christ has given himself to our world,
it is amongst all people that the Lord lives – the living God.
- We believe in the Spirit of God,
who works in every woman, man and child of good will.
- We believe in the Church,
given as a beacon for all nations,
moved by the Spirit to serve all people.
- We believe that God shares with us the power and responsibility
for the destruction of sin in all of us and that
all people will share in God’s everlasting life.
- We dare to believe, always and everywhere, in a new humanity,
in God’s own dream of a new heaven and a new earth
where justice and peace will flourish. Amen.
In his recent encyclical, “Fratelli tutti” (“Sisters and Brothers All”) Pope Francis proclaimed the oneness of all humanity and the solidarity which binds together. He described it this way: “Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community. It means that the lives of all are prior to the appropriation of good by a few.” It is expressed in service… “[Which] always looks to their faces, touches their flesh, senses their closeness and even in some cases, ‘suffers’” (115)
On this day and all days, may we stand in solidarity with all of our sisters and brother around the world. No matter their creed, colour, culture or circumstances, we hold them in our hearts.
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