The following is the message of the SOLT General Priest Servant from the Autumn 2013 edition of the SOLT Mission Magazine.
Dear Friends of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity,
During this year of faith, each one of us is invited in a special way to reflect on the gift of faith and to pray for its increase and manifestation in our lives. It can be tempting sometimes to think of faith as merely an intellectual activity by which we affirm our belief in a series of propositions related to God and the Church. In reality, the gift of faith and our profession of faith goes much deeper than that. While the faith is certainly related to an intellectual assent, it also pertains to an act of our will.
The relationship between faith and action is seen clearly in the etymology of the Latin word “credo” (I believe). Credo is a compound word that combines cor, meaning “heart,” and the verb do, meaning “I give.” Put simply, credo really means, “I give my heart” to the object of my belief. In the context of the Apostles Creed, professing our belief in God the Father Almighty, in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit should ultimately signify that we not only affirm the existence of God, but that we give our hearts completely to the Most Holy Trinity. Belief in God is not meant to be merely an affirmation of an intellectual proposition, it extends to an act of giving one’s heart to God! The gift of faith is no static reality in our lives. It is a dynamic force that constantly challenges us to give our hearts more completely to the Most Holy Trinity on a daily basis. When the faith is truly embraced, life becomes a pilgrim age in which the presence of God is deeply experienced and manifested in the daily events of our lives. This is certainly an accurate description of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary—a pilgrimage of faith by which she gave her heart to God and experienced His presence and love throughout her life in a radical way. We too are called to imitate our Mother Mary in giving our hearts to the Holy Trinity and allowing God’s presence to radiate in our lives. This is what it means to live by faith.
In this edition of the Mission magazine, you will encounter a few stories of people of faith, of people who have given their hearts to the Holy Trinity after the example of Mary, and have experienced His mercy and love in their lives and in the lives of others. As this year of faith draws toward its conclusion, let us pray for one another that the gift of faith deepen in our lives, and that each one of us may follow the example of our Mother Mary in giving our hearts completely to the Most Holy Trinity.
Fr Peter Marsalek,
SOLT General Priest Servant
