The Faith that Frees Us by Jorge Mario Bergoglio

"WHATEVER IS BORN OF GOD conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith" (1 John 5: 3-5). Today more than ever, the questions we ask ourselves about our apostolic effectiveness are difficult ones, and they risk entangling us in the very questions we have about our own fidelity. This matter is so important that we cannot allow ourselves to indulge in any form of improvisation. The same holds true with regard to the different apostolic decisions that we have to make in our pastoral activity. When Paul VI spoke to us about the effort involved in announcing the Gospel to the modern world, he pointed out something extraordinary; in our time, he said, we are "buoyed up by hope but at the same time often oppressed by fear and distress" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1). Hopes and fears are woven together even in our apostolic lives, especially when we have to choose among the different aspects of our work. We cannot take the risk of deciding such matters without clear discernment of our fears and hopes, for what is asked of us "in this time of uncertainty and confusion" is nothing less than to "accomplish this task with ever increasing love, zeal, and joy" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1). This is not something that can be improvised. For us who are committed to the Church, this challenge goes far beyond anything the positive sciences envision; it appeals rather to an original vision, to the very originality of the Gospel. Mutually consoled by one another's faith (Rom 1: 11-12), we must unite with this vital force, and as apostles we must nourish our hearts with it precisely in order to recover the coherence of our mission, the cohesion of our apostolic body, and the consistency of our feelings and our actions.

For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you-or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. (Rom 1: 11-12)