Gearing up for my first 'grown-up' Advent

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I am more than a little excited about Advent this year – and it's almost here. At Our Sunday Visitor, I have been surrounded for weeks by Advent stories, books and pamphlets sharing ways to celebrate and fully anticipate the coming of Christ. And, it’s my first Advent on my own and away from home.

Advent and I have history

I've celebrated Advent with my family for as long as I can remember. Taking turns lighting candles on the Advent wreath. Putting straw in Jesus' crib for good deeds. Listening to my mother read from the Little Blue Book. Baking enough cookies and bread to feed an army. Decorating with trinkets galore. Advent has always been special, and there are great family traditions that I’m looking forward to carrying on. But I am also eager to start my own.

So how can this Advent be different?

Advent can be such an amazing time of year, full of joy and eager anticipation – if we take the time to prepare to receive Christ into our hearts anew. My mother often told me that at some point my faith would have to become my own, something more than just my parents' faith. I'd like this Advent season to be one more step towards that inner conversion.

Where to begin? In last week's OSV Newsweekly, Lorene Hanley Duquin wrote about how to make Advent joyful, not stressful. She even shared 30 simple ways to make Advent stress-free (available as a poster). Lorene has some wonderful ideas. I thought I’d start there and see where it leads me.

Throughout Advent, I am going to share some of these and other ideas as I embark on my first "grown-up" Advent. I hope you'll join me on the journey.

Start your own Advent journey with resources from OSV.

Erlandson speaks about new cardinals on FOX News

None are from Europe. All are relatively young. One is a social media sensation. The six new cardinals recently elevated by Pope Benedict XVI are causing quite the buzz. And for good reason. Cardinals are key, influential leaders in the Catholic Church. Cardinals elect the pope, serve as the pope's closest advisers and care for the Church in the event of the pope's death. This is all in addition to normal duties of running dioceses or being leaders of the Roman Curia (central government of the Church).

On Saturday, FOX News interviewed OSV President and Publisher Greg Erlandson on the appointments:

He's emphasizing the importance of the Middle East, and he's putting someone in there who I really think is a peacemaker and is willing to dialogue with all the different parties. I think that's very important.

Watch the entire segment.

To learn more about cardinals, visit our "All About Cardinals" page on osv.com.

Shaw: Election results highlight need for ongoing catechesis

By Russell Shaw

The cardinal looked grim. "This is the situation now," he said. "One political party is dangerous and the other is stupid."

Since that was said in a private chat, it wouldn't be fair for me to name the speaker. But his comment expresses sentiments that probably are widely shared in the American hierarchy today, as indeed they're shared widely by many Americans. Bipartisan disgust with politics is a sorry byproduct of our recent, toxic election campaign. If the country should actually topple over the infamous fiscal cliff, plenty of people would suppose both parties gave it a shove.

Internal problems

The cardinal's words also have considerable relevance for the Church, underlining something that's now more clear than ever. While the Church is obliged to take both deeply flawed political coalitions as facts, it has no natural home in either.

No cause for smugness here, though. Before lecturing the parties, the Church needs to face up to internal problems of its own, which requires recognizing what those problems are. 

The National Catholic Reporter, viewing reality through the lenses of leftwing Catholicism, accuses bishops who spoke out strongly during the campaign of "alienating" all but a "small choir" of the faithful who agree with them on issues.

That may be so. But maybe it's just the Reporter and its friends who are alienated. Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson gets closer to the truth when he notes that, while 50 percent of Catholics overall voted for Barack Obama, the seven-point shift away from Obama among white Catholics from 2008 to 2012 was "one of the largest swings of any portion of the electorate." In a close election, he adds, it could have determined the outcome.

Missing the message

The point isn't that Catholic voting directly mirrors what bishops say. But at least the outspokenness of some bishops seems not to have had the widespread alienating effect the Catholic Reporter likes to think it had. Still, leaving aside the parsing of the Catholic vote, it's obvious that many American Catholics just aren't hearing – or anyway heeding – the Church's message on the relationship of doctrine to politics and the rest of life.

At their fall assembly in November, the bishops approved a document on preaching that makes the familiar point that a typical congregation today includes a lot of people who are "inadequately catechized." Here is a delicate way of saying even many who go to Mass don't have a clear notion of what the Church teaches and don't see how it applies to them. That has deeply negative implications for political behavior and nearly everything else.

If Catholic teaching matters, this needs to change. The bishops should give early attention to a massive, continuing and intellectually serious program – one not directly tied to politics and the election cycle – to educate Catholics in the doctrine of their Church, including social doctrine and doctrine on human life and marriage. Isolated statements in the face of election year passions aren't enough.

Homilies should be a part of this new effort but only part. Ongoing adult education is essential. And the Church must reach out through the use of new and old media to the dismayingly large number of Catholics who seldom attend Mass. 

During the Baltimore assembly, the bishops voted to create a new public affairs unit in their national conference. It would do well to make this effort a high priority. Then maybe all those newly well-informed Catholics would begin working for the reform of American politics and the renewal of the social order. 

I can dream, can't I?

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Let’s drop the attitude and show our gratitude

By Editorial Board

After a bitterly divisive election that pitted parent against child and brother against sister and led to the unfriending on Facebook of neighbors, colleagues and classmates, now we gather together around a table groaning with food to give thanks for our blessings. Even if we are still not talking to one another.

Because the election was waged with language that veered between end times jeremiads and garden variety class warfare, it may be a bit difficult to put an end to the vitriol when we bow our heads and pray at the Thanksgiving meal.

And yet we enjoy so many blessings – those very family and friends we are currently not talking to, our communities, our form of government, our economy (yes, even that, because so many millions of us do still work good jobs or have retirement benefits much of the world can only dream of).

Electoral year politics are geared to remind us that the glass is half empty, that we should be angry about what we don’t have or fearful that what we do have we may lose. Yet what is remarkable is how much we have to be thankful for this very day: first of all our faith, the greatest gift of all. Second, all the blessings of our society, from health to education to civil peace. Third, the gift of life itself – the simple fact that we expect our children to live to adulthood when for so many people and for so much of history this was a blessing not even guaranteed kings and queens.

Sharing our blessings complaints?

God has given us so much, and yet how often it is not our first instinct to share our blessings with others. We look suspiciously upon the poor, judging them to be greedy or unmotivated or a drain on society’s coffers. Or we look enviously on those who are richer than us, accusing them of being selfish and exploitative and claiming it is their responsibility to help the less fortunate.

Jesus has so many warnings for us if we only have ears to hear: the widow’s mite. Lazarus and the rich man. The Good Samaritan. The encounter with the young man who could not give up his possessions. The Prodigal Son. The Parable of the wealthy man who built storehouses for his grain but died that very night. In passage after passage, Jesus calls all of us to be generous, to trust in God, to have faith.

Mother Teresa, among many others, noted that it was the poor who most often trusted in God’s providence with an unwavering faith. The poverty of the west is much more devastating, she taught, because it is spiritual, not material. 

Pope Benedict, in his powerful encyclical Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”), wrote: "Love of God and love of neighbor have become one: In the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God" (No. 15).

Perhaps this is too much to ask this Thanksgiving, but let us try to embrace those nearest to us, and then reach out to those who stand in the shadows. Whether it is joining hands in prayer around that dinner table, or Skyping with distant family members, let us give genuine thanks for all those who share their lives with us. And let us be there for the stranger as well: Invite a lonely neighbor over for dinner or visit the sick this weekend. Share a kind word with a homeless person or take the time to comfort the dying. This Thanksgiving, let’s drop the attitude and show our gratitude.

Editorial Board: Greg Erlandson, publisher; Msgr. Owen F. Campion, associate publisher; Beth McNamara, editorial director; Sarah Hayes, presentation editor

Are we all in this together? Erlandson's take on meatless Fridays

After Cardinal Dolan's comment at the bishops' general assembly, the rumors are running wild. Are we "going back" to meatless Fridays? Abstaining from meat on Fridays is a long, beautiful – yet often misunderstood – tradition of the Church. Many Catholics, including OSV president and publisher Greg Erlandson, are excited about the prospect.

From Erlandson:

Want to feel old? Talk to anyone under the age of 50 about meatless Fridays. Odds are, they will have no memory of it. They will have no knowledge of why Catholics were called “mackerel snappers,” nor will they laugh at tired George Carlin routines about going to hell for eating a hot dog.  

And they sure as heck won’t know why many restaurant chains still have their fish specials on Fridays.  

But for all you youngsters, you might get ready: Friday abstinence may be coming back. 

...

I hope we do go back to those meatless Fridays. There is something to be said for Catholics knowing they are all in it together. This time, maybe we will not put the focus on the threats or the punishments, but use this as a teaching moment and a positive reinforcement of our Catholic identity.

Erlandson looks at why the Friday abstinence slipped away and the benefits of bringing new life to the practice.

Read the entire story.

OSV Editorial Board: It's time to stop the blame game

The results are in, and the election is over, but the debate remains. It is quite easy to get caught up in figuring out what went wrong.

What is everyone hearing?: "The bishops were too political." "It wasn't preached from the pulpit." "Romney was too vague." "Obama bought votes with gifts."

But pointing fingers isn't going to get us anywhere. It's time to get back to work. As OSV's Editorial Board wrote, it's "Time for taking stock" and moving on.

From OSV Editorial Board:

It hasn't taken long for the blame game to begin. Some angry Catholics are already blaming bishops and pastors for "not doing enough" in the lead up to the Nov. 6 election. Despite the fact that the bishops waged an unprecedented campaign to oppose infringements on religious freedom and initiatives promoting gay marriage and abortion, Catholic leaders are being told by some disappointed Catholic activists that the election’s outcome is their fault. 

On the other side of the aisle, bishops are being criticized for being "too political," with other Catholic commentators quick to declare that the bishops were too confrontational and partisan and now must face a rapidly changing landscape on the gay marriage issue as well as a rejuvenated Obama administration that could conclude it owes nothing to the bishops for the next four years.

Instead of arguing, everyone in the Church – leaders and laity alike – need to work together. The OSV Editorial Board looks at the following:

1. The need for the voice of the Church in the public square
2. Figuring out how to make the Church heard
3. Addressing the lack of civility in current discourse

Read the entire story.

They lead, they serve, they witness. Give us your suggestions for 2012 Catholics of the Year.

Our Sunday Visitor is introducing a new end-of-the-year feature in OSV Newsweekly that highlights Catholics who have been outstanding examples of leadership, service and witness in the past year. Famous or not, laity or clergy, man or woman – you can submit any Catholic from around the world.

Send your ideas to OSV Newsweekly via feedback@osv.com by Nov. 28, 2012. Please include the candidate's name and contact information (if applicable) along with a couple sentences describing how the candidate exemplifies Catholic leadership, service and witness.

Deadline: Nov. 28, 2012.

Share your Christmas memories in OSV Newsweekly!

Our Sunday Visitor is collecting entries for its 28th annual "Christmas Memories" feature for the Dec. 23, 2012, issue. Please send us your entries by Nov. 21, 2012. We will accept entries in three categories:

Christmas Past: A true and original story about a Christmas past that was especially meaningful to the writer. It must be a concisely written and unpublished personal recollection. Preference will be given to stories that reflect a dimension of renewed faith and strength of spirit.

Christmas in Uniform: Same guidelines as above, but the story must relate directly to active military service.

Christmas Poetry: Poems must be original and 48 lines or less.

All entries must be typed or neatly printed. All stories and poems are subject to editing. Maximum length is 300 words. One entry per person. Entries become the property of Our Sunday Visitor Inc. and cannot be returned. Judges’ decisions are final.

Entry deadline: Nov. 21, 2012.

For more information, visit osv.com.

Shaw: Profile of an inhuman economic system

By Russell Shaw

If someone is looking for material for a book with a title like “Profiles of an Inhuman Economic System,” consider what follows to be a contribution to the cause. It’s about a man I know whom I’ll call Joe. The story was told to me by his wife.

Joe is an honest, conscientious guy who, a couple of years out of school, went to work for a very large, nationally known company. He wasn't exactly crazy about his job, and after a while he became aware that the company was systematically extending preferment to women and minorities, while people like himself – ordinary white guys, that is – got short shrift. But by then he was vested in the retirement plan, so he kept on conscientiously doing his work.

Recently, after 28 years, he was let go with little notice and no severance. His performance was satisfactory – otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted nearly three decades. The problem evidently lay somewhere else – age and money, to be precise.

Joe is in his early 50s. The company is well aware that it can get somebody 25 years younger to do essentially the same work while costing it a great deal less in salary and health benefits. So, at an impossible age and in a dreadful job market, Joe was heartlessly canned.

Money, money and money

His wife says that with hindsight you could see it coming for a long time. She traced what happened to her husband back to the era some years ago when the company went public and acquired stockholders. That’s when radical change set in. From there on out, she told me, the company managers had three priorities: money, money and money. People didn't count for much any more.

Lately too (I’m still quoting the wife), Joe’s supervisor had begun setting standards of performance and productivity for him that others weren't required to meet. Once again, hindsight may shed light on that: The company apparently was protecting itself against the possibility of an age discrimination lawsuit. If it found itself in court with Joe, its lawyers could say, “What do you mean, age discrimination? The problem wasn't age; it was job performance. See for yourself – it’s all right there in the personnel file.”

And so, in his 50s and with unemployment nationally pushing 8 percent, Joe is stranded high and dry, out of work and looking for a job. He’s getting unemployment, and his wife says she has plenty for him to do around the house. But when all the chores are done and unemployment runs out – what then? Joe has a lot of years ahead to fill.

Fortunately, his wife has a job that pays well and will keep them afloat. But if what happened to her husband happens to her, these people will be in serious trouble faster than you can say, “Food stamps.”

The economy for people or people for the economy?

There’s a principle of social doctrine saying that the economy is for people, not people for the economy, but companies like this one have it the other way around. Blessed John Paul II in his encyclical Centesimus Annus speaks of situations where a firm is doing well financially but the human beings who are its “most valuable asset” are “humiliated and their dignity offended.” Rapacious and inhumane employers like Joe’s fit that description to a tee.

The advantages of our free market system are very real, but an incident like this one shows how people can and do get hurt. If those who benefit most from the market won’t regulate it and themselves, then –unfortunately – government must.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Editorial Board – OSV Newsweekly: Where now?

By Editorial Board – OSV Newsweekly

What conclusions are we to draw from the 2012 election? President Barack Obama survived a fierce challenge. After billions of dollars were spent, the status quo broadly prevailed: The president remains the president. The U.S. Senate remains Democratic. The U.S. House of Representatives remains Republican. The popular vote was, as predicted, narrowly but deeply divided, giving no great comfort to either party, and certainly not making consensus an easy road.

... So where do we go from here?

Read the entire story.

Shaw: Obama's re-election sets up two-pronged crisis for Church

By Russell Shaw

For the Catholic Church in the United States, the re-election of Barack Obama as president means serious trouble ahead – in fact, nothing less than an accelerating two-pronged crisis.

The first prong of the crisis is that Obama is expected to press policies favoring abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage even more aggressively and coercively in his second term than in his first.

The second prong is reflected in the fact that, according to CNN exit polls, 50 percent of the Catholics who voted backed Obama despite his well-publicized conflict with their Church, with 48 percent going for Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Further analysis of the poll data is expected to produce the usual, predictable finding that Catholics who attend Mass regularly are substantially more likely to stand with the Church than Catholics who don't.

Future of mandate

In any case, Obama's re-election leaves him at liberty to move ahead with enforcing the famous Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring Church-related institutions like colleges and universities, charities, and hospitals to provide abortifacient drugs, contraceptives and sterilizations via their employee health care plans.

The mandate, part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act – otherwise known as Obamacare – is scheduled to go into effect for Church institutions Aug. 1, 2013. Cumulatively huge fines will be imposed on those that fail to comply.

Obama in the past has said he would provide some form of "accommodation" to religious groups who object to the mandate on moral grounds. But he hasn't done that yet, and even if he does, the affected institutions still face the prospect of having the employer-employee relationship serve as a vehicle for things the Church judges immoral.

Only the possibility of action by one or more courts staying the administration's hand now seems capable of preventing this grim scenario for the Church from coming to pass. Some 30 lawsuits brought by dioceses and Catholic and non-Catholic institutions against the HHS mandate are currently pending in courts around the country.

Obama's second term also brings the likelihood that he'll have the opportunity of nominating one or more new justices for the Supreme Court in place of current members who leave. Obama almost certainly will select reliably liberal figures like the two of his first term – Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

If so, that could shift the balance of power on the now-divided court to the left for years to come. The impact of cases involving abortion and same-sex marriage – as well as the HHS mandate, when and if a case on that matter comes before the court – is potentially enormous.

Some observers also predict that the president in his second term will seek to expand the reach of Obamacare by regulation to include mandatory coverage for abortions and perhaps even procedures like in vitro fertilization.

Also possible is an attempt to revive efforts to enact legislation known as the Freedom of Choice Act. Long sought by the abortion lobby that supported Obama's re-election, FOCA would have the effect of making permissive abortion the law of the land, overriding restrictions on abortion put in place by individual states.

In the face of this and similar second term initiatives, the legislative firewall for the Church in Obama's second term remains the House of Representatives, where Republicans remain in the majority. Democrats retained and strengthened their control of the Senate.

Setbacks for bishops

From the Church's point of view, the apparent 50 percent-48 percent split in the Catholic vote between Obama and Romney actually marks an improvement over 2008, when 54 percent of the Catholics favored Obama over Sen. John McCain.

But the outcome is a bitter setback for Church leadership even so, considering that a number of bishops made pre-election statements saying or strongly implying that a Catholic could not vote in conscience for a pro-abortion candidate like Obama.

Along which much else, the result also is a blow to the bishops' religious liberty campaign, which was launched last year with the aim of focusing attention on threats to the First Amendment rights of religious institutions as well as the right of the Church to have a voice on matters of public policy.

The campaign presumably will continue, but the Church's ability to withstand a re-energized secularist assault on its institutions by a newly re-elected president and his administration and allies appears in doubt.

Among the lessons of 2012 is that election year statements by bishops that seem to favor one candidate over another probably don't do much good and may in fact do harm to the Church's interests by alienating people.

What's needed instead appears to be a long-term, well prepared, continuing program of education and public information, carried out under Church auspices and focusing on the content of Catholic moral teaching and its application to public life.

The bishops are expected to discuss these matters in executive session next week during their all general meeting in Baltimore. If they do, they will have plenty to talk about.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Pope Benedict, Cardinal Dolan congratulate Obama, stress hot-button issues

In the wake of the presidential election, Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York sent congratulatory messages to President Barack Obama for his re-election as President of the United States. Both Pope Benedict and Cardinal Dolan assured him of prayers and stressed key issues facing the Catholic Church, setting the tone for the next four years.

From News.va:

The pope said that he would pray that "the ideals of freedom and justice that guided the founders of the United States of America continue to illuminate the path of this nation" ...

... the pope wanted to emphasize the need for Obama to respect the fundamental human and spiritual values and promote "the culture of life and religious freedom"

Read the entire story.

From Cardinal Dolan:

In particular, we pray that you will exercise your office to pursue the common good, especially in care of the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, and the immigrant. We will continue to stand in defense of life, marriage, and our first, most cherished liberty, religious freedom. We pray, too, that you will help restore a sense of civility to the public order, so our public conversations may be imbued with respect and charity toward everyone.

Read the entire letter.

Carey: Nuncio to United States speaks out about religious freedom

By Ann Carey

(CNS photo)

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, has served the Church in Iran and Nigeria, both countries where contemporary Christians have been persecuted. Thus, it was no surprise that he was invited to deliver the Nov. 4 keynote for the University of Notre Dame conference "Seed of the Church: Telling the Story of Today's Christian Martyrs."

What was surprising, however, was that the apostolic nuncio focused most of his remarks on what he perceives as threats to religious freedom in the United States. He explained that part of his duty is to monitor efforts to harm the Church and God's people, and he said that martyrdom, persecution and religious freedom are all inter-related.

Political pressure a menace to religious liberty

In recent times, he said, religious persecution may not mean torture or death, but rather it can be an effort to harass and marginalize religious people and prevent them from participating in public life.

Archbishop Viganò noted "legitimate concerns about religious liberty posed by the uncertainties surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," commonly known as Obamacare. "However," he continued, "this is by no means the only source of concern: When Catholic charities and businesses owned by faithful Catholics are pressured to alter their cherished beliefs, the problem is experienced in other venues.

"In short, the menace to religious liberty is concrete on many fronts. Evidence is emerging which demonstrates that the threat to religious freedom is not solely a concern for nondemocratic or totalitarian regimes. Unfortunately, it is surfacing in greater regularity in what many consider the greatest democracy of the world. This is a tragedy for not only the believer but also for democratic society."

Religious liberty is a means to an end

Archbishop Viganò stressed that religious liberty is not an end in itself, but is important for the ultimate dignity of the human person. He went on to cite the "legitimate reservation" of the United States Catholic Bishops triggered by the 2012 Health and Human Services mandate that requires all employers to provide employee insurance that will cover sterilization, contraceptives and abortifacient drugs.

Such threats to the proper exercise of faith in public life are very real, he said, and "pose a grave threat to the vitality of Catholicism in the United States."

The role of the laity: implementing faith in the affairs of the world

Citing the 1988 apostolic exhortation of Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici (On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World), the papal nuncio said that the bishops are the teachers of the faith, but laity should exercise a "major role" in implementing the faith in the affairs of the world.

Thus, he applauded the efforts of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, to exhort Catholics to confront these challenges faced by the faith. However, Archbishop Viganò was critical of Catholics who align themselves with forces that oppose the Church on issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage.

The attack on the Church: divide and conquer

"There is a divisive strategy at work here," he said. "By intentionally dividing the Church through this strategy, the body of the Church is weakened, and thus the Church can be more easily persecuted.

OSV election coverage

OSV is sharing the latest election news, plus special coverage from Russell Shaw and others. Click here for the latest.   (UPDATE: Section now closed)                                                                    

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, wave as they take the stage in Denver Oct. 3 prior to the first presidential debate. CNS photo/Jason Reed, Reuters

Hurricane Sandy: how you can help

UPDATED: Hurricane Sandy left a wake of devastation. As the death toll continues to rise, the living are dealing with the results of floods, fire and more. In the U.S. alone, as many as 8.5 million people have been without power, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. In Haiti, around 200,000 homes were damaged, and more than one million people are suffering from food shortages. In eastern Cuba, 20,000 homes were destroyed and 200,000 were damaged. 90 percent of the churches there were damaged.

Ways to donate
Catholic Charities USA (working in the U.S.) and Catholic Relief Services (working in the Caribbean) are working hard to help provide immediate relief as well as long-term help in rebuilding. You can help by donating to either Catholic Charities or Catholic Relief Services.

And, of course, please pray for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Alive and well? 10 questions about your faith life

We all struggle with spiritual dryness at some point in our lives. Maybe your faith is feeling a little sluggish. The Year of Faith is an ideal time to strengthen and rejuvenate it. Take a look at your faith life by asking these questions, and check out some helpful tips.

1. Do you know what faith is? Faith is not simply a statement of beliefs. Faith is action. Faith means responding to and cooperating with God's intimate gift of grace.
   
   Tip: Take just a few minutes each day to respond to grace by talking to God in prayer.
   
   
2. Do you know your Catholic faith? Knowing truly is half the battle. If we don't know our faith, we cannot actively live it out. So, let's take time to learn about the beauty of our faith.
   
   Tip: Join thousands of other Catholics as they read the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a year. You'll receive a few paragraphs in your inbox each day.
   
   
3. Are you feeding your faith? Just as your body needs food, your soul needs spiritual nourishment. In addition to learning the facts about your faith, your soul needs to be fed by praying, reading Sacred Scripture, attending Mass and receiving the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
   
   Tip: Attend a daily Mass during the week in addition to your regular Sunday obligation.
   
   
4. Are you building a relationship with God? Faith is meant to bring us to God. The grace that he extends is a loving, intimate gift of himself, and he asks the same of us in return. A personal relationship with God, like any relationship, takes time and effort – and it is well worth it.
   
   Tip: Spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic adoration.
   
   
5. Are you a public witness? Now, that doesn't necessarily mean standing on a platform and preaching. Rather, a living faith permeates everything we do. The way that we live, work and love every day is a witness of our faith to the world. The choices we make, where we spend our time and what we value reflect our commitment to our faith.
   
   Tip: Try giving up complaining for a day, or simply smile and greet people you see.
   
   
6. Do you embrace suffering? An important part of faith is trusting and surrendering to the will of God, believing in his plan for your life – and not your plan. Suffering is a human experience that Jesus knows very well, and we can grow in our faith with Christ in an exceptional way through our own trials.
   
   Tip: Pray the Stations of the Cross or read about the lives of the saints.
   
   
7. Is your faith demonstrated through works? Our faith is not meant to be kept to ourselves. Motivated by Christ's love, we must share his love with those around us. As St. James said, "What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but no works? ... faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (Jas 2:14, 17).
   
   Tip: Go out and meet your neighbors, introduce yourself to someone at Mass that you have never met, help serve meals at a soup kitchen or visit the elderly at a nursing home.
   
   
8. Are you obedient to the Church? The Catholic Church guards the faith. It was handed down by the apostles and is protected by the Holy Spirit. Under this care, the Church cannot error in any official teachings on faith and morals. We are obligated to believe and profess everything that the Catholic Church teaches.
   
   Tip: If you question any of the Church's teachings, study them. Read the Catechism and other Church documents, and pray for God's wisdom.
   
   
9. Are you sharing your faith through evangelization? Our faith is not meant to be kept to ourselves. Not only are we called to be a witness in the way we live; we are called to proclaim our faith in Christ.
   
   Tip: Ask someone to come to Mass with you.
   
   
10. Are you passing your faith on to your children? If you are a parent, you are the first educator of your children. You have a responsibility to educate your children in the faith by example, through catechesis and in practice. This means actively living your faith, praying together and instructing them in the faith.
    
    Tip: Say grace before meals, and pray a daily family rosary. For catechesis, explore these Teaching Catholic Kids resources and the YOUCAT.

There are always ways to deepen our faith. These are my questions. How do you keep your faith alive?

Jennifer Rey is the web editor of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing.