The Word is Life

BE MISSIONARIES OF THE CHRIST-CHILD

AND HIS MESSAGE 

Dear friends and supporters of the CBAC,
Just a few days ago, the Vatican issued an important new statement, stressing the importance for Christians everywhere to evangelize--to witness to our faith in our daily lives, and in our interactions with others. Too often, the document said, respect for the religious faith of others means that we no longer feel an impulse to share our belief as Christians, to offer to others the joy and richness we have found in Jesus Christ, and the salvation He offers us.

The document makes it clear, however, that the Church completely excludes any kind of pressure tactics or coercion, anything that would make people feel uncomfortably "pushed" in the direction of Christian faith. We must be absolutely respectful of the liberty and the conscience of other people, and our presentation of our faith must leave them free to accept--or to reject--the message we are sharing with them. Faith can never be compelled, and authentic belief is not something we can force on people, even for the best of motives. We must always respect the gentle magnetism of the Holy Spirit, who invites people to embrace Christianity in ways that go far beyond human logic, argumentation or pressure. We must never forget that faith is, first and foremost, a gift.

As we approach Christmas, we will have many opportunities to witness to our faith, to our extended family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends. People will see what Christmas truly means to us by the way we celebrate: by our joyful participation in the beauty of Christmas Mass (why not invite a neighbor?), by our focus on the religious (rather than the commercial) nature of these holy days, by our very deliberate outreach to the poor, the needy, the lonely and forgotten, and even by the simple manger scenes prominently displayed in our homes. Without saying a word, these actions--lived with genuineness, love and joy--speak eloquently of who Jesus is to us, and what Christmas is all about. As the new document highlights, the daily actions that make up our Christian lives have a powerful witness value in proclaiming Jesus to others, even when no explicitly "religious" words are spoken.

"We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us".

These beautiful words begin the First Letter of John (1:1-3), and they remind us that, as Christian believers, we have been immeasurably blessed by our encounter with the Jesus whose birth we are celebrating. It is not merely a great prophet or teacher that we proclaim by word and action, but "the Word of Life," the one who reveals eternal life and unites us to the Father's love in a new and permanent way. May we use each day of this Christmas season to be missionaries of the Christ-child and His message, to be bearers of the "peace on earth, goodwill to those favored by God" which the angels sang long ago to shepherds in the cold night skies of Bethlehem.

Wishing you, your families and loved ones a blessed and joyful celebration of the Savior’s coming, and asking your prayers for the CBAC's apostolate,
Father Murray
Editor, The Word is Life

Christmas Message 2007

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2007 - No. 109

Fr. Murray Watson, editor

It is now more than forty years since the world’s Catholic bishops gathered in Rome for the ecumenical council that has become known simply as “Vatican II” (1962-65). In so many ways, the Second Vatican Council resulted in a reinvigoration and transformation of Catholic life that has continued to direct and challenge us ever since. Especially in the area of Sacred Scripture, Vatican II—and its dogmatic constitution on divine revelation, Dei Verbum—marked a watershed moment in our Catholic approach to the Bible, and has inspired two generations to take up the Scriptures with renewed interest and openness.

So it is highly significant that next year, a cross-section of the world’s bishops (including 4 of our own Canadian bishops!) will gather in Rome once more, to discuss “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church”. This 2008 gathering of the bishops’ synod follows upon an earlier synod (2005) which examined the central place of the Eucharist in the Church’s life. It will be a time to assess and celebrate the great progress of the last four decades, and to discuss a roadmap for promoting greater love and knowledge of the Scriptures in the future. Such an event is an extraordinary moment in Catholic life, and in this issue of The Word is Life, we provide an introduction to the upcoming synod, as well as the first part of the preparatory text (in Latin, lineamenta) which is being sent to the bishops for their consideration. It is a rich and wide-ranging document, which we will reprint in sections in our upcoming editions. We hope you will find it stimulating and enlightening reading...       Read more

2006 Read our Special online Advent-Christmas edition

2006 Christmas Message from Fr. Murray Watson, editor

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