In an age when most people see Christianity as a religion filled with complex rules and doctrines that are not easily reconciled with modern, secular society, Saint John Henry Newman offers us this reflection:
“May God the Father give us a heart and understanding to realize, as well as to confess, that doctrine into which we were baptized. His only-begotten Son, our Lord, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered, was buried, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, whence he will come again, at the end of the world, to judge the living and the dead.”
What Newman summarizes for us is the Christian kergyma- the message of salvation that is offered to us in the person of Jesus Christ. This is the heart of Christian faith which is not complicated at all. Rather, it offers a simple choice to every human heart, even in our modern, secular and complicated world.
In the Gospels, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The answer to that question will bring us to the heart of our Christian faith.
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos.
