When I got home, I saw that our copy of Is it Possible to Live this Way? Hope, had arrived in the mail. I opened it up to see some comforting words from Fr. Giussani:
"There's an understand of faith that belongs only to theologians, to those who study, and that doesn't matter; no, it does matter! It matters, but it doesn't matter: what matters is what anyone can understand; and in explaining faith [vol 1], we have re-evoked what anyone can understand" (3).
I have loved literature, history, biography, and I'm beginning to appreciate politics, but theology is a cultural form that I have also loved for much of my life. Theology has been described as faith seeking understanding. Fr. Giussani and my friends in Communion and Liberation have helped me deepen my faith. And from this perspective, I see the proper place for theology: not a substitute for faith, but faith expressing itself in the realm of dialogue - an intellectual life rooted in faith and in contact with human experience as expressed in literature and history. It may not be the most critical cultural work, but it is a cultural work that is suitable for me. And we must all do what we are given to do.
6 comments:
I have really appreciated your focus on this subject which so suits you in your blogging recently. It's a richness for us.
Thank you.
The decisive shift for me (which goes beyond theology of course) was reading the words of Fr. Carrón's letter: "Today, we are called to become more aware of the aim for which the Spirit gave a charism to Fr. Giussani: to contribute along with all the baptized to the building up and renewal of the Church for the good of the world."
I enjoyed the meeting too Fred, and look forward to seeing you again in April.
Darrick
Thanks, Darrick! What surprised me was that Karen enjoyed it as well as I did...
Which articles did you guys talk about? Did you read Fr. Antonio's article on Mary?
Yes, I forgot to put that in the post: it was Fr. Lopez's "Mary, Certainty of Our Hope"
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