Newspaper Page Text
,
it I » *
Page 4 • Faith Today
ON PILGRIMAGE
“The more deeply
>\ one penetrates the
"'divine mystery, the
more one discovers the
true greatness and dignity
of human beings.’’ (Pope
John Paul II in the United
States, 1987)
When people tell you what
they believe, you catch a
glimpse of who they are or at
least who they intend to be. For
what people say they believe of
fers a clue to the direction their
lives will go.
Parents who say they believe
that education is the key to a
child’s future can be expected not
only to give close attention to
matters of schooling, but to invest
time and money in the child’s
educational pursuits. In some
cases, parents become virtually
consumed by this concern for
their child’s education. Not only
their thoughts and words, but
their activities reveal that they tru
ly believe in education.
Some people believe that money
paves the road to happiness...that
success is defined by “getting to
the top’’...that exercise is the best
antidote for stress...or that life can
be lengthened with the proper
diet. Again, the proof is in the
pudding. These are the sorts of
beliefs that lead people to definite
actions — to hard work or even
workaholism, to hardy exercise
almost daily or to shopping
carefully for and preparing just
the right foods.
True belief, you see, is more
than words. It reaches deep inside
people and influences their ac
tions. What people believe can be
seen in the commitments they
make.
Among Christians, it is not
unusual to speak of “having”
belief or “having” faith. The risk
some theologians see in speaking
this way is that belief begins to
sound like a possession, “some
thing” one obtains. What is need
ed, they suggest, is to see how
belief is related to who one “is”
and what one does.
Presupposed here is that what is
believed — who you believe in —
has the capacity to change you.
Presupposed, for example, is that
the story of Jesus recalled in the
church’s creed — that he suffered,
died and was buried, that he rose
again from the dead — is the
story of someone who makes life
different.
This is what the creed is about
ultimately. It is about the sort of
belief that reaches deep inside
people, uncovering their “true
greatness and dignity,” as Pope
John Paul II suggests. Christians
always have felt that this belief,
given voice in words, is meant to
be heard — and to be seen.
CHILDREN'S PLACE -
What Athanasius said about God and Jesus
m
By Janaan Manternach
NC News Service
e believe. ..” That’s
how the creed that
Catholics recite
together every week
during Mass begins.
This creed is very 7 old. It is called
the Nicene Creed because most of
it was agreed upon in Nicaea, an
ancient city in what is now
Turkey. That was back in the year
325.
It was a time of great confusion
and division in the church. Arius, a
very influential priest, was teaching
that Jesus Christ basically was just a
great and good man. Many people,
including bishops, agreed with
Arius.
Others disagreed strongly. They
insisted that Jesus was fully divine
too. They said Jesus was both God
and man. Christians argued about
this not just in schools but on the
street corners.
Things got so bad, with bishops
arguing with one another and with
their priests and people, that the
emperor stepped in. He called the
more important bishops of the
world together at Nicaea to find a
way to end the confusion and
restore unity.
A young man, a deacon named
Athanasius, was there as his
bishop’s secretary. Athanasius was
born into a Christian family around
295- His parents saw that he
received the best possible educa
tion. As a young man he thought
about becoming a hermit and living
in the desert. But he decided to
become a priest.
At the Council of Nicaea he
helped his bishop defend the
church’s faith against Arius.
Athanasius may have taken part in
writing the creed we still pray each
Sunday.
Three years after the Council of
Nicaea, Athanasius became bishop
of Alexandria, Egypt. He taught his
people the central beliefs agreed to
in the Nicene Creed. But powerful
followers of Arius were determined
to silence him.
His enemies succeeded in having
him deposed and sent into exile.
Two years later he was allowed to
return but his enemies soon forced
him to leave again. For many,
many years Bishop Athanasius was
to struggle with those who oppos
ed him.
Once soldiers broke into his
church during a service to capture
him. He spent years in hiding,
moving from place to place to
avoid arrest.
During those difficult times
Athanasius wrote important books
about Catholic beliefs and against
Arius’ teachings. He guided many
people to become monks and nuns.
Finally in 362 he was allowed to
return to the city of Alexandria as
bishop. Most of the next 10 years
were peaceful for Athanasius. He
died in 373 and is considered a
great teacher and defender of the
faith. His feast is May 2.
(Ms. Manternach is the author of
catechetical works, scripture stories
and original stories for children.)
Who is Jesus?
What is your favorite story about Jesus? Below, tell why
you like that story. What kind of person does it show Jesus
to be? Does it say anything about what Jesus wants of us?
What do you think?
□ At the time of St. Athanasius, people were having a great debate
about who Jesus really is. Why do Christians care so much about
Jesus and want to understand him?
From the bookshelf
Actions often express what we believe. In The Four Good
Friends by Jock Curie, Maria is a woodcutter’s wife. She is
generous and caring. Simon is selfish and rude. One day a knight
knocks on their door. He is treated warmly by Maria but rudely
by Simon so he rides away hungry. Through the knight’s influence,
Simon is locked up in a castle to learn how to behave more
generously and Maria chooses to join him. Later, four animals that
Maria cared for cleverly free them. This is a simple tale of how
two people in the same household can believe differently about
something and how their beliefs affect themselves and others.
(Henry Holt and Co., 521 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10175.1987.
Hardback, $12.95.)