Posted March 20, 2013 Book: Faith That Transforms Us: Reflections on the Creed Author: Cardinal Donald Wuerl The Word Among Us Press. Frederick, MD. 2013. Pp. 149 An Excerpt from the Introduction: In this book, we use words to examine words --- the articles of the Church's creed. By means of these words, we, like our ancestors in the Christian faith, draw closer to the divine Word, to Jesus Christ. We draw closer to heaven because in Christ, heaven has come to earth. That is the faith that Christians have proclaimed since Jesus ascended to heaven. We call it the gospel, which means, "good news." The mysteries of our faith are indeed mysterious, but they are a positive, uplifting, and joyful message. In the chapters that follow, we will explore the basic truths of the Catholic faith, as expressed in the Nicene Creed, to discover the abundant life they represent. An Excerpt from the Book: The Work of the Laity By far, most of the members of the Church are the laity. They are laywomen and laymen baptized into Christ and confirmed in the gifts of the Spirit. The Second Vatican Council defined the work of the laity as taking up "the renewal of the temporal order as their own specific obligation." The temporal order is our world, our culture, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our families, our friends. The fact that we are baptized should make a difference, not only in our personal lives, but in our world. When something happens in the community or when laws are enacted challenging some of our most cherished convictions, bishops and priests will often hear the question, "Why doesn't the Church do something about this?" While it is true that the clergy are called to proclaim the gospel, it is equally true that laywomen and laymen are challenged to apply the gospel to the circumstances of our time. The immense task of addressing the serious social and moral problems of our society cannot be left to the Church's hierarchy. Everyone has to be involved and take an active role. We sometimes hear politicians say that while they may hear from bishops and priests on specific issues, they do not hear much from the Catholic laity. The principle of lay involvement holds for other areas as well. The voice of Catholic physicians needs to be heard in the area of medicine. Catholic lawyers need to speak out on the ethics involved in the law. Catholic parents need to be involved in education issues. The list goes on. This is what the Second Vatican Council meant when it said that laypeople are responsible for "the renewal of the temporal order." Table of Contents: 1. God our Father and His creation 2. Jesus Christ, Second Person of the Trinity 3. Jesus Christ: doctrine and identity 4. The Incarnation 5. Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection 6. Jesus' ascension and second coming 7. The Holy Spirit 8. The Church 9. One baptism, one body in Christ 10. Eternal life 11. The beginning