The Holy Spirit is manifested in many ways and when we least expect. A few weeks ago, I was speaking about the Year of Faith to a group of young adults from Delray Beach. I told them how this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. At the end of the presentation, a youth came to me and said: “How fortunate you are to be ordained a priest during the Year of Faith!” As I listened to this comment, I felt that a bucket of cold water was being poured over my head. In the midst of my academic responsibilities and my pastoral work as a transitional deacon, I had overlooked for an instant the invitation the Church has extended to each of us to renew and rekindle our faith in Christ.

At the onset of this Year of Faith, the first question I asked myself is: “What does this invitation to enter through the Door of Faith mean to me?” I have been able to discover that it is a call to shake off the ashes that cover the burning coal of the faith that I profess. Ashes cover the burning coal and do not allow the warmth of the coal to radiate to those around it. To shake off the ashes means, primarily, to be grateful for the gift of faith that I have received from God. Throughout my life, faith has been the engine that has propelled the “yes” that I have given to God. This same faith continues to motivate me to be an authentic minister. Therefore, gratitude is my first response because God has always been the first to take the initiative.

In the same way, shaking the ashes off the burning coal means being prepared and courageously accepting the challenges that our times present to the faith we profess. In his convocation announcement of the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Pope John XXIII said that, in times of technical progress, the spiritual progress of contemporary man has not followed in the footsteps of material progress (December 25, 1961).  The words of John XXIII have been prophetic.  One of the many challenges of our times is the lack of faith in God. This lack of faith has driven many to a self-deceiving self-sufficiency. It has provoked an identity crisis in the family and has eliminated all sense of hope for many.  Pope Benedict XVI tells us that in the midst of such a crisis, we cannot allow the salt to lose its flavor or the light to dim. We have to face these challenges.

Finally, shaking the ashes off the burning coal means to give testimony with my life. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily regarding the Year of Faith: “Today more than ever, to evangelize means giving testimony of a new life, transformed by God, and showing the way.” Here, the familiar saying, “A gesture speaks more than a thousand words” turns into reality. If we want to transform the world, we have to begin with ourselves. How better to transform the world than with our own example.  In this Year of Faith, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to pour upon us the grace to open our hearts to faith, and therefore, have a true encounter with the risen Jesus. Do not be afraid! It is time to shake off the ashes that cover the burning coals of our faith!