The freshness of faith from a different lens

We are living in a society that has become increasingly more secular, and it is not a given anymore that the present generation of young people grow up with the freely given gift of faith like the generation that I grew up in. Unfortunately many people in today’s society don’t seem to see the relevance of Christianity to their lives and some are even hostile to the faith. God is not absent or silent though. He is still present amidst the chaos of the world and the turbulence of our lives.

At Pentecost the disciples of Jesus received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were sent out to spread the Good News. Through faith, a free gift from God, we are each given the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit [given to us at Confirmation]. They are an expression of God’s unconditional love that give us the grace to live in a special way—not success, not comfort, but greatness – because we are called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ – and to strive for the kingdom of God in the ordinary aspects of our lives and for eternal prize of God’s kingdom in heaven.

I consider myself blessed that from a young age I was handed on the gift of faith and introduced to the person of Jesus and his mother Mary. The image of Jesus I first became familiar with was a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which was traditionally found in Irish homes accompanied by a Sacred Heart lamp. This was often displayed from the late 1800’s to signify that a household was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for protection [Ireland had been consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1873 and this consecration was renewed by Archbishop Eamon Martin at in Our Lady Queen of Ireland Basilica, Knock on 22 June 2025]. The image is also a sign of trusting in the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus given to St. Margaret Mary. Three of these promises to those Who Hold a True Devotion to His Sacred Heart are as follows:-

• I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
• I will console them in all their troubles.
• I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is so revered because it is the image of God’s love revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus, a love that conquers sin and overcomes death, a reminder that God loves us to the end. In our human journey we often associate love with the heart so it is fitting that we can associate the love of God with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the heart of his Son. Even when our own hearts are weighed down with the worries and struggles of life, when we seek the refuge of the heart of Jesus we are drawn closer to him who gives us the strength to embrace our crosses with trust and love, and to see things through faith, to see things God’s way.

Resting in the heart of Jesus and in Adoration was a great gift I received from a young age, which was further nourished by my involvement in Youth 2000 and the Emmanuel Community. I will never forget my pilgrimages to the peaceful haven of serenity that is Paray-le-Monial in the Burgundy region of France, where Jesus appeared to a young nun named Marguerite-Marie [St Margaret Mary Alacoque], from 1673-1675 revealing to her his heart burning of love for humankind, as a representation of Christ’s love for us. Since then, pilgrims have flocked there to rediscover the meaning of their lives in the Heart of Christ, and to have an uplifting and enriching spiritual experience.

Striving to have a heart to heart relationship with Jesus challenges me to live out my Catholic faith. I have experienced the immense love of God and his abundant mercy and healing in many ways, especially through an inner conversion of faith that I experienced when I gave a year of my life to God by attending a school of mission for young people in Rome. It was there that I grew in a personal relationship with Jesus; learned to rest in his heart at Mass and in adoration; and was taught how to examine my conscience and really confess my sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This gave me a desire to spend sustained time in prayer and a commitment to put my faith into action through acts of compassion and evangelisation. Faith is a gift to be shared from our heart to the hearts of others, a light that we can shine at home, in our work, and in our local communities.

In our hearts sometimes we might be self-critical and lacking in compassion towards ourselves, but God is greater than our hearts. “The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy” (Psalm 102:8). What a hopeful message this scripture transmits, and the world is thirsting for this hope. As Christians we are called to be givers of the compassion, love and mercy represented by the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to strive to build the kingdom of God in the ordinary aspects of our lives. One of my favourite hymns is a familiar chant of the Taizé community ‘The Kingdom of God‘:-

A recent visit to the UK instilled in me new hope for finding what I am really looking for in my life. I was renewed in my gifts through Catholic ministry and by the vitality of the communities that I connected with. l am committed as ever to use my gifts and the missionary formation that I have received in the Catholic faith to live out my baptismal call to share the joy of the Gospel through acts of compassion and love.