Rediscover Your Faith


During these challenging days that we live in, wouldn't it be comforting to experience less 
anxiety and a greater sense of peace? In order to achieve a greater sense of peace we 
need to look deeper into the relationship we have with Jesus: to get to know Him more, 
and ourselves. You can do this through the ‘Rediscover Your Faith' series which will 
present the Truths of the Catholic Faith as well as a different approach to experiencing 
your relationship with Jesus.

The Truths of the Catholic Faith will be presented under several topics such as:

Faith's Journey

Divine Revelation

The Salvation Storey

Who is Jesus and The Paschal Mystery

The Holy Spirit 

Why The Church Is Needed

A handout will be provided every week to follow along with the night's topic. Short videos 
will also be used where needed to support the topics as well as time for open discussion.

To have any deepening relationship with someone requires getting to know each other on 
an intimate level. It takes spending time together and a two way interaction of sharing 
thoughts and feelings as well as listening to each other. This is also true in having a 
deepening relationship with Jesus. Jesus already knows all of you as it says in Psalm 139

1  You have searched me, Lord,
     and you know me.
2  You know when I sit and when I rise;
          you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3  You discern my going out and my lying down;
          you are familiar with all my ways.
13 For you created my inmost being;
          you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
          your works are wonderful.
             23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
          test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
           and lead me in the way everlasting.

In your relationship with Jesus you need to get to know Him more and just as important 
you need to get to know yourself on a deeper level. How do you get to know yourself? By 
getting to know Jesus and His teachings first, you begin to know and understand who you 
are and where you are right now in your life. In Luke 6 Jesus tells a parable,

39 "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 
        41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbour's eye, but do not notice 
        the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbour, 
        ‘Friend let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not 
        see the log in your own eye? ......... first take the log out of your own eye, 
        and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour's eye.

Jesus is asking you to get to know yourself. Jesus will show you who you are and His desire
is for you to grow. Are you willing to let Jesus show you?


Throughout the ‘Rediscover Your Faith' series an analogy will be used to represent where you 
are now in your relationship with Jesus. The analogy comes from the painting by 
Warner Sallman called ‘Christ at Heart's Door' shown below.   

Picture of Painting




The door symbolizes your heart which is a portal to two different scenarios .

The first scenario comes from Revelations 3.20, 
 
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; 
if you hear my voice and open the door, 
I will come in to you and eat with you, 
and you with me.

Here Jesus takes the initiative. When He knocks on the door ( your heart ), will you invite Him 
in? Will you open the door to your heart to Jesus? If you notice there is no handle on Jesus' 
side of the door. You have to open the door ( your heart ) and invite Jesus into your heart and 
your life. Jesus may be calling you to act or to learn in order to grow in your relationship with 
Him.

The second scenario comes from Luke 6.45,

  "Ask, and it will be given you; 
search, and you will find; 
knock, and the door will be opened for you. 
For everyone who asks receives, and 
everyone who searches finds, and for 
everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Here you are taking the initiative. Jesus is waiting patiently, without knocking, for you to open 
the door of your heart to Him. Through your perseverance in prayer you are in need for yourself 
or for someone else's needs. Your relationship with Jesus grows now that you have entrusted 
Him to answer your faith-filled intentions.

No matter what scenario occurs, opening the door to your heart initiates the beginning of a new 
and wonderful relationship with Jesus. The ‘Rediscover Your Faith' series will help in revealing 
that the heart is the centre and origin of all decisions an individual makes. The words and 
actions of the individual will expose where the heart is in loving Jesus, others and oneself.     

Please take this opportunity to respond to Jesus knocking and waiting at the door to your heart 
and join us to ‘Rediscover Your Faith' on Thursdays beginning October 1st at 7:00 to 9:00 pm., 
in a safe environment, at St. Francis Xavier Church hall.
 
(Masks are mandatory)

                  One is truly humble of heart if one knows oneself thoroughly
                                                and knows God. 
                             May the Lord grant this grace to all people

- St. Paul of the Cross