The Rev. Scott Pogatchnik, rector of the Church of St. Augustine in St. Cloud, shared a reflection about Catholic foundations in the church's Aug. 16 online bulletin. 

Pogatchnik recounted the words of the Canaanite woman who pleaded with the Lord to heal her daughter. As she persists, Jesus responds with a blessing, answering her prayer and giving her what she requests because of her faith and belief.

The faith of this woman, Pogatchnik notes, can be a lesson to us all.

“The Nicene Creed, as well as the Apostles’ Creed, and many other creeds written down through the history of the Church to synthesize boundless beliefs are vital to our identity as a Catholic people, commissioned by Jesus to preach, teach, and baptize,” Pogatchnik said in the bulletin.

Rather than allowing ourselves to become complacent when we recite these professions of faith, we must state them with conviction, as they are the source of our foundation and our faith.

In the years following Vatican II, there was great change in the church and the world as a whole, and we might even draw comparisons to the state of the world today. It is during these most challenging of times that we must be able to return to our roots and state with confidence what we believe.

“A stormy time is always a call to return to our foundations, our deepest identity in Christ, and the faith He handed on to the Church," Fr. Pogatchnik said. "Faith is always a relationship first– not a dusty text nor set of rules. But to say “Credo– I believe– I trust– is no small matter.” 

We are all invited to meditate on the truths of the Catholic faith, which have the power to root us in what our beliefs are, especially in times of crisis.