He came. We saw him. And now what do we do? Here is a place to start. Throughout his homilies and addresses, Pope Francis has invited us to live and spread the Gospel, to allow our hearts and lives to echo the good news that “Jesus Christ is Lord!”
These four tiny but powerful words proclaim the Good News about Jesus, who “emptied himself” by surrendering to the process of incarnation, death, and resurrection. Historically, the Gospel message was the skeleton of both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed that we repeat every time we celebrate a Eucharist together. When we stand up for these prayers, we are renewing our Baptismal Vows. We are accepting Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our hearts, lives and actions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes St. Ambrose as saying, “This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart’s meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is, unquestionably, the treasure of our soul.” (CCC, 197).
One way to follow Pope Francis in making the Good News your own is to use an acronym, G.O.S.P.E.L. This memory device describes the Good News of new life and salvation given to us by God, the Father, through Jesus Christ his Son, and lived out by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is at work in each of us and in the life of the Church. All of these declarations are meant to be relived again and again in the life of the disciple. Use one these statements as you pray each day. Ask God, “How can I make you my Creator?… How can I live Pentecost today?… How can I embrace the Local Body of Christ more fully?…”
G is for GOD, the Creator, who loves us unconditionally and wants our happiness. (See 1 John 4:7–8.)
O is for OURSELVES and our situation as children of God who have sinned. (See Genesis 1:26–27.)
S is for our SAVIOR, Jesus Christ, sent to redeem us. (See 1 John 4:9–12 and John 3:16–17.)
P is for PENTECOST and the PROMISE of power from the Holy Spirit who helps us turn from sin and selfishness to believe in Christ and to share our faith with others. (See Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:49.)
E is for EVERYDAY ENTRY into new life, the decision to make Jesus the center of our personal and communal lives. (See Acts 2:37–41 and Col 3:1–4.)
L is for the LOCAL Body of Christ (See Acts 2:37–47 and Ephesians 3:21.) and for LITURGY (public worship of the Church) through which we grow in Jesus. This includes prayer, learning, sacraments, community, service, and evangelization. (Excerpt from Sharing the Faith That You Love)
So let us join Pope Francis in praying for a new zeal for the Gospel, the Creed and living a life of transformation. And let us respond to Pope St. John Paul II who presented this same challenge during his visit to Nazareth. He said, “I pray for a great renewal of faith in all children of the Church. A deep renewal of faith: not just as a general attitude of life, but as a conscious and courageous profession of the Creed.” Finally, let us pray with the American Bishops , “Awakened and energized by the Spirit, let us strengthen our commitment and intensify our efforts to help the adults in our communities be touched and transformed by the life-giving message of Jesus, to explore its meaning, experience its power, and live in its light…” (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States. USCCB, Nov 17, 1999, p. 35)