Scottish Catholic Observer

Following the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has urged Catholics to make their Faith more visible in their daily lives.

Speaking in a Pastoral letter, read out in parishes at the weekend, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, encouraged Catholics to be more ready to let their Faith be seen by regularly saying ‘God Bless you’ and making the Sign of the Cross in their daily lives.

Papal visit

Archbishop Nichols also recalled the words of Pope Benedict during his visit when he expressed his hope that ‘the Catholics of this land will become ever more conscious of their dignity as a priestly people, called to consecrate the world to God through lives of Faith and holiness.’

The archbishop spoke of the ‘four marvellous and unforgettable days’ during the Holy Father’s visit and expressed his deep gratitude to the Queen for inviting Pope Benedict XVI to the UK and thanked everyone who played a part in preparing for the visit  ‘through difficulties, doubts and criticism’ and to all those who came to show their love for the Holy Father at events and Masses.

“The Holy Father has given us new heart for our mission,” Archbishop Nichols said.

“In our cathedral he spelt out that task. He said we are to be witnesses to the beauty of holiness, to the splendour of the truth and to the joy and freedom born of a living relationship with Christ.

“We have glimpsed the beauty of holiness especially in the moments of prayer during this visit. The holiness of God is reflected in the reverence shown in the liturgies, in the actions of the Mass, in the music and song we have offered and most vividly in the silence of prayer.

“The beauty of this holiness permeates us from within as ‘heart speaks unto heart.’ I will never forget the richness of the silence of 80,000 people at prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in Hyde Park. I hope every celebration of Mass contains times of shared silence in which we can draw close to the Lord.”

Confidence

Archbishop Nichols said that with the blessings of the Papal visit we can be ‘more confident in our Faith and more ready to speak about it and let it be seen each day.’

“Even the simple step of more regularly using the greeting ‘God bless you,’ gently and naturally, would make a difference to the tone we set in our daily lives as would the more frequent use of the Sign of the Cross,” he said.

“Making Faith visible is so much a part of the invitation the Holy Father has extended to us all.”