October the 11th marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict has asked that the whole Church make the next twelve months a year for the renewal and deepening of the true faith in all the Church’s communities. He writes,

“The ‘Door of faith’ is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the Word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime.”

During this year he asks that we deepen our faith, first by the Celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and by Prayer, by using resources like the documents of the Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Faith, to refresh and improve our understanding, and by reaching out to one another and to our neighbour to share our experience of the love of God in our lives.