I am reading this section on Spe Salvi (16-23) slowly in order to truly grapple with what Pope Benedict XVI is teaching me.

He is guiding me in understanding how we arrived at an individualistic idea of Christianity. How did Christianity became a selfish search for salvation that rejected the idea of serving others. Where did it break away from from this idea of Church as communion? The pope spoke on major players and their ideologies like Bacon and Marx. Here’s what I gathered.

This idea of faith in progress was presented. With the interplay of science and practice came emerged the kingdom of man. We took faith and reason and interpreted them as independent from God in the name of progress. To pursue progress is for reason to be totally free. Man entered this era where it divorced faith and reason from God so that man can progress in his freedom without the shackles of faith.

This led to a revolution where man and the world were no longer in conflict. Eventually, we forgot that man remains man. We forgot that freedom is not only for good, but it can be used for evil. We thought we could be redeemed by materialism and prosperity. We forgot that we needed to be redeemed from within.

For Christianity to be true, it must always re-evaluate itself. It must always renew itself from its roots. What does progress really mean for Christianity? Do we progress keeping in mind our ethical formation and inner growth?

What is a practical suggestion to all this? The Jubilee Year is focused on being Pilgrims of Hope. We are all in this together. Some are ahead of us, some behind us. Some pilgrims walk right by my side. We are all on different stages of the spiritual life. It is a pilgrimage. We are all heading in the same direction: God.

We must pursue God. Faith and reason become our compass. They are not a license to do whatever we want and become our own gods. To become our own gods is to live our lives with moral compass or without the need to care for each other’s inner formation.

Be pilgrims of hope. Know that everything is centered in Christ who teaches us obedience, love, and service.