Today we pray: "May we who have received the gift of faith, share forever in the new life of Christ" - a simple prayer containing much to reflect on. In the "Year of Faith" proclaimed by Pope Benedict, this is a very suitable prayer, one to repeat daily.

Central to the prayer is the recognition that faith is a gift, a grace. In one of his addresses, the Pope spoke of faith as both gift and mystery: "Faith in God…. is first and foremost a gift and a mystery, which must be welcomed in the heart and in life, and for which we must always thank the Lord".

True to his Apostolic office and mission in the Church, the Pope reminded us of the consequences of receiving this gift: "faith is a gift that is given to us to be shared."

Similarly, he points to other aspects of this gift: it is a talent, a light: "it is a talent received so that it may bear fruit; it is a light that must never be hidden, but must illuminate the whole house. It is the most important gift which has been made to us in our lives and which we cannot keep to ourselves."