As Catholic Christians, the fresh waters of faith define our very selves.

Jesus promised the Samaritan woman at the well that he would give “living waters” that constantly spring up “unto eternal life.” We must ever return to these deep waters to invigorate our identity in our Catholic faith. Given the tensions and transitions, the scandals and controversies of our time, perhaps our present thirst is all the greater. Puddles from the recent rain will not sustain us, and certainly not stagnant waters from dead ponds. Only fresh waters from the depth springs of Catholicism can invigorate our identity as truly Catholic persons and communities of faith.

For human beings, identity refers to the bedrock of who we are and how we live our lives. As Catholic Christians, our faith functions as that foundation of personhood, defining our very identity. Our Catholic faith is to permeate everything about us; it shapes our self-understanding and outlook on the world, with its values and convictions reaching into every nook and cranny of life, and like a leaven in dough, raising up fully alive people who are life-giving for others as well.

Clearly then, with this faith-grounded identity, being and becoming Catholic is a lifelong journey. We recognize that our lives are marked by sins and graces; our call to holiness is never complete until we rest in God.

The same is true for the Catholic Church. We have our great moments of grace but often fall short of being an effective symbol-the sacrament-of God’s reign in the world. As Pope John Paul II frequently reminded, we must repent our communal failures and ever renew our efforts to be the church that we should be.

Of course, it is imperative that we claim Catholic identity without any trace of sectarianism—as if “we” are the only people whom God loves. The universality of God’s love—a dogma of our faith-requires that we proceed with great ecumenical sensitivity. Accepting Jesus’ teaching, “in my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2), we must grow in belonging to our Catholic home. For only as our Catholic faith permeates our own lives and communities can we be agents of the “new evangelization,” bearing joyful witness to our faith and to the reign of God in the marketplace of life.