THIS I BELIEVE
My search for an expression of my deepest beliefs revealed that they are in my Catholic faith handed down by my family and formed in the crucible of growing up in the depression. I had five brothers and no sisters. My father, Jacob, died of an undertermined cause in 1934, leaving my mother to raise six boys along with few resources but faith and family. Both my father and mother were from large rural families. My mother’s family was very close. We moved to an area where my mother had five brothers with adjoining farms in a German Catholic neighborhood. I had a happy childhood, growing up with cousins by the dozens, some good mentors and lots of hard work. I married a wonderful Irish Catholic girl and we have five great children, all happily married. I attended college, attained a masters degree and taught for 28 years. My wife and I have strived to establish an authentic catholic home.
For me, the anchor of my life has been this faith, which has involved continuity, change and growth. I have learned that core beliefs, to be relevant, must be examined, tested and applied. I regard my faith as a trustworthy guide, which at age 80, remains ever fresh and provides three important virtues which have permitted me to flourish; they are faith, hope and love. I believe that God is active of each of these.
I need faith to confidently believe that there is a power beyond what I can see, one who makes truth possible, give order, design and meaning to the world we know, and with whom I can have a personal relationship. I cannot live without hope. It enables me to believe that there will be a better tomorrow. That things are possible beyond what I can see or understand, and that God, who has revealed himself to humankind, will fulfill his promises. I need to love and to be loved. Love gives purpose to our lives and is the basis for meaningful human relationships and with my God.
I am a long-time Chicago Cubs fan; when people comment on the Cubs jacket that I wear, I somewhat jokingly mention that the Cubs are a sign of faith, hope and love. I see in baseball a certain microcosm of life’s uncertainties, with one important difference. While baseball is just a game, life is not a game but a living reality, with humans as the centerpiece of an earthly existence full of mystery. Amid the suffering, failures and disappointments of our lives, faith, hope and love help us to flourish and to make life a celebration.
Bernie Vogel
