“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival”
—The Gospel of Luke, chapter 12:37
Some time ago one of the readers of my blog wrote to me, asking how I could have faith in a mere theory. I replied that faith in Jesus, for me, is not a mere theory, it is a way of life. It affects how I think, how I trust, and how I relate to others. This, I believe, is true of every committed Christian for whom Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
As the way, He shows us how to love one another; as the Truth, He reveals the mysteries of His kingdom on earth; and, as the Life, He raises us up, and imbues us with the constant hope of new life though Him.
St. Paul states that faith is “‘conviction about things we do not see.” We do not see God but, deep down, we can intuit His existence, and sense His providence all around us. We do not see grace but we can experience it in our personal lives when we live by the Gospel. We do not see Jesus with our eyes but we can meet Him in others, receive Him in communion, and encounter Him, personally, when we meditate on His word in the scriptures. We do not see the Holy Spirit but we can recognize the inspirations of the Holy Spirit when we are moved to follow the dictates of truth.
It is because of faith, St. Paul tells us, that men and women of old “were approved by God.” Father Abraham had faith in God, and God blessed him and protected him even when he did not know “where he was going.”
Faith is a gift. We do not merit it. It cannot be imposed on anyone, but it can be proposed or nurtured by example. Jesus is the best example of faith for us. He is the Son of God, faith incarnate, the Word made flesh. For us then, faith is the response of the individual to the living word of God in scripture. Jesus is the fulfillment of the scriptures for He came, “not to destroy” what went before “but to fulfill” ( Matthew 5 : 17 ). We cannot live by faith or increase our faith without scripture study or without meditation on the word of God. As the Lord says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” ( Luke 11 : 25 ).
We lean on this invisible, spiritual gift of faith when we need help in times of crisis or trials. How often I’ve heard people tell me: ” If it wasn’t for my faith, I could never have survived what I went through.” Faith enables people to put their cares in the hands of a loving God, to overcome the temptations and wiles of the world, to chose right instead of wrong, to keep up the good fight when things come crashing down. Faith has a steadying influence on the lives of people for it anchors them to a provident God, and to His word, which will always take care of them, no matter what.
Jesus asks for a faith that is active and keeps watch. “Be on guard,” He says, “like men awaiting their master’s return.” He asks for a faith that is up and doing, treating each other with justice and charity, watching out for the coming of the Lord.
People of faith not only trust a spiritual means of support; they become visible means of support to others by the way they live–as bearers of the good news, taking good care of each other.
Always remember, our daily lives should reflect God’s glory and enrich the lives of everyone we encounter.
That is the beauty of the gift of faith.
—Fr. Hugh Duffy
12 Comments
Cyril Chilson
Well said.
My late teacher, Fr Marcel Dubois OP of blessed memory, used to say: “Faith is a certainty without clarity”.
Hugh Diffy
Cyril:
You wise teacher was, probably, echoing St. Paul who likened faith to looking into a mirror, darkly.
Nancy Tupas
Very inspiring. I also recommend your book you wrote,”What Is This Thing Called Faith “.
Jim Minton
A friend asked me how I believed in Jesus, the Trinity and especially Mary. My answer was I know because I know because know. Never doubted.
Hugh Duffy
Faith and doubt, Jim, are not incompatible. Doubt often leads to a deepening of faith. Look at doubting Thomas! Faith can rise to its highest manifestation in the midst of doubt. Mother Teresa’s letters demonstrate this. Glad you’re grateful for the gift, Jim. Share it by your example.
josiah
wonderful, quite encouraging.
Duke B. Young, PhD
Today, I have discovered a deeper meaning of the gift of faith – We must share it, nurture it, and give your story away. As we associate with like-minded people, there will be times that we have doubts it’s normal. Our faith is being tested and challenged. How I was able to overcome my doubts was to read the everlast words of the Bible and share it amongst others. Wow, I increased today my gift.
Hugh Duffy
Thanks, Duke.
Pastor Martin V. Paye, Sr
Thanks Sir!
Kindly pray for me to fulfil my calling that l received through a prophecy given by a to my Late Mom over the years. God had begun it by calling me in ministry but l need increase.
Hugh Duffy
Sure will pray for your intention, Pastor Martin, to increase your faith.
Tetesa john
Without God, life is wasted time. If there werent bread, why are we hungry for food? Anyone who does even a cursory study of astronomy realizes that there has to have been a creator behind the wonders of the universe. Try concentrating on quasars or black holes of space. How big is the universe? How many galaxies? Right there, it is impossible to think this all just happened out of nothing.
Hugh Duffy
Teresa:
The five ways of “proving“ the Existence of God by Aquinas are very impressive, but do not constitute proofs in the strict, empirical sense. So is your proof very appealing, and has a basis in Scripture where nature Is seen to mirror the glory of the creator. It appears to me that the existence of God belongs to the realm of faith or the illative sense as Newman calls it.