St. Paul calls faith "
the substance of things to be hoped for, and
the evidence of things that appear not." Heb 11:1
In the most unlikely place, surrounded by atheists, two unlikely people, finally
recognizing their own inadequacies, turned their faces towards a power higher
than themselves. This act opened the door to faith.
Was this blind faith? Hardly. St. Alphonsus says beautifully what it would
take me pages to express:
Reason takes
us, as it were, by the hand and leads us into the sanctuary of faith, but
itself remains standing at the threshold. Once we are convinced that the truths
we are asked to believe really come from God, we are obliged to submit our
reason and, on the strength of God's word, to accept as certain truths
proposed, though we may not or cannot understand them.
The deeper I grow in my faith, the easier it becomes to accept my limitations. My understanding is largely in the sphere of nature, but everything directs my attention to the supernatural. I am able to place my trust in Jesus more and more. St. Alphonsus says:
Our
blessed Savior commends those who accept the truths of faith without being able
to perceive or comprehend them: "Blessed are they that have not seen, and have
believed." John 20:29
But why the Catholic faith? I want to say reason and intellect, because it made sense to go back to first principles, to the first Church. But the truth is, reason is only a small part. Now that I'm less prideful, I believe in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There was a new church at the bottom of the hill
that promised “no weird stuff” and people were meeting every Sunday
for Bible and fellowship at our local elementary school. All within walking
distance. It really seemed like a safer entry into the Christian world than those crazy Catholics with all their rules. But we are so glad to have listened to promptings of the Holy Spirit. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) was a crash course in Catholicism. And it is a love story that is ongoing, deepening, melting my heart into His. Proofs of Catholic faith became evident as we began our studies: prophecies, miracles, courage and
constancy of the martyrs, and the fact it is unaltered from the time of the apostles.
St. Alphonsus writes:
The Catholic
Church has remained the same in all ages and in all climes. The doctrines she
teaches today are the same that were taught and believed in the first ages of
the Church. The sects, on the contrary, that have separated from the Catholic
Church, have not remained unchanged in the doctrines they propound.
A year after we were received into the Catholic Church, we discovered the traditional Latin Mass (TLM). I know so many
families who travel over an hour just to attend TLM. And I can see why.
It is the superior form of worship. Liturgically
speaking, that is. Everything is oriented towards God. It’s not about me or how
I feel, but about offering myself completely. I could never give it up. In fact, the
first thing we did when we got the call to move to SC was to see if there was a
parish that offered TLM. Stella Maris is the only one in our area. So we said yes! We had been praying for more
faith, and I would never have imagined that it would involve a cross-country
move. Neither did I expect a young woman named Faith to walk into my life. But
God has a great sense of humor.
We continue to pray for greater faith. It is the foundation for all other virtues. St. Alphonsus says:
Faith is our
shield and protection. … When faith grows weak, virtue is in danger; when faith
is lost, virtue departs with it. Finally, when my faith
falters, here's a prayer:
I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief. Mark
9:24
What opened the door of faith for you? And if you are struggling, what prevents you from losing it? If you do not have faith, are you curious?
I will continue to share my
12-steps to Holiness with St. Alphonsus with you every month.
I rarely have to Zoom but couldn't resist being Flannery for a few minutes :)
