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Living By Faith Introduction There are many inspiring books on Christian faith that we can read. Two are featured on this web site: Happy Those Who Believe and Faith: Key to the Heart of God. The theme of the gospels for both the 27th Sunday Year C and the 28th Sunday Year C both speak of the mystery of faith. In the first gospel, we see the apostles request Jesus to "increase their faith". And Jesus responds to them that faith is a power that the Lord gifts to those who seek it from Him. Even if it be just the size of a "mustard seed", when we have faith, God makes great things happen. He produces miracles for us; increasing our faith all the more. Our Christian lives are built on faith in God Being Christian in today's world requires not only natural faith but a supernatural faith. With all the problems, disasters, tragedies, and unexpected losses that can happen to us and our family, we need a supernatural faith - one that comes from God. Many lose heart and lose faith because there are times that indeed God does not immediately give us what we ask for or help us in our need. But despite all this, we are called by the gift of supernatural faith to still go on praying and hoping in God's care, providence, help, and saving mercy. Living By Faith [Originally published as a homily in Amigos de Dios] 
Our Christian vocation is a vocation of faith. Like the blind man who
called on Jesus, the people told him: "Take heart. Rise up, he is
calling you." By the blind man's faith, he was cured. But God does
not call only once. We should bear in mind that He is calling us
at every moment. In the booklet, "Living By Faith", St. Josemaria
Escriva says that the Lord expects us to "get up, put aside our
indolence, our easy life, our petty selfishness, and our silly little
problems. God calls us to get up from the ground, where we are lying
prostrate and shapeless. He wants us to acquire height, weight and
volume, and a supernatural outlook. All this God wants of us that
we may follow His Son and proclaim the Good News.Basic question of faith: "How do we know there is God?" This basic question of faith is answered well by Rev. John Trigilio Jr. in his book he co-authored with Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, "The Catholicism Answer Book". According to Rev. John Trigilio, this simple question has both a simple and a complicated answer. The simple answer is that faith is believing in something or someone you do not see or believing in something that cannot be proven. So, even without any material evidence, there is an element of trust in the truth of a person or a reality. This is the simple answer. The complicated answer is that Catholicism can prove the existence of God. In this complicated answer, aside from simple faith, reason accompanies the proof. And one of those who undertook this weight of proving God's existence, is one of our "weighty" theologian-saints, St. Thomas Aquinas. In his famous works, Summa Contra Gentiles and Summa theologiae, he has proven by faith and reason not only the existence of God but many others besides. Faith of those who have gone before us In the letter to the Hebrews 11:1ff, we read the passage that says, "Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see. Because of faith the men of old were approved by God." This passage tells us of men and women of old who by their faith found favor with God and obtained salvation from Him. It started with our father Abraham and continues to this day through the witness of many martyrs, saints, confessors, virgins, consecrated men and women, who have lived a Christian life that not only inspires but produces more faith in the succeeding generations. Act of Faith The following prayer is a traditional prayer of faith that contains many of the Catholic's beliefs in the Christian faith. Praying it helps Catholics remain steadfast in their adherence and loyalty to Christ and the Church He has built upon Peter, the rock. O my God, I firmly believe that you are the one only God, the creator and sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, infinitely great and infinitely good. I firmly believe that in you, one only God, there are three divine persons, really distinct and equal in all things, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I firmly believe that Jesus Christ, God the Son, became man; and he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary; and he suffered and died on the cross to redeem and save us; that he arose the third day from the dead; and he ascended into heaven; and he will come at the end of the world to judge mankind; and that he will reward the good with eternal happiness and condemn the wicked to the everlasting pains of hell. I believe these, and all other articles which the holy Roman Catholic Church proposes to our belief, because you, my God, the infallible truth, revealed them, and have commanded us to hear the Church, which is the pillar and the ground of truth. In this faith I am firmly resolved, by your holy grace, to live and die. Amen. |