Fr. Albert
St. Peter Catholic Church, New Iberia
What is faith? Once, a teacher asked a group of children that question. One little boy raised his hand and said “It’s believing something even when you know it’s not true!” Where did he get such an idea? You gotta love children. They have a real knack for showing us what we really are. I really doubt anyone told that child such a thing in words, but I’m certain that someone told him that with their actions. You see, children have fresh eyes. They don’t get hypocrisy yet and they simply respond to and imitate what they see. Why did that boy think Faith is believing something you know is not true? Because he saw people who acted like that. He knew people who claimed to believe something, but acted like it wasn’t true.
For example: in just a few minutes we will profess our Catholic Faith, something every Catholic does every Sunday. Do we act according to what we say? Pay attention to what we say in the Creed today and ask yourself – do I act like it? You can also Google the seven precepts of the Church to see the minimum actions that a Catholic should take as part of living their faith.
Another key test: do our friends and co-workers realize that we are Catholic? Can they tell that our faith is real to us? I’m not talking about constantly shouting Jesus and preaching at everyone you meet, but can they see it in your habits and attitude? In the care you show other people, in the reverence you show around holy places and topics of conversation? Can they see your faith in your choice of entertainment, or does HBO and binge drinking get a pass in your mind?
Alright, that’s enough examination of conscience for now. If “believing something you know is not true” is the wrong definition, what is the right one? The letter to the Hebrews gives us its famous definition: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith is not an arbitrary choice, it is not a set of beliefs that you happen to agree with. Faith is an ability, a virtue, a habit. Faith is the realization, or, in another translation, the assurance of things hoped for. The assurance of things hoped for – and what do we mean by the “realization,” this “assurance?” And just what do we hope for?
What we hope for is exactly what Jesus is describing to us in the Gospel. Our Lord and Savior has come; that much is historical fact. But, we have faith that he will return and that his return will decide everything. His return will raise us from the dead and decide our eternal fate. His return is what empowers us to see beyond death and to know that the many, many burdens of this life are not what matters. Our faith in this, as the “realization” of what we hope for, means that we act like this will really happen, no matter how bad things get and no matter how long it takes.
But how, how can we be so sure? What about the Church or Scripture can guarantee this second coming? Ultimately, there is no convincing you of it like an opinion. Faith isa gift and a virtue. It is a supernatural ability to see and take seriously the idea that Christ and his promises are real. And what if you don’t have this gift? Or what if this gift has grown weak? How do we fix it? That is one of the many reasons Jesus commands what he does about poverty and trust.
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock…” Faith comes from hearing and so we listen to these words and the many words of Scripture often, in order to gain that faith. But, a virtue is a habit and if you don’t use it, you lose it. If you don’t live what you believe, you will begin to believe whatever it is you happen to live. In other words: “where your treasure is, there will your heart be.” Being wealthy and self-sufficient makes it difficult for us to act like we really trust God and to really rely on him. By living a simple life, by living a holy poverty, you can tangibly experience the providence of God and the fact that happiness comes from Him alone. Poverty is faith in action, and you needfaith to be saved. Thus, you need holy poverty to be saved. Not laziness, not destitution, and not wastefulness, but simplicity of life and the detachment to give your excess, and even a little more, to those in real need. Then, you will more clearly see God at work in your life.
And this brings us to the second half of the definition of faith. Faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is not contrary to reason! Do not let anyone tell you that the Church is against science or that we are irrational. Just google “Catholic Scientists” if you don’t believe me. We do not deny our reason or the value of science. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, it is not a decision not to see. In other words, Faith gives us a bigger picture. As Pope Francis says in his encyclical Lumen Fidei, Faith is able to provide answers to questions that reason alone cannot solve.
We see an example of this in Abraham, who believed that he would have a child even though, scientifically, he couldn’t. His faith told him that God is above our limitations and so he trusted God. His faith was rewarded with evidence of God’s power and the birth of Isaac. Strengthened by this evidence of faith, he trusted God even when he was asked to sacrifice his only son. This faith informed his decision and Scripture even tells us that “He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead.” He reasoned correctly, for, even though God did not need to raise Isaac from the dead, he did raise Jesus from the dead.
And now we have the realization and the evidence of faith that Christ will return. Because of this, woe to us if we become lazy or if we let ourselves forget. We have been given much and so much will be required of us. And what a joyful requirement it is! The saints were happy people and the Gospel in action brings us real joy. Our task is not drudgery and it is not about locking ourselves up and avoiding everything else in the world. No, as Catholics we are given the task of being the “faithful and prudent stewards whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time.”
This is true whether we are put over other people like children, employees, or parishioners, or whether we care for God’s many other servants in creation. Our task is one of care, of distributing food, spiritual and physical, at the proper time. It is a life of developing our skills for the good of others, one filled with purpose and mission. And even though it sometimes becomes very difficult and the return of Christ seems forever delayed, we are not on our own power. The gift of faith is a grace of God that can sustain us even if we must like those “holy children of the good” who “in secret… were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.” I urge you, little flock, put that institution, that faith, into effect. It will not disappoint you.