Faith
Divine Intimacy #241
Faith is placing one’s trust in the unseen, but more than that, it is the foundation of our relationship with God.
Faith teaches and leads us deeper into the reality that when our time comes to leave this world, we will not only have knowledge and understanding, but along with the virtues of charity and love, we will come to share in God’s life, knowing Him as He knows Himself.
Phew, that’s big.
That’s a lot more about faith than I ever thought. Faith is seen in many ways. Right now, as I write, I’m sitting in the main part of our church in front of an icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. One might ask why I’m doing this. After all, it’s just a picture. But this image opens my mind and heart to see and know my faith in God’s plan in ways I hadn’t considered before.
Faith is often understood in a general way: “I have faith you’ll finish.” “We support you and have faith you’ll find the right answer.” “I believe in you and have faith you can do it.” Faith becomes a belief in ourselves rather than in God. But that’s not what we are talking about here. That’s encouragement, love, and support for each other.
Returning to the picture, here is Jesus, holding out His most Sacred Heart. He is offering it to us. He is showing us the faith His Father had in Him, not only to teach, preach, and heal, but also in the sacrifice He offered at His death and resurrection. By laying down His life on the cross, He provided a pathway to the Father.
By taking in this most precious gift of His heart, actually, His body, blood, soul, and divinity, we are not only taking into our physical body, our senses, and our intellect, a deep faith in God, but we are also participating in the sharing of God’s life in ours with a natural faith.
Faith offers us, as Jesus’ heart is offered to us, God’s divine gift of Himself, and a way to eternal life. How would we ever get to heaven if we don’t know how to get there? Faith leads us to share in God’s life, which in turn brings us to the beatific vision. This vision marks the beginning of eternal life on earth. Faith is the ladder to the beatific vision.
Phew, again! That’s heavy stuff. But stay with me for a little more. The heart of Jesus is offered to all and can restore our faith in the Father, helping us clearly understand why He sent His Son. Imagine faith not in ourselves but in what the Father has waiting for us, a continued sharing of His love all the way to eternity.
St. Paul says, “You can say, for whether we live, we live with the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord” (Romans 14:8). Faith is unquestionably the way to see God at work in us. Let not our vision be clouded by this world, but let our eyes remain heavenward, on the Beloved.