Faith First

There are difficult moments in our earthly life which impact our spiritual life.  In my case, when my faith becomes distorted and I feel disconnected from God, I feel like I am walking alone through a barren desert.  I feel discouraged, wandering without energy and no longer radiating the joy of other days.  I feel tempted to blame God for abandoning me, though I admit to myself that it’s my fault, for it is I who has done the abandoning.

Our faith is not something we can use one day and put aside the next.  It is a mode of life; something to be kept in the forefront.  Faith is the certainty of the presence of a magnanimous and kind force linked to our existence. God is that powerful force among us who communicates with our spirits through a unique language called love, which overflows like a spring. That spring becomes a strong river when we share God’s love with others, because through faith and love we are reflecting the highest peak of our existence and this pleases God.

With faith, we distinguish the forces of good and evil. By faith we are moved, we express reverence, we pray and we even fight. Yet, faith can be weakened, like a plant that does not receive water, nutrients and light. 

By recognizing that the promises of Jesus are perennial, we are able to shake loose our fear of the threats we face during our existence on earth and, instead, base our strength on the bold and ultimate promise of receiving and deserving eternal life. Believing in and trusting in this promise, our spirits become more and more rejuvenated over time.

“That is why we are not discouraged. For although we are growing older on the outside, on the inside we are getting younger day by day.” (Corinthians 4: 16)

Why is it then, that we forget the greatest and most important love, the love of God and for God? This intimate communion should be our most important goal. We have special love gestures with our loved ones and our hearts rejoice when we receive expressions of gratitude for the gifts we offer. Why not use these same gestures with God?

Is it right to spend whole days without thinking – even if only for a few seconds – about God? If we have the great privilege of possessing the senses to appreciate the beauty of nature, the power of a caress, or the tenderness of a melody, why do we forget to love God? Why not thank God for the pleasure of feeling loved, moved, hopeful, and spiritually whole?

When our hearts are thankful and we are able to appreciate that our faith is a gift from God, our lives change. This gift, however, is given to us on the condition that we make it grow, with our thoughts, feelings and actions, expressing the language of God’s love until we achieve spiritual maturity that allows us that divine fusion with the Holy Spirit. Faith is our life project…a plant to nurture…a vehicle to reach the divine promises of heaven… a tool to eliminate our fears.

Though we may be attracted, motivated and seduced by the darkness of sin, we must not turn away from the light of God.  We must, instead, turn away from our selfishness, arrogance and inability to forgive others.  How do we do this?  We do this by putting God first.

“If we say that we are united with him, and at the same time live in darkness, we lie in word and deed. But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, then there is union between us, and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” (First Letter of Saint John 1: 6-7)