In John, the Evangelist's account of Our Risen Lord and His returning to visit His disciples, we find that universal characteristic that is a part of anybody who relies on faith; doubt. Our faith calls us to the edge of the chasm, to a point where we cannot hide. We can turn around but we cannot hide. That is what makes faith so genuine, so freeing, because it comes down to you and one thing. Thomas poses the conditions by which he will believe, in John 20:25: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" There are those who say in essence similar words today; "unless the church conforms to whatever belief I desire, I will not believe" The beliefs professed by the Church for nearly 2000 years are dissected and put in the in/out basket of life. A sin is a sin under my conditions, I go to Mass, when it is convenient or if I don't have something else to do. Each and every time we walk up to the chasm and look down, do we have the courage to cross it? Or is our faith something that is comfortable like an old pair of shoes? Thomas is able to cross, when Jesus appears to him in person. Can we possibly walk by faith without Him?
Pope Francis
Monday, April 20, 2009
Walking By Faith
In John, the Evangelist's account of Our Risen Lord and His returning to visit His disciples, we find that universal characteristic that is a part of anybody who relies on faith; doubt. Our faith calls us to the edge of the chasm, to a point where we cannot hide. We can turn around but we cannot hide. That is what makes faith so genuine, so freeing, because it comes down to you and one thing. Thomas poses the conditions by which he will believe, in John 20:25: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" There are those who say in essence similar words today; "unless the church conforms to whatever belief I desire, I will not believe" The beliefs professed by the Church for nearly 2000 years are dissected and put in the in/out basket of life. A sin is a sin under my conditions, I go to Mass, when it is convenient or if I don't have something else to do. Each and every time we walk up to the chasm and look down, do we have the courage to cross it? Or is our faith something that is comfortable like an old pair of shoes? Thomas is able to cross, when Jesus appears to him in person. Can we possibly walk by faith without Him?
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