The Faith

Last night I participated inone of the most painful meetings - emotionally, spiritually and physically -that I have experienced in my life as a priest. And I've been through many. I realized the pain that I have caused in some people and what they have caused me. But this experience that also had its positive actions reminded me of a Biblical scripture which I learned when I was only 6 years old: And my righteous ones will live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38)

From this biblical narrativeI learn that, from God's perspective, suffering is what produces faithful Christian people. If we all had easy lives without opposition, trials or pain,

we would never really know God, for we would never need Him. Whether we like it or not, adversity teaches us more about God than just reading the Bible. I am not saying that we do not need to know the Holy Scriptures; They are the basis for faith. But if what we believe is never tested by adversity, what we have is intellectual knowledge.

How will we know that we can trust God in the midst of difficulties, if we have never been tested by adversity? Goddess gives us opportunities to put into practice the truths of the Bible in the difficulties we face, and in doing so we discover that He is faithful.

Depending on how you respond, tests may be the best means of developing your faith, or a path to discouragement and self-pity or victimization. If you believe what the Bible says and apply its precepts to your situation, your trust in God will grow, and your faith will be strengthened through adversity. 

Please believe me when I say that I am strengthening my faith and I am living by faith. I am trusting God more in spite of the pain and I still stand by that faith that also heals. I invite you to do the same.



Blessings



Fr. Luis +