Faith

04-11-2021Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

What a difference faith makes! The faith of the early community of believers led them to rise beyond the selfishness that so many of us struggle with as they group and communion with Christ and one another. They did not find the Commandments burdensome, but rather centered their lives on the love of God and neighbor that Jesus taught through his life, death, and resurrection. It is good for us to remember that faith is a gift. The journey of faith is not always straightforward and is often marked by doubt and moments of weakness. The apostles’ faith grew as they experience the risen Jesus. Jesus surely knew they needed the peace he offered in the presence of the Holy Spirit, as do we who have not seen the Lord and yet have come to believe in him.

From Doubt to Belief

The apostle Thomas will forever be remembered as the one who doubted. It is good that his experience is recorded in the gospel of John. We all doubt sometimes, and “doubting Thomas“ shows us how to move from doubt to belief, knowing that the risen Jesus will be with us through it all. Thomas did not keep his doubts to himself, but instead voice them loud to his trust companions. We can only imagine the conversations that took place between Thomas and the other disciples as they describe the peace that they felt following Jesus time with them. Thomas’s doubts were put to rest once and for all when Jesus offered him physical proof of the resurrection. We do not have the sort of physical evidence that was shown to Thomas, but we can perceive Christ‘s presence in the Eucharist, in the word of sacred scripture, and in the presence and actions of others.

Living Faith

The journey of faith often ebbs and flows, with the times when I relationship with the Lord is the guiding force in our lives, and time soon we are tempted to turn away from all we know to be true, good, and beautiful. In those moments when we find ourselves struggling with the doubt or temptation, we follow Thomas’s lead and turn to trusted companions, faithful and faith filled family and friends, who will support us and show us away from doubt to living face. Like the disciples who were in the room when Jesus came among them, we to have received the Holy Spirit. Today let us consider where we are on the journey of faith, turn to trusted companions in the Holy Spirit to strengthen us on the way, and know that the Lord is with us as we live in grow in relationship with Christ.