Deep Faith Amid Life’s Storms

A deep faith–it’s what’s needed to weather life’s storms–now and in the days ahead. What storms? You pick: current trends in the Church, in society as a whole, or something more up close and personal in your own life or that of a loved one.

Deep Faith and Scripture

Jesus tells us, “…whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Mt 21:22) Consider the woman in the Gospels who suffered for a dozen years with an incurable hemorrhage ((Mk 5:25-34).  Or Blind Bartimaeus, the poor beggar (Mk 10:46-52). Both approached Jesus with a deep faith–an unshakable faith. Both received healing from Our Lord. In each of these cases, Jesus stated that the miracles were the fruits of their faith. Fast forward two millennia. Do you possess that kind of deep faith? Of course, you profess your faith when you pray the Creed. But, do you really mean it from the depths of your heart?

Facing the Big Storms

It’s easy to profess a strong faith when things are going well.  But, what about when things seem to take a turn for the worse? There’s no denying that some of us face daunting challenges. Life-threatening illnesses, losses of loved ones, or difficulty making financial ends meet–these represent just a few of such challenges. In all of these circumstances–indeed, in every moment and every aspect of life, Jesus is there.

Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD has some pertinent advice in this regard:

Although the difficulties we encounter may be serious ones, discouragement is never justified. We become discouraged because we reflect on our powerlessness…we remember or past failures…we place before ourselves the prospect of situations which are beyond our strength, making them appear like insurmountable mountains…But a soul who has faith in God, who is sure of its God, well knows how to find a way to escape from these straits and makes use of its own impotence and difficulties as a springboard to plunge into God by a strong, determined act of faith. (Divine Intimacy, pp. 705-706)

God is present in the moment, feeling your experiences, your pain and your emotions. His Sacred Heart beats with your pain and suffering.

St. Peter tells us, “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) In other words, “plunge into Him,” for he truly does care about you. God cares more about you than you can ever possibly imagine. He always has and always will–in moments of deeply troubling questions or in the everyday dilemmas of life.

Chronic Challenges: Facing the Daily Storms

 In the daily routine of life, do you rest in the peace of the Lord, in a deep faith? Or do you find yourself frequently becoming anxious, worried, or agitated? If you conduct a particular examen spanning the time period since your last confession, what patterns of negative thinking and behavior might you find?

What do your thinking patterns say about the virtue of faith in your life? According to Gerry Rauch , the following could indicate room for growth in your faith: experiencing continuing discouragement over past failures; dealing with significant anxieties about future situations; or carrying a burden of doubt about your abilities.

As well, having tendencies toward low self-esteem or toward trying to please others and gain approbation, thus avoiding rejection, might also indicate a lower level of faith. Now, if none of this remotely describes you, then growing in the virtue of faith may not be an issue for you. On the other hand, if you’d like to shore up your faith, there are some practical steps you can take.

Deep Faith: Belief in God and His Love for Us

But, first, what is “faith”? Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen writes:

“Faith ought to be the light which envelops not only our moments of prayer, but our whole life as well…We forget that God is all-powerful and can help us in every difficulty. In losing sight of the light of faith, which makes us see everything as dependent upon God and ordered by Him for our good, we lose ourselves in merely human considerations and protests, as if God had nothing to do with our life or had very little place in it…” (Divine Intimacy, pp. 707-708)

Faith is an infused supernatural virtue given to us by God. To have faith is to believe in God, in Who He is, in What He says. This comes down to an act of the will; we believe because we will to believe. Of course, this requires grace from God. And we, for our part, need to respond to His grace in love. 

Deep faith means we trust in His love and care for us. It’s important to boil this down from an intellectual collective “us” level of understanding to a personal “me” level–to have “heart knowledge” of God’s infinite love and care for me as an individual person. At the personal, individual level, what’s your faith like?

I Believe; Help My Unbelief!

Of course, if we’d like to grow in faith, our first recourse is to pray, pray, pray. Never underestimate the power of heartfelt prayer. If you don’t already have a habit of mental prayer, start one. Pray for the grace to grow in the virtue of faith and its undergirding gifts of the Holy Spirit–understanding and knowledge. Spend time in the Real Presence of the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. Ask Our Lady’s intercession and that of your patron saints. Frequent the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession. 

Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP, in Spiritual Theology, provides suggestions for strengthening your faith, including the following:

• Reject anything that could endanger your faith or that promotes anti-Christian values
• Avoid intellectual pride (i.e., “I know what I need to know–my judgment is infallible–and I don’t need anyone else telling me anything.“) 
• Study the faith to learn more about it;
• Make devout acts of faith
• Look at God through the eyes of faith as unchangeable, infinitely good, and merciful, regardless of your prosperity or adversity, consolations or desolations
• Recognize that the faith lived intensely will be a source of consolation in the sufferings of this life

Which one or two of these suggestions most resonates with you?

Growing in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Fr. Aumann further suggests that we can dispose ourselves to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit by practicing interior recollection and solitude; being faithful to grace once we do hear Him speak; and frequently, fervently invoking Him.

Recollection and solitude: What dissipating habits do you have that create over-stimulation or at the very least, a lack of quiet time with the Lord in your day? Can you find more silence in your routine, to listen for the voice of God? Implementing a habit of daily mental prayer with Scripture will help attune your spiritual ear to the voice of the Lord.

Fidelity to grace: How often have you had a notion to do or say something (a kind word or deed, not an angry one or knee-jerk reaction to some offense received) and then actually followed through on it? Many of us probably can think of a time or two when we missed an opportunity provided by the Holy Spirit. With practice in listening with the ear of your heart and then acting, this will improve, though.

Invoking the Holy Spirit: Invoking the Holy Spirit can be as simple as praying, “Come, Holy Spirit,” or some other short aspiration. Or it can take the form of a prayer such as Cardinal Mercier’s or St. Augustine’s.

Deep Faith and Community

Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (Jn14:1) By making that act of the will, to believe in Jesus, to believe in God’s love for you, and continually reaffirming it, with God’s grace, you can come to know it ever more deeply in your heart. This is true, no matter how strong or how faint you believe your faith may be at this time.

As Dan Burke of Apostoli Viae is fond of saying, “saints run in packs.” You’re not in this alone. Surround yourself with others who believe; support one another. Encourage each other in your faith. If you’re not part of a parish community, find one. Join the men’s or women’s ministry in your parish; become a member of a prayer group or other small group within the parish.

Join a religious community for laity. For example, besides Apostoli Viae, there are secular Carmelites, Franciscans, Dominicans and the like through which members of the lay faithful participate in the spirituality and charisms of these orders. Benedictine Oblates, affiliated with a specific abbey, are laypersons who live the Rule of St. Benedict in their secular lives.

Whatever route you take, follow St. Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians, to encourage one another and build one another up. Do this to assist each other to continually grow in faith.

“…To exercise faith is to exercise God’s will…” – Partnership with Christ, Abbot Eugene Boylan, OCSO