The Extreme Importance of Faith

It’s not news that our entire world, both sides of it, religious and secular, is in a tailspin right now. We need something to grab onto, like a buoy, to steady us and keep us from going under.

In these and future turbulent times, remember this important point: Jesus is our rock. We do not put our trust in men, we put our trust in the Lord our God. He, alone, is our Savior. Keeping our eyes fixed on God, we can discern His will in our own lives.

Sometimes God will test us. We are frequently unfaithful to Him, so he gives us opportunities to restore our relationship with Him. The graces that he offers us are innumerable, and they require our cooperation. That means we must surrender our own will to His. We can fight it and be miserable or we can accept His will for us and cooperate with it. The choice is ours. Attitude is everything.

Jesus never promised that our trek would be easy or comfortable, either. He promised us the forgiveness of our sins and an eternal share in His Kingdom, if we take up our cross and carry it daily. Yes, this is a requirement to be a disciple of Christ.

What does that mean? Well, in short, it means to accept God’s will in your life. Jesus said, “…Father, take this cup from me… Your will, not mine.” He surrendered His own will to that of the Father, giving us the perfect example to follow. Your will, my Lord, not mine. This isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. Trust is essential, here. And there are steps we can take to build that.

The first step is putting God first in our lives. How do we do that? Well, arranging our secular life around the Mass schedule is a great place to start. Attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. We have some Holy Days coming up. Rearrange your schedule to attend Mass on those days, even if it’s a week day.

Pray every single day. Pray in thanksgiving for something in your life. Pray before meals, even when you’re in a restaurant or at someone else’s house. Pray the rosary. Don’t know the mysteries? Has it been a long time? There are books available to help. Don’t have a rosary? Get one, a rosary book and use it. It’s the best 20 minute daily habit to start.

The hard truth is that unless we act on the graces offered to us, then the chaos of modern life will continue to drag us down. Prevent the emptiness and despair that the world offers.

So, to sum it up, this craziness that dominates our world is a distraction meant to confuse us. Don’t let it shake your faith. No one is more powerful than God. Don’t let anyone come between you and Him. By attending Mass attentively on a regular basis and praying attentively every single day, we’ll begin to feel this hunger to know more, for a deeper relationship with Him, the world around us will appear differently, we will understand that our desire will be for God and can only be sated by Him.

Putting God first, putting His will before our own, this is order. This is the way to satisfaction. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Do you want to be satisfied? It’s a true test of faith to hand your life over to God. It is truly right and just.