Have you ever experienced something that really challenged your faith? It might have been a sudden death, a serious illness, the loss of a job, betrayal by a spouse or a friend, or the reality of war, poverty, and injustice in our world. Maybe it was a combination of things that led you to question God’s love, or even God’s very existence.
Jesus’ friends certainly had their faith challenged by his betrayal, arrest, and violent execution. Yet Jesus knew that this would happen, and that’s why he allowed Peter, James and John to see him transfigured in glory. He wanted to give them something to hold on to during and after the crucifixion. They could remember that moment when Jesus shone like the sun, and hope that Jesus’ death wasn’t the final word, and believe that there was something else, something better, yet to come.
There’s a lesson here for us. Whenever we face a crisis of faith, whenever our belief in God and his love is challenged for whatever reason, we can look back to those times that God has touched our lives and revealed some of his goodness and power to us, and we can be strengthened by that.
We can recall a prayer answered, an uplifting brush with grace, a time Scripture spoke directly to our heart, or an instance where God used a situation or another person to guide our life in a certain direction. And of course we can always bring to mind what Jesus did for us during his ministry on earth. When reflect on these things, our faith is strengthened, just as the transfiguration was able to strengthen the disciples after the crucifixion.
Jesus wants us to do this. Ironic as it sounds, we might say that when our faith is shaken Jesus wants us to remember, in order that we might not forget- that he loves us, is always with us, has a plan for us, brings good our of evil, and that is greatest wish, is that we spend eternity with him, in heaven.
Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/080611.shtml
I have experienced several things that have challenged my own faith, in many different areas. Though things in my life are much better and things seem to be looking up, I still feel the pain of some of the things that happened. I realized that no one can tell me how to heal, and that it has to be done in my own time, and that while I am at peace some days, others I am not at peace with the situation. Some days Jesus and I have a good relationship, and other days I question why this could happen to others and myself. I still feel that my faith has been challenged for quite some time, but reading this blog has been very helpful to me. I see that others struggle at times as well, and I get to see how they handle it.
Thank you for taking the time to write – your posts and other authors’ posts on this blog make me take the time to sit, read, and think about things.
Dear Katherine- Thank you for your honest words. You honesty is assessing what you see as the state of your faith is a gift. We do indeed go through what we might call “seasons” of faith. Some days it all makes sense. Others, we wonder how it makes any sense at all. A major ingredient in faith- and holiness, I might add- is perseverence. And you seem to have a large measure of that. God bless you.
Peace,
Fr. Scott