THE POWER OF FAITH
A number of years ago, a young woman worked as an executive for a growing company. Her work required that she travel frequently in the small private jet owned by her employer. Everyone in the office knew that she dreaded traveling by air.
One day as she was flying back to Minneapolis, a very serious thunderstorm began to develop directly in the path of the jet. The pilot told everyone to be seated and warned them the approaching turbulence would be severe.
The woman tightened her seatbelt, closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and began to recall a verse from the Bible that she had memorized long ago, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1: 7).
Suddenly the plane began to shake violently. Some of the passengers began to scream as luggage fell from the overhead compartments. As the commotion continued, the plane began losing altitude and continued to drop as if there were no end in sight. At this point, the passengers completely panicked fearing that the death of all would be the outcome. Throughout the ordeal, the woman, her eyes closed, continued reflecting on the Bible verse. She even began to recite it aloud numerous times: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control”.
As the pilot struggled to bring the small jet under control, the company president got word about the situation. He immediately left his office and went to the airport. As the plane landed he went out on the flight apron to greet his employee. He had expected to find her in very bad shape. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to find her calm and confident as she left the plane and walked onto the tarmac.
“What happened? How did you manage to remain so calm?" he asked. "We all know that you're terrified of flying in our small jet.” The woman simply looked at him peacefully, smiled, and then said, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control”. This true story illustrates the power of faith.
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you” (Luke 17: 5-6).
Faith is a gift that we receive at our Baptism. It is an infused virtue that allows us to see in a superior way. Faith does not contradict reason; rather it enlightens our reason. The gift of faith allows us to see the invisible in the visible world.
Faith allows us to see the loving presence of God in nature. It is the gift that allows us to see Jesus in our neighbor. Faith allows us to hear the voice of God through the Holy Bible. The gift of faith assures us that Jesus is really and truly present in the tabernacle of every Catholic Church.
It is true that the adversities of life can challenge our faith. Many times we seek instant solutions for our problems. Faith allows us to be calm and patient, since it is faith that allows us to trust. God does not have an email address. He is not as fast as a microwave oven. He does not work like instant oatmeal. God is different because he is eternal. Let us recall the words from this Sunday’s first reading: “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live” (Habakkuk 2: 4).
Of necessity, the gift of faith needs to be cultivated if it is to flourish. We must cultivate our faith through prayer, study, and a well disciplined spiritual life. Moreover, the best way to cultivate the gift of faith is through our daily encounter with our Eucharistic Lord. The Eucharist is the mystery of faith. At each Mass the priest announces, "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith" immediately following the Consecration.
The Eucharist must be the center of our spiritual lives. Daily Mass, adoration, and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament will ignite the fire of faith and provide us with the strength that we need to journey every day towards eternal life.
Moreover, aside from a deep Eucharistic life, a deep life of prayer is essential for us to have. Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is a continual being in love because God is real and personal. No matter what might be going on in our lives, we must always pray, and pray daily. Prayer is the air that we breathe.
When I speak to you about a life of prayer, I am not referring to the mere saying of prayers. I am talking about something much deeper. There are different types of prayer. One form of prayer is vocal prayer and another form of prayer is mental prayer. There are two types of mental prayer. One form of mental prayer is meditation and the other form of mental prayer is contemplation.
Meditation and contemplation are quite different. The person who meditates usually uses the Scriptures or some other spiritual book. Contemplation does not employ any books at all. Contemplation is the prayer of the heart and not of the mind. Contemplative prayer may focus on a word or a mantra or one may simply be in the presence of God.
You do not have to live in a monastery to be a contemplative. Everyone can be a contemplative. No matter what your profession may be, everyone has the possibility of having a deep relationship with Jesus.
One of the greatest challenges that we encounter is our inability to see and to listen to God. We are caught up in the distractions of daily life that prevent us from really encountering God.
Our busy lives require refreshing times of prayer throughout the day. If we fail to incorporate prayer into our schedules, we will be overcome by the difficulties and challenges of life. Prayer feeds faith. St. Teresa of Avila, the famous Spanish mystic, once wrote: “Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God, wants for nothing. God alone is enough” (PoesÃas 30).
A serious life of contemplative prayer is very important for the times in which we live. The traditional structures of support that have made our lives comfortable and easy are presently engulfed in confusion, but transformation is slowly taking place. God is moving us away from clinging to things, people, and institutions. He is calling us to detachment, to the desert, to the journey into the night of naked faith. He is calling us to cling to him, and only him. This journey is difficult, frightening at times, and even risky. But, those who embark upon the journey will be transformed into living witnesses of the God of love.
My dear friends, this may sound a bit extreme, but I have reached the conclusion that the only way that we will be able to handle the challenges of our times and the difficulties that are to unfold is through the exercise of daily contemplative prayer. This is true because contemplative prayer allows us to experience the peace that only God can give us.
We all need moments of solitude. Spending a quiet time before the Eucharist, reading the Scriptures during a peaceful moment at home, taking tranquil walks through the woods or along the beach all are necessary for our soul. In order to be with God, we must develop the ability to be alone with ourselves.
This Sunday’s liturgy reminds us that a deep spiritual life will feed the gift of faith that has been given to us at our baptism. Faith will always give us peace and serenity. “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you.” Faith allows us to be calm and patient, since it is faith that allows us to trust.
“Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God, wants for nothing. God alone is enough”
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