Faith simply means as confidence or trust in a person. In a
human relationship, we can only put our faith and trust in someone we are
interested in or experienced good things and kind treatment
from that person. If things go wrong, then our faith slowly dwindles up to the
point of losing our interest, love, and respect to the person we put our faith
and trust in. Sometimes people even lose their sanity and ruin their lives because
the faith they have valued, treasured and nurtured for someone they cared for was
tarnished, broken or not reciprocated.
From a Christian
perspective, faith is an act of trust and of self-abandonment by which people
no longer rely on their own strength and policies but commit themselves to the
power and guiding word of Him in whom they believe.
According to Lumen
Fidei, it categorically states that faith illuminating life means Christ
affecting our life and our convictions. Indeed a christification of our life
and commitments, convictions and values are called for. It is in this sense,
"Faith in Christ brings salvation because in Him our lives become
radically open to a love that precedes us, a love that transforms us from
within, acting in us and through us." (Cf. Chapter 1, no. 20.) The
encyclical is clear: What is communicated in the Church, what is handed down in
her living Tradition, is the new light born of an encounter with the true God,
a light which touches us at the core of our being and engages our minds, wills
and emotions, opening us to relationships lived in communion.
In fact, the heart
of the message which Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) communicates provides an
assurance that both consoles and consolidates the faith community by calling
its attention towards a genuine awareness of the gift of faith- who is Christ
Jesus Himself.
As it is clearly
defined and presented by the Catholic Church, the very core of faith is Christ
Jesus himself. He is the ONE and ONLY reason for us to live a faithful life. In
the holy mass, we are all called faithful that gather and pray together to
declare and affirm our love and devotion to God, our loving and faithful
Father.
In reality, faith
seems to be a neglected and slowly dying gift instituted by God to humanity. People
nowadays are likely to be succumbed to all forms of self-serving and
self-fulfilling activities that only gives earthly and temporal pleasures and
happiness. A lot of intellectualization and rationalization are consumed by
human beings to explain their enormous and selfish desire to things they wanted
to do not realizing that they are slowly walking to a path of oblivion.
Seemingly, they are putting their faith to the outside world where GOD is out
of the equation.
In my life, I have
all faith in God that He will always provide and bless me and my family especially
in moments of need. I have proven many times that God has always prepared
something especial and great for me that I just have to patiently wait and work
hard for it. God has impressed in my
heart and in my mind that no matter what happens, His plans for me will always
be wonderful. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says,” For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.”
Now I ask you,
“Where is your faith now?”
