An Act of Faith

   “The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.” (St. Padre Pio)

   Faith is the foundation of Christianity.  Whether in good times or in bad, faith will see us through.  The difficulty is maintaining that faith through the hard times.

   When things are going well it’s quite easy to speak of our faith.  We happily proclaim that we have faith in our Lord and His plan for us.  However, when tragedy strikes that faith can be shaken.  When God’s will and His plan for us doesn’t conform with what we feel it should we may feel disappointed or even angry.  After all, if God is loving and merciful, why should those who trust in Him suffer such pain.

   When we are in the darkness is the most important time to have faith.  It may be hard to maintain our faith; we may want to just give up and drown in our sorrow.  But God is there for us.  If we turn to Him in faith and trust in Him, He will see us through any hardship. He will help us carry any cross.

   Many of the saints speak of times of darkness.  Times when they couldn’t seem to find God in their lives.  Yet, they also tell us that these are the times when faith is most important.  These are the times when our faith can grow stronger and deepen.

   We were never promised that everything would go the way we want it to.  In fact, scripture tells us that we are to expect trial and suffering if we are to follow Christ.  Just as He suffered for us, there will be suffering in our life.  Our faith and His love will carry us through the darkness; He will lead us back to the light.

Lord, sometimes our faith is tested.

We find it hard to trust in you.

When our world is in turmoil we need You most.

Strengthen our faith, help us through the darkness.

Amen