March 1, 2010
Yesterday, I read a quote that said, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” – St. Thomas Aquinas. It reminded me of my friend, John. He was brought up as an atheist, but decided to give RCIA a try because his wife is Catholic. He struggled with the concept of faith. To him, having faith meant giving up control and believing in something that you can’t see or hear. But faith in God isn’t blind faith.
Instead of trying to give John advice, I told him a story: This week I’ve been teaching my students about the Lenten season. One of them asked why Lent is called Lent. I was stumped. Then another student raised his hand and gave me an answer that I’ll never forget: “Mrs. Peyton, I think Lent is called Lent because God LENT us His only son.” “Wow,” I thought.
Jesus was sent to teach us to believe. God knew that we’d question His existence if we were merely told to believe blindly, so He revealed Himself to us: He performed miracles, He sacrificed himself for us and He is present in the Eucharist.
Faith starts by opening your eyes, ears and heart and unblinding yourself. He will reveal Himself, no explanation required.