How to keep faith in moments of extreme uncertainty?

At a time when the pandemic of Coronavirus is sweeping across the world, this question becomes even more pertinent.

What is actually faith?

There is a ‘transmitted’ faith and an ‘owned’ faith. Transmitted faith is one that I get from the culture around me – especially my family and friends. I believe because of those whom I value believed. That can be a good start. But unless it becomes an ‘owned’ or ‘personal’ faith, it does not become real. The Catechism introduces faith as a response. CCC 142-143 clearly says that faith is a response to the Invisible God’s revelation of Himself to a person to be in His company (fellowship). By faith, man responds by completely submitting his intellect and will to God. With his whole being, man gives his assent to God, the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, “the obedience of faith”. Real Faith is all about trust in a person and it is possible to trust in an Invisible God only because He revealed Himself to us.

Let us examine the faith of the two disciples who were distraught at the things that happened in Jerusalem and were on the way to Emmaus, a village that was seven miles from Jerusalem (Lk 24). The Bible says their faces were downcast. (v 17). Why was it so? We get the answer from their own words which we read from verses 19 to 21. Jesus’ words, his miracles, his authority had surely aroused them and their faith. They acknowledged him as a prophet and truly believed that Jesus was going to redeem Israel. They would have, in all probability, heard Jesus speaking about his passion but either they chose to ignore it or they could not comprehend it. And when things really did happen, they could not make sense of it. Their statement ‘we had hoped that he was the One who was going to redeem’ simply manifests that their faith had simply evaporated.

Compare this with the faith of people mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11… Abraham, who took his only child in obedience to be sacrificed, Daniel who trusted in the Lord more than the Emperor’s decree, Moses who stretched out his hands to separate the Red Sea. Or the faith of New Testament stalwarts like Stephen, the first martyr or Peter, and John, who spoke so boldly of Jesus before the Sanhedrin.  This is the difference between the transmitted and owned faith. When God reveals himself to a soul in His own unique ways, the soul chooses to place its intellect and will in complete obedience to God no matter what happens. The declaration of Paul in the midst of his suffering manifests this. ^“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim 1:12). Even in the midst of his suffering, Paul is boldly holding on to his faith as he KNOWS in whom he has believed. That ‘Knowing’ of a person is so strong and intimate that ‘nothing can separate us from His love’. This knowing of God is much more than an intellectual understanding and comes as a result of a growing relationship with God that proceeds from a revelation of God of himself. Rom 8:31-39 is a bold declaration of Paul wherein he declares that ‘in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”.

Jesus assures us that ‘in this world, we will have tribulations’ (Jn 16:33). Today, it may be a pandemic or yesterday, it could be child abuse instances by clergy or a severe personal hurt and tomorrow, it could be a senseless tragedy. But as Jesus cautions the disciples of John the Baptist, ‘blessed is the ones who does not stumble on account of me’ (Mt 11:6). Our faith will be tested; like Job or Joseph, Peter or Paul. But a man of faith is absolutely confident that not even a hair will fall from his head without the Lord knowing about it. Therefore, his heart is steadfast on God and his ways, which often are too high that he cannot comprehend. 

So how can we prepare for the storms that are going to lash against our house?
1. Ensure that our faith is a response to God’s revelation. It is an owned faith.

2. Get to know God more intimately through a fervent and faith-filled reading of the word of God – for faith comes through hearing

3. Pray so that we might not fall into temptations. We really need the grace to withstand trails of faith.

4. Be in the company of people who ‘walk by faith and not by sight’. Faith is contagious and we can stir up our faith lives by being in good fellowships.

5. Frequent the sacraments of Eucharist in love and faith and Confession, when we falter.

6. Choose to focus on Him and not on our trials. Only God knows how he can work all of them for our good. And He will!!!

As your faith grows, so will your convictions of His sovereignty over everything… And you will have the courage to walk with him through the green pastures and dark valleys. You will say like the Psalmist (27)…”My heart shall know no fear!” It does know fear, but the soul chooses to focus on what the Lord says and not on what the senses shout. As St. Jose’ Maria says ” “He did not say you would not be troubled, you would not be tempted, you would not be distressed, but he did say you would not be overcome.”