Faith

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” Without faith, what are we as Christians? Without faith, we lose our hope and without hope, love dies. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says love is the greatest of all virtues but without faith, what is love?

“So now faith, hope, and love abide” 1 Corinthians 13:13

God has meticulously and patiently worked to grow my faith. Ephesians 2:8 shows how it is the grace of God which gives us faith, and through that faith we are saved. Faith gives eyes to our hearts and wings to our souls. Faith allows the Christian to keep getting up in the morning when all is despair.

I have a brother in Christ who went went several years ago. Frank was a man after St. Joseph’s heart, silent and strong and pure of faith. He didn’t say much but when he did, everything would come to a halt to listen intently. Frank developed a throat/jaw cancer. But, I don’t know that any of us who saw Frank in those last months could ever say he didn’t have faith. Actually, most would say Frank’s faith grew stronger and his vision became clear. He visited the national parks in his last year, he told me how he cried at the marvel of God’s magnificent work on earth but that it wasn’t the parks that took away his breath. Frank saw the incredible beauty as a shadow of what God promised in Heaven. His faith grew and became contagious.

At his funeral, I had the immense honor of being a pall bearer with several other of Frank’s Emmaus brothers. As I drove to the funeral home, I heard a song that seemed in my heart as if it were from Frank. As we waited in the hallway for the family to finish their final goodbyes, the song played again over the speakers. “Amazing Grace; my chains are gone” sang out and lifted my soul in joyful remembrance and knowledge that Frank was set free, there were no more chains holding him back. I knew my brother was gazing with joyful eyes upon all the glory of God’s throne. Every time I hear this song, I think of Frank and my heart is lifted.

By faith we believe and hold onto the hope that one day we will stand before our Merciful Savior and gaze upon Beauty Unfathomable. Jesus tells us over and over through the Bible, His saints’ messages and especially through His Blessed Mother’s words and St. Faustina’s diary that even at our worst and most wretched, if we but hold onto our faith in His Divine Mercy, trust, we will stand with Him someday. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

And through faith, our hearts will sing with Frank, “soon and very soon, I am going to see the King” so that one day we will see our chains are gone as we are set free.