The Presence of God in Prayer

When Jesus tells the parable of the Persistent Widow, St. Luke reminds us that he told this parable, to teach us that is it necessary to “pray always and without becoming weary” (Luke 18:1). St. Paul tells the Church at Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing.” Christians throughout the ages have taken these commands seriously.

As St. Augustine points out, however, we cannot really be “on our knees all the time, or prostrate ourselves continuously, or be holding up our hands uninterruptedly” (Expositions of the Psalms 33-50, 9-10).

Instead, St. Augustine says we offer an interior prayer --the prayer of our heart. He says,  “If you do not want to interrupt your prayer, let your desire be uninterrupted. Your continuous desire is your continuous voice. You will only fall silent if you stop loving” (Expositions of the Psalms 33–50, 9-10). Now I do not want you to think Augustine is saying prayer is a kind of prayerful positive mental attitude, elsewhere he notes,

Therefore we pray always, with insistent desire, … But, we also pray to God in words at certain fixed hours and times, so that we may urge ourselves on and take note with ourselves how much progress we have made in this desire, and may rouse ourselves more earnestly to increase it. (Letter 130, p 390).

The most important thing in our prayer is our heart. God invites us to share our heart and our desires with him. We need to make a habit of lifting up our heart before God. Then we need to ask him to purify our desires according to his will. “Draw near to God” St. James reminds us, “and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

Tonight I would like to share some thoughts about building an awareness of God’s loving presence in our prayer and in our life. This awareness is not just a technique for prayer, but the very foundation of our prayer life.

God makes himself present to us in four ways: through his all-seeing but loving gaze, through his power, through his essence and ultimately in his indwelling presence.

His Loving Gaze

First, we have traditionally said God is present in his “presence,” but we understand this in a restrictive way. God sees everything. The eyes of God are always upon us. The writer to the Hebrews notes, “No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account” (Hebrews 4:13). For some this might create the fear that God is constantly looking for our mistakes.

We must remind ourselves that God’s gaze is always loving and merciful. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father is watching and sees the son returning from a long way off. He runs to meet him, and immediately treats him with love and mercy.

What does this mean for our prayer and our heart? Throughout the day, we can frequently call to mind God’s loving gaze upon us. When we fully grasp this truth, it leads us to desire to purify our intentions. It leads us to seek God’s approval for all our thoughts and actions.

His Power

Secondly, God is present in his power. By this, we mean that nothing happens in the world that is outside God’s control. While God does not cause evil things to happen, nothing happens that God does not at least permit. Everything that happens is in some sense from God’s hand. Further, what he allows is mysteriously used for good. We must learn to trust in his love and mercy in his plan for us. St. Paul tells us, “[God] chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him” (Ephesians 1:4). Before the first moment of creation, God already had a personal plan for each one of us.

In our human relationships, the people we love can betray us, and they often break our trust, but God is always faithful and has a plan for our ultimate good.

Since God already knows all things, and will act according to his divine purpose, prayer is not a time to inform God about things or to persuade God. When we pray for a favor, and Gods grants this favor, we have not changed God’s mind by our prayer. Instead, God has moved us interiorly to pray, and made us aware of something he had already chosen to give.

His Essence

Third God is present in his essence. As composite beings of body and soul, we often think of ourselves as a body with a soul, but more correctly, we are a soul, with a body. Our soul is the eternal, rational part of our composite being. It is far more important than our body.

By his divine essence, God is not only causing us to live, but to exist. We are given life when God shares his divine essence with us. It is impossible to think of this as something distant. God, in his divine essence, is the very foundation of who we are. Everything we do, and every aspect of who we are, shares in his divine essence. Without his essence, we would literally cease to exist.

In St. Paul’s missionary preaching to the Athenians at the Areopagus, he says ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ (Acts 17:28). If we wish to relate this truth to our prayer, it would teach us that God is not spread out over all of creation, but knows us individually and personally. He knows us by name. In fact he knows us better than we even know ourselves.

In our human relationships, we might have closer friends who know us better than others, but no part of our life is hidden from God. He is never distracted or focused elsewhere. In terms of relationship, we have everything we need, or could ever desire from him.

Perhaps fear might enter our heart. We might think, “I’m not that important, why does God care about me?” This is to misunderstand who God is. Unlike us, he is not limited by his attention, or focus, he is always fully present and has revealed his unwavering love for each one of us as individuals. There is no need to play favorites, or take turns with God.

His Indwelling Presence

Finally, God’s presence by his indwelling is the most important and intimate form of knowing him. If it is possible to think of something more personal than what we have already discussed, God’s presence by his indwelling is even more personal. The reason is that when God dwells in us, we then dwell in him. We are not just held in existence by his presence; we live in him and share his presence.

Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). We understand this to mean that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will indwell us.

By his watchful care, and by his power and essence, God guides and sustains us, but by his indwelling, he makes his home in us. Furthermore, the first three ways are available to all of creation, but the indwelling of the Holy Trinity is only available to a Christian in the state of grace.

God’s indwelling presence makes us friends of God (John 15:15) even more the very bride of Christ.

In taking up residence within our hearts, this does not mean that God takes up room within us, pushing what is us, out of the way. He expands our hearts so that we become more, without giving up anything of who we are. We are changed but without being diminished in our individuality. He builds upon and transforms our nature into something new.

As St. Paul tells us, “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He also notes, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Imagine what would happen tonight if each one of us were to believe God’s promise given to us by St. James. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). What would happen in our lives, in our families, in our parish community?

For a more detailed treatment of this topic, see Practicing the Presence of God

Growing the Seed of Faith

In our Gospels for this Sunday (Luke 17:5-10), the apostles ask our Lord, “Increase our faith." Jesus gives them a curious response. "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you” (Luke 17: 5-6).

 

Faith is “both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God who invites his response, and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed.” (CCC glossary). We know these “unseen” truths indirectly through credible witnesses whom we trust. [Read more: A Primer on Faith.]

 

The apostle’s request to increase their faith raises some interesting questions. Do some people have more faith than others do? Is it possible to increase the amount of faith we have? 

 

Regarding greater or lesser amounts of faith, there are many examples in Scripture suggesting that faith varies from person to person. Jesus repeatedly chides his disciples in Matthew’s Gospel, calling them “men of little faith” (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 16:8, 17:19-20).  

 

Perhaps the most dramatic story about faith concerns Peter walking on water. Seeing Jesus walking on water, Peter too walks on the water, but becomes afraid and begins to sink crying out, “’Lord, save me.’” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘O man of little faith, why did you doubt?’ (Matthew 14:30-31).

 

Initially Peter’s faith is great, but it becomes weak through fear and doubt which degrade the firmness of the will.  Faith varies from person to person. Subjectively, using the intellect brighter minds seize upon truth with greater certainty, and stronger wills may have a greater readiness for loyalty and devotion. Grace builds upon, and perfects nature. 

 

St. Paul notes there is also diversity in God’s distribution of supernatural gifts of faith, they are given to each person “…according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned” (Romans 12:3). 

 

How does faith increase? On one side of the equation, God created us with certain gifts and talents (our natural intellect and will) and has also gifted us differently in the realm of grace. All of this is God. 

 

On the other side of the equation, we have our human response and cooperation. A fundamental change occurs with the full submission of our intellect and will to God, in the act of faith we call the obedience of faith. Following this, we grow in faith both naturally and supernaturally through our ongoing cooperation.

 

Some examples in the natural realm might be our cooperation through learning about our faith through reading the Bible, and other spiritual books.  Many times, people who are struggling with their faith have false notions about God, Jesus Christ, and the church. 

 

We also know that our will can be strengthened through the disciplines of regular prayer, penance and frequenting the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. [Read more about the Graces of Frequent Confession].

 

 For a longer treatment of this Gospel see: Lord Increase Our Faith

Lord, Increase our Faith.

In our Gospels for this Sunday (Luke 17:5-10), we have two themes. The first concerns faith and the second is about having a servant’s heart. While we might not see how these themes are related, I believe they are. 

The apostles ask our Lord, “Increase our faith." Jesus gives them a curious response. "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you” (Luke 17: 5-6).

 

Before examining the apostle’s question about faith, it might be helpful to review what we understand by the word faith.  In Hebrews, we read a definition of faith: 

“Now faith is the assurance (hypostatis, ὑπόστασις) of things hoped for, and the evidence (elenchos) ἔλεγχος) of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, my translation).  

 

Faith is not about what we can know scientifically through our senses or logically in our mind. To the extent that the evidence for these things is clear, we just know them to be true. No faith is involved. Faith is about those truths we know which are ‘unseen’ (Hebrews 11:1, Romans 8:24–25). Religious faith is directed at what is unseen, and what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:6). We know these truths indirectly through credible witnesses whom we trust. 

 

Faith is “both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God who invites his response, and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed.” (CCC glossary). As a gift of God, faith is a supernatural virtue infused in us by him (CCC 153). The Holy Spirit moves the human heart to bring about conversion and illumination. The Spirit moves and leads our heart, but faith is still a free human act. We know the truths of faith by means of our intellect and will as they cooperate with divine grace, which leads us to freely assent with mind and heart. Faith is necessary for salvation and the act of faithleads us to the obedience of faith (Romans 16:25–26). This a foundational commitment by which we offer the whole self freely to God, and by which we offer the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals. [Read more: A Primer on Faith.]

 

The apostle’s request to increase their faith raises some interesting questions. Can we have different amounts of faith? Do some people have more faith than others do? Is it possible to increase the amount of faith we have? Does Jesus reply about a tiny mustard seed imply that just a little faith is enough, or that faith is not something we measure? Could Jesus response to the apostles mean as long as we have some faith that is enough?

 

Regarding different amounts of faith, greater or lesser, there are many examples in Scripture suggesting that faith varies from person to person. Jesus rebukes his disciples many times in Matthew’s Gospel, calling them “men of little faith” ( Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 16:8, 17:19-20).  When the disciples are unable to cast out a demon, which Jesus later casts out, the disciples ask him “in private”, “Why could we not drive it out?” (17:19). 

 

Jesus replies to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:19–20). After all, the normal expectation of a disciple would be to imitate the life of the master. The disciples of Jesus would expect to do the things Jesus does. This saying from Matthew parallels the second part of Jesus saying in our gospel. Clearly, Jesus is teaching the disciples to have faith through his own teachings and life example.  They are being formed by him, and he is not giving up on them.

 

Near the end of his earthly life Jesus says to the apostles, 

Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive. (Matthew 21:21–22).

 

One is reminded of Jesus’ saying John 14:21,

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.

 

Similarly, St. Paul’s comments to the Corinthians, 

“…if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Perhaps the most dramatic story about faith concerns Peter walking on water.  Seeing Jesus walking on water, Matthew tells us, 

Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31).

 

The clear implication seems to be that Peter’s initial faith, which appears great, is negatively impacted by fear and doubt. As Jesus said, “if you have faith and do not waver” (Matthew 21:21).  Peter was successfully exercising faith and even walking on water, until he became afraid and doubted or wavered. Bloomberg notes, “The word “doubt” (from Greek distazō) suggests the idea of trying to go in two different directions at once or of serving two different masters simultaneously” ^[ii] If faith as the full assent of the intellect and will, then doubt and fear degrade the firmness of the will to its purpose. 

 

In our modern world with its high value on equality, some people may be shocked to think that faith could be greater in a sharper intellect, or in someone who has a stronger will. Yet the material object of faith varies from person to person as one believer assents more explicitly than another. Subjectively, brighter minds seize upon truth with greater certainty, and stronger wills may have a greater readiness for loyalty and devotion.^[iii] Grace builds upon, and perfects nature. 

St. Thomas notes that, “… he who is better prepared for grace, receives more grace” But he also notes, “Yet it is not here that we must seek the first cause of this diversity, since man prepares himself, only inasmuch as his free-will is prepared by God. Hence the first cause of this diversity is to be sought on the part of God… ^[iv]

 

We should expect diversity in the natural order but is there also diversity in supernatural gifts of faith? St. Paul writes to the Romans, 

 

“For by the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned” (Romans 12:3)

 

Just as God has given different gifts and talents to each person, he has also apportioned faith differently. When we think of exercising faith, James highlights connections between prayer and healing calling it the “payer of faith”. He writes,

 

Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. (James 5:14–15).

 

God determines how these graces are distributed in the body of Christ. All of God’s gifts are given to us for the benefit, encouragement, and building up the church (1 Corinthians 14: 3, 12).

 

Returning to the request of apostles in our Gospel, “Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’” (Luke 17: 5), what are they asking for? 

 

First, I think we should notice what is presumed. The proper response of man to God’s revelation, aided by the interior movement of the Spirit, is what the Bible calls obedience of faith (cf. Acts 6:7, Romans 6:17). The Fathers of Second Vatican Council describe the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26 and 2 Corinthians 10:5-6) as “an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him.” (Dei Verbum, 5). This a radical change of the entire persons outlook, making Christ the center of their life. Without this step, there can be no progress in the growth of our faith. 

 

Since we do not know the apostle’s hearts, we have an incomplete picture, but they have literally left everything to follow Jesus. The fruit of their lives demonstrates that this fundamental change of heart has taken place (perhaps not in Judas). 

 

More likely, the disciples question centers on being fully or maturely Jesus’ disciples who are able to exercise or practice their faith. As disciples the apostles would expect to know Jesus’ teachings and to imitate his life to the point of being another Christ. As we see Jesus teach them earlier in Luke, “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).

 

They are asking then to know and love Jesus more, and to have greater conformity of their will to his. Could they also be asking for supernatural gifts of faith? I think this is highly likely. They may be asking to exercise something like the “prayer of faith” that James refers to (James 5:14–15).

 

What about Jesus’ response? He tells them, “"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.” (Luke 17: 5-6). 

 

In the original Greek this a conditional statement, If this true, then this will also be true. There are normally two types of conditions. One construction that was used to refer to a real condition and a second different construction, which refers to an unreal condition. Here Luke has mixed these together with a real condition in the “if” statement and an unreal condition in the “then” statement. 

 

Bovon suggests the meaning, “You do have faith, but your faith does not uproot any tree.” ^[v] Marshall suggests a motive. Luke constructs it this way “due to politeness: the disciples’ request presupposes that they have some faith, and ‘if you had faith’ might seem to deny this assumption too bluntly.”^[vi] Fitzmyer agrees noting that constructed otherwise “… the implication would then be that the apostles do not have as much as a mustard-seed amount of faith^[vii]

 

What are we to make of this? Do we suggest as some commentators have that only a tiny bit of faith is necessary, so the disciples should not be asking for more? I am reluctant to agree with this statement, given what Jesus has said elsewhere. Surely, we can ask to deepen in our understanding and knowledge of the faith, and to grow in virtue and thus we strengthen our will. What about asking for an increase in the supernatural gift of faith?

 

Would it also be pious to pray for an increase of the gift of faith? On the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Collect, we pray, 

 

Almighty ever-living God,

increase our faith, hope and charity,

and make us love what you command,

so that we may merit what you promise.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever. ^[viii]

 

Clearly, the church in its universal prayer has all the faithful praying to increase in faith, hope and charity. The fact that this prayer refers to the three virtues of faith, hope and charity, indicates that the supernatural virtues are in view. In popular piety it also the custom to pray the first three beads of opening the “tail” of the rosary for an increase in faith, hope and charity. Let us pray then, “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love…”

 

We must decide which pair of glasses to put on through which we will see Jesus’ response. Will we choose to see it as a rebuke, or as a teaching moment in the journey of discipleship? Since it is a good and holy thing to pray that we might increase in faith, I think this is a teaching moment. Jesus desires each one of us to have great faith. 

 

How does faith increase? On one side of the equation, how much faith we receive depends on God. He created us with certain gifts and talents (our natural intellect and will) and has also gifted us differently in the realm of grace. All of this is God. 

 

On the other side of the equation, we have our human response and cooperation. A fundamental change occurs with the full submission of our intellect and will to God, in the act of faith we call the obedience of faith. Following this, we grow in faith both naturally and supernaturally through our ongoing cooperation.

 

Some examples in the natural realm might be our cooperation though learning about our faith through study. We can increase our faith by reading the Bible, reading the Catechism, and reading other spiritual books.  Many times, people who are struggling with their faith have false notions about God, Jesus Christ, and the church. These false ideas have consequences in their faith life.

 

We also know that our will can be strengthen through the disciplines of regular prayer, penance and other spiritual practices. Our faith is also increased through frequenting the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. (Read more about the Graces of Frequent Confession).

 

The final words of Jesus in our Gospel remind us that the obedience of faith requires humility and docility to God’s will. The servant does all he is commanded, and simply replies to our Lord, “’We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’” (Luke 17:10). Let each one of us recognize that all we have is from God and offer him our thanks and obedience.

---

^[i] R. Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, The Theological Virtues, I, On Faith (London: HerderBook Co., 1965) 343.

^[ii] Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 235.

^[iii] Garrigou-Lagrange, Ibid. 343.

^[iv] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.).ST Ia IIae, q. 112, a 4

^[v] François Bovon, Luke 2: A Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 9:51–19:27, ed. Helmut Koester, trans. Donald S. Deer, Hermeneia—A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2013), 496.

^[vi] I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 644–645.

^[vii] Joseph A. Fitzmyer S.J., The Gospel according to Luke X–XXIV: Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 28A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 1143–1144.

^[viii] The Roman Missal: Renewed by Decree of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, Promulgated by Authority of Pope Paul VI and Revised at the Direction of Pope John Paul II, Third Typical Edition (Washington D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), 490.

 

A Primer on Faith

How Does the Bible Understand Faith?

In Hebrews we read: 

“Faith is the realization (hypostatis, ὑπόστασις) of what is hoped for and evidence (elenchos) ἔλεγχος) of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NABRE2nd).

“Now faith is the assurance (hypostatis, ὑπόστασις) of things hoped for, the conviction (elenchos) ἔλεγχος) of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 RSVCE).

On the surface, this verse contrasts ‘realization’ (‘assurance’ RSVCE) from opinion, suspicion, and doubt. It also refers to ‘things not seen,’ which distinguishes it from those truths known through Science or the first principles of reason. The verse does not explicitly point to God as the object of divine faith, and to hope in him, but this is clearly implied.  Attridge and Koester note that we see the hoped-for goals of reward, salvation and divine life in the verses, which follow. [i]

Attridge and Koester observe,

Faith, in other words, involves both affective-volitional and cognitive elements; it is obedient fidelity and trusting belief at the same time and both components are essential. The perception of reality that faith provides gives the basic motivation³⁴ to endure trials and tribulations. [ii]

Craig R. Koester notes the translation “assurance” captures this more completely as both “a pledge or guarantee and subjectively it is a personal state of certainty”[iii]

While not denying the subjective element of faith, the objective nature of hypostasis is much more prominent in this verse.  Yet Mitchell suggests, “It is not out of the question that the author may intend both senses.”[iv]

The “assurance of what is hoped for” finds its reality in the object of our hope, which is God and his promises. Hypostasis (“assurance”) in ancient philosophical literature pointed to the “reality” behind appearances [v] this is also suggested by suggested by “the parallel between hypostasis (“assurance”) and elenchos, which was the “proof” of something’s existence or truth.” [vi] Elenchos never has the subjective sense of “conviction.” The RSVCE is incorrect on this point.

Many modern commentators have distanced themselves from Luther’s purely subjective interpretation of hypostasis as “sure confidence.” The primary sense of the word seems to be objective but we need not deny a subjective element. The paradigmatic act of faith later in Hebrew 12:1-3 may point in this direction.

Pope Benedict XVI is willing to concede that faith has a subjective element, but does not think we see this in Hebrew 11:1. He notes, “Faith is not merely a personal reaching out towards things to come that are still totally absent: it gives us something. It gives us even now something of the reality we are waiting for, and this present reality constitutes for us a “proof” of the things that are still unseen.” [vii]

The writings of St. Paul echo similar notions. The apostle writes, “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance” (Romans 8:24–25).  In a similar manner, St. Paul writes, “For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). And a few verse later, “So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:6).

Religious faith is directed at what is unseen, and what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:6).

Thinking More Deeply About Faith 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church 

According to the glossary to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Faith is “Both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God who invites his response, and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the characteristics of Christian faith, by noting that faith begins as a grace given by God. “Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him” (CCC 153). In order to attain faith, we must first be moved and assisted by God. The Holy Spirit moves the human heart to bring about conversion and illumination. 

While it is true that faith is brought about by the interior help of the Spirit, it is still an authentically human act. “Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed are contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason” (CCC 154). The human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace.  We offer our assent to divine truth by the free exercise of our will, which is nonetheless moved by God through grace (CCC 155).

While the revealed truths of faith do not appear true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason, we nevertheless believe ‘because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.’” (CCC 156). Yet this is not blind faith but faith seeking understanding. Faith is in accord with reason and strengthened by the external proofs of his Revelation and be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit (CCC 156).

Because of this, faith is certain, in fact more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. (CCC 157). The act of faith seeks deeper understanding and a more penetrating knowledge it truth which will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love. (CCC 158). In the words of St. Augustine, “I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe.” [St. Augustine, Sermo 43, 7, 9]

There is no inherent conflict between faith and truthful science: “Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth.” [Dei Filius 4: DS 3017] (CCC 159).

The act of faith is of its very nature a free act, which requires that no one be forced to believe against their will (CCC 160). Faith is necessary for salvation [Dei Filius 3: DS 3012; cf. Mt 10:22; 24:13 and Heb 11:6; Council of Trent: DS 1532] (CCC 161).  The free gift of faith is precious and must be carefully preserved. We can lose this gift (CCC 162).

Faith is the beginning of eternal life and a foretaste of the heavenly beatific vision CCC 163). Yet the Catechism warns, “'we walk by faith, not by sight' [2 Cor 5:7]; we perceive God as 'in a mirror, dimly' and only 'in part.' [1 Cor 13:12]. Even though enlightened by him in whom it believes, faith is often lived in darkness and can be put to the test” (CCC 164).

Faith in General

Today the word ‘faith’ is for the most part is a religious word.  Although we might say we have faith in a friend or spouse. The word faith in the Bible, however, is a general category for the activity of knowing or believing. It means, “to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in”. [viii]

This not generally how we use the word ‘faith’ today in English. We might say to someone, “I believe there is a gallon jug of milk in the fridge,” but unless we are joking, we would not say, “I have faith there is a gallon jug of milk in the fridge.”

The act of coming to know something can be of two types. [ix] The first would be a scientific demonstration or a logical idea that our mind see as self-evident. We assent to this type of truth because we simply see that it is true with our senses or with our mind. We assent or agree to the truth of the idea, because we are the moved by the intrinsic evidence of truths. The evidence in this case is something concrete.

Scientific Demonstration

Assents to things seen by the senses either: 1) empirically observed 2) or seen when the mind grasps that something is true by the first principles of reason as well as those truths logically deduced or inferred from evident principles. Assent by intrinsic reason which is moved by the intrinsic evidence of truths.

 The second type of knowing works in a parallel fashion but instead of what we see ourselves we assent based on things that are unseen.  Our will assents to things unseen but it does not directly see the intrinsic reason for the truth of a given proposition

In order to believe something in this category we must have some motive, and the motive is not concrete evidence. If the motive is strong and the assent is firm, we call this faith. If the motive for assent is weak or uncertain, then the resulting act is opinion.

Therefore, in a certain sense, faith stands between scientific or logical demonstration and opinion. It is an act of both the intellect and the will. When we make an act of faith, the intellect assents to a given truth (or falsehood) because the will chooses to do so motivated by the credibility afforded to the witness. The credible witness substitutes for the undeniable evidence of the first category. Yet this is not “blind faith” as some would characterize it. It is assent with thinking and the character of the witness weighed by our intellect.

Although we do not call this ‘faith’ in common speech, we frequently make acts of faith in everyday life. If my dog is sick, and I take him to the veterinarian and she tells me that feeding Fluffy grapes is the cause of his sickness, I am not going to spend eight years studying to receive my own DVM credentials, I instead make an act of faith and assent to the truth the veterinarian has shared with me. I believe in something, which to me is unseen, based on the credibility of the witness. If my neighbor or friend shares some other reason for Fluffy’s illness, which I consider doubtful, and I question his credibility, but I give weak assent to this idea, then it is opinion.

Religious Faith

The above example about natural faith, but we also knowledge based on faith. We can distinguish two types of knowledge based on faith—human faith, when we rely on another person’s witness (as in the case of pupil/teacher, child/parent), and “supernatural faith (when the testimony comes from God himself, who is Supreme Truth). In this latter case the knowledge provided is most certain.” [x]

 Faith and Opinion

• Assents to things unseen and does not directly see the intrinsic reason for the truth of a given proposition.
• The intellect moved by the will, assents to an unseen object only if there is some motive for giving assent. The motive is a witness who is either credible or not credible.

Faith

• If the motive is so strong that the assent is firm, than the resulting act is called faith.
• Faith is a firm impulse of the will, founded upon a sufficiently credible witness. The proposition merits firm assent because of the authority of those who teach it.

Opinion

• If the motive for assent is uncertain, then the resulting act is opinion.
• Opinion is a weak impulse of the will which remains in doubt with fear.

Supernatural Faith

• A firm assent of the mind to things unseen as supernatural virtue by which we believe the truths God has revealed, moved by God’s grace and motivated by God as Truth.

Supernatural faith is a firm assent of the mind to things unseen as supernatural virtue.  We believe the truths God has revealed. By his grace, God’s own truth moves and motivates us to assent. The credible witness in this case is God himself. As a kind of preamble, we can determine philosophically that God exist, and historically we can see that it is reasonable to believe that God has spoken through the prophets and finally in the person of Jesus Christ. In addition to the work of the Holy Spirit are three concrete classes of witnesses.

Three Classes of Witnesses

1) The prophets who announced His coming

2) The Apostles who witnessed His Incarnation (preaching, Passion, and Resurrection)

3) The Church, which preserves and passes on the deposit of faith [xi].

Again it should be emphasized that this is faith seeking understanding, ad not some kind of unthinking obedience to authority. As St. Paul admonishes the Corinthians, “We destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4b–5). This is assent with thinking.

The Act of Faith

In the realm of grace, and moved interiorly by the Spirit, God calls for a specific human response to his witness. St. Paul writes to the Romans,

“Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles” (Romans 1:5).

“Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25–26). 

The proper response of man to God’s revelation, aided by the interior movement of the Sprit, is obedience of faith (cf. Acts 6:7, Romans 6:17).

The fathers of Second Vatican Council describe this obedience as involving two aspects.  First, it is a commitment by which we offer the whole self freely to God, and by which we offer the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals. Secondly, we must acknowledge the work of the Spirit of God, whose interior help must precede and assist our will, moving the heart and turning it to God, and opening the eyes of the mind.

"The obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4)  [xii] and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5)[xiii] To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts. (Dei Verbum, 5) 

Augustine Cardinal Bea comments on this passage and the notion of obedience of faith. He  notes that while this obedience is an act of the intellect and will,

“ …we must not reduce it to a mere act of the intellect, or even to an act of the will. With faith ‘man entrusts his whole self to God’. It is not just a question of accepting doctrine as true, nor yet of simply accepting this or that religious practice. The purpose of God’s revelation is to make a man a son by adoption, and to admit him to fellowship with himself …To believe means to accept God’s plan, to allow one’s own life to be transformed and given a definite significance and direction.[xiv]

Cardinal Ratzinger in his earlier writings notes,

In other words, belief signifies the decision that at the very core of human existence there is a point that cannot be nourished and supported on the visible and tangible, that encounters and comes into contact with what cannot be seen and finds that it is a necessity for its own existence. 

Such an attitude is certainly to be attained only by what the language of the Bible calls “turning back,” “con-version.” Man’s natural inclination draws him to the visible, to what he can take in his hand and hold as his own. He has to turn around inwardly in order to see how badly he is neglecting his own interests by letting himself be drawn along in this way by his natural inclination. He must turn around to recognize how blind he is if he trusts only what he sees with his eyes. Without this change of direction, without this resistance to the natural inclination, there can be no belief. Indeed belief is the conversion in which man discovers that he is following an illusion if he devotes himself only to the tangible. This is at the same time the fundamental reason why belief is not demonstrable: it is an about-turn; only he who turns about is receptive to it; and because our inclination does not cease to point us in another direction, it remains a turn that is new every day; only in a lifelong conversion can we become aware of what it means to say “I believe.”[xv]

While faith itself is an objective reality, the notion of the obedience of faith involves the movement of the heart, and a decisive change to our being as we cooperate with the graces of the Holy Spirit.  Since faith involves both the intellect and the will it necessarily connect to our cooperation and subjective response, even though founded on an objective reality. 

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[i] Harold W. Attridge and Helmut Koester, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989), 308, n 31. ”Enoch (vs. 5) attains immortality; Noah (vs. 7) salvation; Abraham (vss. 8–9) a place of inheritance; Sarah (vss. 11, 12) promised offspring; Abraham (vs. 19) his son, offered to God; Joseph (vs. 22) burial in Israel; Moses (vs. 26) a reward. In the concluding passage (vss. 32–35) there is a lengthy list of the goods attained through faith.”

[ii] Ibid., note 34 “Note the motivations ascribed to the various biblical characters in vss. 11, 14–15, 19, 26.”

[iii] Craig R. Koester, Hebrews: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 36, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 472.

[iv]Alan C. Mitchell, Hebrews, ed. Daniel J. Harrington, vol. 13, Sacra Pagina Series (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007), 228.

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2007).

[viii] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 375–376.

[ix] St. Thomas Aquinas, ST II-II, q. 1, a. 4. resp.

[x]The Letter to the Hebrews, The Navarre Bible (Dublin; New York: Four Courts Press; Scepter Publishers, 2005), 114.

[xi] Lawrence Feingold, Faith Comes from What Is Heard: An Introduction to Fundamental Theology (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Academic, 2016), 31.

[xii] First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Chap. 3, "On Faith:" Denzinger 1789 (3008).

[xiii] Second Council of Orange, Canon 7: Denzinger 180 (377); First Vatican Council, loc. cit.: Denzinger 1791 (3010).

[xiv] Augustine Cardinal Bea, The Word of God and Mankind, (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1967) 105.

[xv] Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990), 50–52.

Finding time for Lazarus

Our Gospel for this Sunday (Luke 16:19-31) opens with a contrasting story of a rich man and poor man named Lazarus. The Hebrew name Lazar is a shorten form of Eleazar, which means “God helps” and is very apt for the poor man who is completely dependent on God and others.[i]

 If this story is a parable, it is the only parable of Jesus, which specifically names the character in it. Because of this, some interpreters have seen this as a story, rather than parable. The truth is it is difficult to be certain either way. Some have feared understanding this passage as a parable, thinking this might weaken the truths it reveals about the afterlife.

This is not at all obvious! Why would Jesus tell even a parable, which gives a misleading picture of the truths of the afterlife?

Jesus contrasts two characters with very graphic language. Later tradition named the rich man Dives, but this is a clear misreading of the later Latin translation. Dives means rich in Latin.[ii]  The rich man is unnamed in Scripture.

Jesus describes the man as extremely rich. "There was a rich man” Jesus says, “who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day” (Luke 16:19).

Jesus describes his outer garment as ‘purple’ the most expensive type of garment made from an exclusive purple dye extracted from a sea snail (Acts 16:14). This color was associated with kings and gods in Roman culture and represented the highest luxury. It was a royal color.

The fabric of his undergarments was “byssus," a fine linen from Egypt. The stock phrase ‘purple and fine linen’ indicated the most expensive attire. The phrase “he was dressed” indicates in Greek, that he wore these clothes customarily, likely daily.

The man dined sumptuously each day. The word dined is not the ordinary word for dining, but instead for feasting and the adverb sumptuously implies, “magnificently,” “luxuriously,” or “lavishly.” Everything about this description implies extraordinary riches, and conspicuous consumption.

The description of poor Lazarus is perhaps even more graphic in contrast. Jesus notes, “And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores” (Luke 16:120-21).

The word used for ‘poor’ implies that he was in a continuous state of being destitute. He was not just in need of some material help, but in an ongoing state of abject misery and poverty. The phrase “lying at his door” likely implies that Lazarus was at least ill or crippled, but possible even too ill to move. We are left with the impression that Lazarus was brought to the gate by others, and left there to beg. He is covered in sores or ulcers. These sores are not likely leprosy, or he would not be able to beg publicly. 

He is so weak that he could not prevent dogs from licking his sores. In the Jewish mind, this would make him unclean. Lazarus is completely out of control, and dependent on others. The expression being left lying there may even imply something stronger, that he was dumped there and discarded by others, and that he had no support.

Yet in this sorry state, he waits begging at the door or more correctly a luxurious gate to the rich man’s mansion. Lazarus longs to eat even the scraps that fell from the rich man's table (Matthew 15:27). Yet he is unnoticed and forgotten and receives nothing. He is so ill that he dies shortly after this, perhaps even from hunger.

Jesus continues, “When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment…” (Luke 16:22-23).

 Our lectionary translation begins “When the poor man died…” In English seems this to imply “sometime later,” but the original Greek means simply “it came to be” or “it happened that.”[iii]

 In keeping with his, name Lazarus, who is helped by God, he is left unburied and uncared for in death, but carried by God’s messengers to the “bosom of Abraham.” This expression in contemporary Judaism meant a place of eternal rest, and bliss in the afterlife.

 Initially Hades or Hebrew Sheol, is seen as a general resting place for all the dead, yet their fates were not the same as seen in our Gospel (CCC 633).  While we have the complication of a kind of intermediate state of the dead, prior to Christ’s death and decent into Hell, already their final states are revealed. This many not yet be the later Heaven and Hell but their fates are still predetermined at death. See note IV below.

 By way of contrast, the rich man also died suddenly.  He is cared for in his burial. Yet his destiny in the afterlife is the opposite of poor Lazarus. The rich man is immediately in ‘Hades’ or “the place of the dead” for the unjust, and not in the bliss of heavenly comfort. [iv]

 What do we make of this reversal of fortunes?

 First in the Ancient Near East it was common to assume that prosperity in this life was sign of God’s blessing, and adversity a sign of God’s displeasure (Psalm 73). Jesus has already contradicted this notion earlier in Luke’s Gospel. In his Sermon on the Plain Jesus notes, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours” (Luke 6:20). Being rich in the selfish manner of the rich man which Jesus describes, is not a sign of God’s blessing. In stark contrast, Lazarus carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham.

 At the very moment of death, our eternal fate is finally determined. We call this the Particular Judgment. This takes place immediately after death and before the Final Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). The Catechism warns us, “Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.”

The Catechism reminds us there are only two possibilities at the time of death, 

 “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately,—or immediate and everlasting damnation” (CCC 1022). 

The rich man now sees Lazarus who he ignored in earthly life. Reversing his earthly fortunes, the rich man is in torment in the place of the dead. He pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus “to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool” his tongue, because now he is “suffering torment” in flames. (Lk 16:24). His entitlement in his earthly life still prompts him to think of Lazarus as someone he can command to do his bidding. The rich man’s power and privilege in earthly life have no standing in the life to come.

Abraham chides him in response,

…remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours (Luke 16:25-26).

We cannot change our eternal destiny after our death. There are no do overs or second chances. Purgatory is not a second chance for the unrighteous, but a place of purification for the blessed. The possibility of accepting or rejecting divine grace has ended.  A “great chasm is established” to prevent anyone from crossing from Hades to Heaven. Clearly, this is a sobering thought for each of us!

Realizing the finality of his fate (Matthew 25:46), the rich man then pleads for his brothers who are still living but who have not responded to God’s call. However, Abraham replies that if his brothers will “…not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ (Luke 16:30). ‘Someone’ here is an allusion to Christ rising from the dead.

Jesus rose from the dead to offer us God’s mercy and love and the forgiveness of our sins. Yet we must repent, accept his forgiveness, and experience conversion to receive it. We cannot presume upon God’s mercy, thinking we can have his forgiveness without the conversion of our hearts. We need to cooperate with this grace to receive it.

The rich man is not in torment for being rich, however, but because he did not cooperate with God’s grace and allow his heart to be fully submitted to God. As Jesus said in our previous Sunday reading, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). Linking this story to the previous Gospel, the rich man was called to “make friends on earth” with his unjust wealth (Luke 16: 9), so that he would instead have treasure in heaven.

As we see in the life of Lazarus, the gateway to conversion is humility, complete and utter dependence on God, and submission to his will. It is precisely by being poor that Lazarus came to depend on God completely. As Jesus reminds us, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours” (Luke 6:20).

Each one of us can also be poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). We can humbly come before God and depend on him to give us true happiness. We can lovingly accept the sufferings of this present life, knowing that our eternal soul has far greater value than chasing the selfish dream of riches in this life.

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[i] The Hebrew לַעְזָר (Lazar) is a contraction of אֶלְעָזָר (Eleazar).

[ii] “Homo quidam erat dives,” incorrectly read as “There was a certain man, Dives.” Instead of “There was a certain rich man.” Other early traditions name him Nineuēs likely a corruption of Phinehas, so later read as Finees, or Finaeus. 

[iii] Fitzmyer notes,  Lit. “and it happened that the poor man died.” Luke uses egeneto de + infin. (with subject acc.) this Greek construction is taken as a Septuagintism cf. Joseph A. Fitzmyer S.J., The Gospel according to Luke X–XXIV: Introduction, Translation, and Notes, vol. 28A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 1132.

[iv] ᾅδης , ‘Hades.’ the nether world, the place of the dead.

The Catechism notes,

Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell”—Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek—because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”: “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.” (CCC 633).