HOW do we keep trusting in God in every mundane struggle? We meet life’s painful realities day by day, whether when it’s seeing children being harshly separated from their parents or merely when working with difficult people in our workplaces.
How do we keep trusting God amid the confusing information about the pandemic, the virus, the politics, and the moral issues of the Church?
How do we keep hoping for a vibrant parish despite the negative reviews, reports of declining attendance, and all the criticisms against the Catholic Church?
In other words, how do we keep being alive in faith, not dead in hope and aspiration for a better world and faith life?
The answer still lies in having a positive spirit and outlook, believing in many possibilities for growth and renewal. The answer lies in our steadfast belief in God’s power in our lives and the world.
Bishop Robert Baron shares his wisdom with us with regards to persistent faith in God’s power:
“Faith is power, for it is a link to the reality of God, the power that made and sustains the cosmos. When we remain in the narrow confines of our perceptions, thoughts, and hopes, we live in a very cramped way.
To have faith is to live outside the box, risking, venturing, believing the impossible. Sometimes, the power of faith is manifested in spectacular and immediately obvious ways.
There is a long tradition, stretching back to Jesus himself and including many of the saints, of faith healing. When someone consciously and confidently opens himself to God, acting as a kind of conduit, the divine energy can flow.
There is also the power of prayer. When some people ask in a spirit of trust, really believing that what they are asking for will happen, it happens.” (The Word of Fire Bible on Matthew 7:7-11)
The stories of hemorrhaging woman’s healing and Jairus’ dead daughter’s coming to life again in the Gospel attests to the power of God’s divine energy and life in Jesus Christ. All that we could do is not to constrain ourselves to the impossible realities of life but open up to the fantastic ways on how God can bring us back to life again! Amen.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
