Dear Friends,
On the left side of my door, there’s a set of blocks that spell the word FAITH.
Every time I pass by the door, I am reminded that FAITH is the first of the Theological Virtues. Our faith is more certain than human knowledge. Living faith is active and expressed through love.
Here is a good summary of FAITH that I learned in the seminary here in Perryville when I was a student.
Faith is a gift of God… a human act, an act of the intellect and will, a personal adherence to God, a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed, necessary for salvation, seeking understanding.
There are some expressions about faith that I like and that I have found inspiring and excellent for reflection and prayer. They come from various sources, but here are a few of my favorites:
“Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” – St. Augustine
“Faith is the highest passion in a human being.” – Soren Kierkegaard, theologian and author.
“Faith goes beyond reason – It is a passion for what reason can’t see.” – Yes, this quote really makes you think!
“For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, author. This quote is from the beginning of the movie *The Song of Bernadette*:
“The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.” – Paul Tillich, German Protestant theologian.
I have to admit that I have used the third quote more often than the other three in some of my presentations.
After all these years, I still find these quotes challenging and thought-provoking. All of these are from the pens of different authors across various centuries.
I hope you find at least one quote you like. I’ve provided four options. Take some time to consider them!
Which one is your favorite?
