Making Faith Real
With some Encouragement, I have decided to try and post a little more regularly. Some of the people who have read it seemed quite touched, and this in turn has touch me, and inspired me to write more often.
But I will not lie to you, it is difficult. It is hard to take faith, as in a belief system, and turn it into something concrete and real; at least it is for me. I struggle with making my faith a physical as well as spiritual reality, to make the great leap from faith to action. This is a very catholic way of explaining this problem. But it is important to all christians and all people who have found great love.
Making faith real. This blog is part of how I begin to make my faith real. I am a shy man, I find it hard to deal with people I do not know. This is like an exercise, a way to prepare myself for the day when I might need to speak aloud. But do I need to do more? How much more?
Do I need to feed the poor? Stop the destruction of the enviroment? Spread the faith? Go across the world in missions? Raise a family? Remain celebant for the rest of my life?
I think that in the end, we must each find our own way to walk the path; in Catholicism, we believe each person has a unique 'calling' which must be discerned. Its a dangerous thing to say, because people *have* walked their own path and have found themselves looking across a chasm at the God which they originally desired to see. But two things can help: One, always follow the path of love; two, paradoxily perhaps, be willing to submit yourself to others who share in your love of god and man, or what I would call the Church (submit is a strong word, but it is nessecary to reconize that perhaps a single wo/man cannot completely understand the will of god alone; s/he might require others who share in his/her faith to provide guidence). And perhaps, you will find that your destinity leads you to celibicy in Africa where you clean the wounds of the sick; or maybe your destiny will be parenthood in a little suburb. All that really matters is that you find your true calling and that you live with the love of god and man in your heart. And remember, all callings are equal in the eyes of God, something that Catholics sometimes have a hard time remembering.
Do not for a moment think that I have mastered any of this. Even As I write, I wonder, am I trying to hard, is it enough, does it say what needs to be said, is it truly from god? All of these things I wonder, and I might always wonder. Its a struggle, but we are called to struggle. I hope I have said something useful.
But I will not lie to you, it is difficult. It is hard to take faith, as in a belief system, and turn it into something concrete and real; at least it is for me. I struggle with making my faith a physical as well as spiritual reality, to make the great leap from faith to action. This is a very catholic way of explaining this problem. But it is important to all christians and all people who have found great love.
Making faith real. This blog is part of how I begin to make my faith real. I am a shy man, I find it hard to deal with people I do not know. This is like an exercise, a way to prepare myself for the day when I might need to speak aloud. But do I need to do more? How much more?
Do I need to feed the poor? Stop the destruction of the enviroment? Spread the faith? Go across the world in missions? Raise a family? Remain celebant for the rest of my life?
I think that in the end, we must each find our own way to walk the path; in Catholicism, we believe each person has a unique 'calling' which must be discerned. Its a dangerous thing to say, because people *have* walked their own path and have found themselves looking across a chasm at the God which they originally desired to see. But two things can help: One, always follow the path of love; two, paradoxily perhaps, be willing to submit yourself to others who share in your love of god and man, or what I would call the Church (submit is a strong word, but it is nessecary to reconize that perhaps a single wo/man cannot completely understand the will of god alone; s/he might require others who share in his/her faith to provide guidence). And perhaps, you will find that your destinity leads you to celibicy in Africa where you clean the wounds of the sick; or maybe your destiny will be parenthood in a little suburb. All that really matters is that you find your true calling and that you live with the love of god and man in your heart. And remember, all callings are equal in the eyes of God, something that Catholics sometimes have a hard time remembering.
Do not for a moment think that I have mastered any of this. Even As I write, I wonder, am I trying to hard, is it enough, does it say what needs to be said, is it truly from god? All of these things I wonder, and I might always wonder. Its a struggle, but we are called to struggle. I hope I have said something useful.
posted by King O' Mauve at 1:26 AM
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