This post is the second in a series of posts called “Living Life in the Light of Faith” a chapter-by-chapter exploration of Pope Francis’ first encyclical letter “Lumen Fidei“—the Light of Faith. Even this series only scratches the surface of it, so I suggest you read the entire letter.
It All Begins in the Father’s Arms
“Faith’s understanding is born when we receive the immense love of God which transforms us inwardly and enables us to see reality with new eyes.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 26
We’ve talked before about the reality that faith is a gift. It’s not something we earn by merit, but something we only receive as a free gift from God. I think this is very important, because many times we want others to believe what we believe. We might be willing to do whatever possible to make someone believe, but in the end it’s up to God to bestow the gift and the other person to accept it.
This is especially true in our conversations with athiests. We want them to know the ineffible power of the love of God, but it’s not ours to give. We can be only a reflection of His love, hoping and praying that they receive this precious gift. It’s all about love. We want others to experience the love that we have come to know. But this love is not the same as what our contemporary culture has come to know as love.
“Love cannot be reduced to an ephemeral emotion. True, it engages our affectivity, but in order to open it to the beloved and thus to blaze a trail leading away from self-centeredness and towards another person, in order to build a lasting relationship; love aims at union with the beloved.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 27
We must reiterate here that God doesn’t force us into faith. His gift of love is always subject to the openness and receptiveness of the other. But the power of God’s love is able to reach even the most hardened of hearts. This is why we who know this love never lose hope. We always see the light in the darkness and know that the darkness can never overcome the light (Jn 1:5).
Faith is Like a Fire
When Moses first experienced God, He saw Him as a burning bush, yet the fire did not consume the bush. This is not just some fantastical image, it explains an important truth about how God interacts with us. He doesn’t control us. He sets us on fire with His love without ever taking away from us our uniqueness, our personality, our humanity.
“This respect on God’s part for our human eyes shows us that when we draw near to God, our human lights are not dissolved in the immensity of his light, as a star is engulfed by the dawn, but shine all the more brightly the closer they approach the primordial fire, like a mirror which reflects light.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 35
These are beautiful words and they possess such truth. This is what we see in the saints. They have entered so deeply into relationship with God, they have become so “engulfed” in His love, that they glow. You remember the people couldn’t look at Moses after he came down the mountain from the presence of God. His face shined so brightly he had to wear a veil. The same was true for Jesus in the transfiguration. We are at long last able to see the face of God alive in them. That is why we as Christians must always have and maintain a personal prayer life in order for our relationship with God to grow ever deeper.
“The more Christians immerse themselves in the circle of Christ’s light, the more capable they become of understanding and accompanying the path of every man and woman towards God.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 35
This abundant love is the source of all our service. We are called to love both God and neighbor, but God comes first. And from that intimacy with God stems our desire to share that love with the world, especially those who are most lacking in love. As Christians our service to others is a result of our relationship, it is God who is love working through us.
Faith is Being Touched by God
“Love and truth are inseparable. Without love, truth becomes cold, impersonal and oppressive for people’s day-to-day lives. The truth we seek, the truth that gives meaning to our journey through life, enlightens us whenever we are touched by love.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 27
This a beautiful expression of what it means to enter into the love of God—to be touched by God. That is faith! Because having been touched by God, felt His presence, there is no denying it. There are no explanations. We know for certain that God is real and that His love surpasses all understanding.
“The truth which faith discloses to us is a truth centered on an encounter with Christ, on the contemplation of his life and on the awareness of his presence.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 30
In order to live in the “light of faith” we are continually following Jesus, because not only does He model for us the way of faith, He Himself is emmanuel—God present among us (Mt 1:23). Unfortunately for us, so many have dismissed Him, ignoring His presence and denying His existence. To walk in the light of faith is to live in deep personal, intimacy with God just as Moses did.
“Truth nowadays is often reduced to the subjective authenticity of the individual, valid only for the life of the individual. A common truth intimidates us, for we identify it with the intransigent demands of totalitarian systems. But if truth is a truth of love, if it is a truth disclosed in personal encounter with the Other and with others, then it can be set free from its enclosure in individuals and become part of the common good.”
~ Lumen Fidei, 34
This post is the second in a series of posts called “Living Life in the Light of Faith” a chapter-by-chapter exploration of Pope Francis’ first encyclical letter “Lumen Fidei“—the Light of Faith. Even this series only scratches the surface of it, so I suggest you read the entire letter.