“As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.”

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. ~St. Thomas Aquinas: (1225 – 1274: was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church)

Gospel Text: (JN 12:44-50)

Jesus cried out and said,

"Whoever believes in me believes not only in me

but also in the one who sent me,

and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.

I came into the world as light,

so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.

And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,

I do not condemn him,

for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.

Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words

has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,

it will condemn him on the last day,

because I did not speak on my own,

but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.

And I know that his commandment is eternal life.

So what I say, I say as the Father told me."

The world around us can make us spiritually blind: at times we fall prey to worldly ideas and lose sight of God's plan for us. Fragmented beliefs, especially those related to our quest for money, prestige and power, blur our vision of the simple and peaceful life God has planned for us. At times this may even lead to disbelief in God. Jesus assures us of his great love for us, "If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I have come not to condemn the world but to save the world."

In our life journey we are challenged when God is silent and when our prayers seem unanswered. We forget the many times God has responded to our prayers. We turn to other means which may seem to be quick fixes to our concerns. However, often these short cuts lead us away from the right path. At these times God seems to be absent; at these times we must stand firm in our faith in God: "Faith is the way of holding onto what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see." (Heb 11: 1)

What blocks our vision of faith in the God who loves and always stands by us?