7 Days of Virtue; Day 5 – Faith
Think of virtues like your muscles. You work your muscles out so that they can perform for you when needed. Virtue is the same way. You practice, work on the virtue and then, when the time comes, the virtue is there and ready.
Day 5 of the 7 Day Journey through the Virtues: DAY 5 – FAITH.
Faith, simply put, is a relational trust in God. Trust is an incredible part to faith. Trusting in the unseen is difficult, but an amazing experience when you allow yourself to do so. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that faith is the intellectual assent to God’s revelation (intellect) and a personal adherence to God (entrusting one’s self to God) (will). Therefore, faith is the intellect plus the will. Thinking and doing.
Intellect allows us to think about faith. There are a few vices that can get in our way, however…
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Unbelief – either by ignorance (no knowledge) or by opposition (choice not to believe).
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Heresy – a choice to disagree with what Christ taught.
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Doubt – a lack of understanding.
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Blasphemy – making jokes about God, the Church, etc.
In relation to the will, our actions allow us to believe.
Faith is an incredible thing, and an amazing gift to possess. For some, it’s difficult to really believe, to really let go of the pieces of life that we can control. When you get to the point of being virtuously faithful, it will change your world. All of us, as with all virtues, can gain the virtue of faith, meaning that we have the habit of being faithful (trusting) and that faith comes to us 1. easily 2. joyfully 3. promptly and 4. consistently. Practice and Grace… that’s what gets us to all the virtues.
Man up!
