The both-and of Catholic Faith

When most people think of faith, we think of a kind of trust in the divine action of God. God works in our lives. We trust that he does. You gotta have faith, right.

WRONG!

Faith is a far more complex topic than that simple definition. The catechism says, "Both a gift of God and human act by which the believer gives persoanl adherence to God who invites his response and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed. It is this revelation of God which the church proposes for our belief, and which we profess in the Creed, celebrate in the sacraments, live by right conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of charity (as specified in the ten commandments), and respond to in our prayer of faith. Faith is both a theological virtue given by God as grace, and an obligation which flows from the first commandment of God." p. 879 of green second edition. The entire first section of the catechism deals with faith.

So faith is not a simple-minded trust. It is both a gift and a responsibility.

A classic illustration: An old man or woman is in her or his house as the flood waters come to overcome the house. Several times, people try to save the person but, each time, the person sends them off because they have faith. Finally the person dies and goes to heaven. The person gets angry either at the Father or Jesus or St. Peter and one of them responds, "Hey, I sent all these people to help you. What more could I have done." Point: faith isn't pie-in-the-sky trust. It's intellectual trust and trusting in God working through other people.

So, should people be shocked that a church has lightening rods? Or that we take out kids to the hospital when they are sick instead of church? Of course not. That's not breaking faith. That's knowing and understanding that God is not a divine pupeteer. He gave us each other and expects us to take care of what he has given to us. Faith has been given to us and we trust in it but we must also nourish it. We give trust in God but we also trust that God has put people in our life to serve us.

Catholicism holds two things that seem contradictory together. It's one of the things I love about it.