Doubt and Faith

The readings for today's liturgy embrace the two different sides of faith, both strong and weak. It should not surprise us that sometimes we are plagued with doubts and at other times we are as sure as we can be. Such moments are just another part of our human limitations.

In the Acts of the Apostles today we hear the marvelous story of Paul and Silas in prison. So strong was their faith and so convinced were they of God's care that their jailor and his entire household were converted to faith in Jesus. However, the Gospel shows us the apostles on the opposite end of that experience as they contemplate the notion that Jesus will no longer be with them in this world. Their hearts are full of grief. Jesus' words, meant to bolster their faith, have a hard time piercing their emotions.

We are no different than the apostles. I am sure that you can all relate instances in your life when you were absolutely sure of God's love and care for you. At the same time, we have all known periods of time in our lives when we were overcome by grief and when our faith was weak. Remember the man in St. Mark's Gospel who proclaimed: I do believe; help my unbelief. There have been many times in my own life when I have prayed the same words.

So as we ponder the Scriptures today, we also look forward to what the day will bring, each event an opportunity to place our trust in God's divine mercy and providence.