Recollections, Reflections

By definition, faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something; strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

We live in confusing times, where in our faith is being put to a test. Certain ideas by personalities that are hard to ignore have been expressed casting a cloud of doubt on the very religion that has been nurturing our collective faith in God as a Catholic nation.  Some of us are jolted; others are outraged.

I am one of many who feel that something is not quite right – and that something must be done. But instead of looking only towards our religious shepherds to set things right, each one of us in the Catholic faith is equally obligated. Hence, we all have a part to play.

As an educator, I take upon myself to do something to ensure that our students, especially the young, will develop a strong faith in God and that they will grow up to be prayerful. They can start by regularly reciting the three o’clock prayer and the Angelus, and have a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin by praying the rosary. This is a personal campaign that I wish to carry on in partnership with the parents.

Parents have a vital role in ensuring that their children know how to pray. It may start on the children’s lips, before it will sink deep into their hearts. Intense prayers can move mountains.

In these trying times, we need to keep the faith – and let no one and no force be able to shake it. Our faith itself shall be our source of strength, for enlightenment, for peace, today and always. We shall dig deep into our religious dogmas in search of the hand of God to point us to the right way.

Now, more than ever, we need to be true to our faith. Perhaps it is not enough to contain our faith within our individual selves. Perhaps we need to proclaim our faith to others, to make God real in their lives too.

We need to be mindful of the needs of others, especially the less fortunate. We shall strive to see the light of the truth that we are all children of the One God that treats us all as equals. We shall remind ourselves, always, that the air we breathe and all the resources there are and there will ever be are provisions that God sends for all, for free. No one shall take more than the others. Or, those who have more shall take care of those who have less.

Our God is the God of all. If we, the faithful, practice what is good and kind, we will be the true reflection of the God we believe in. And then we shall be truly deserving of each new morning that God sends us as a gift – and His light will fill us up as we open our eyes.