Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (7/13/2008)

Dear People of Holy Name,

In the parable of the sower, Jesus makes it clear that we must not only hear the word of God, but we must understand it. Coming to understand the word of God is not simply a matter of reason alone. It is also a matter of the heart as well and dependent on the grace of God. I also believe, for many of us, it is a matter of coming to know.

For some the journey of faith starts with much emotion. Some of our youth retreats in the church create a lot of feelings in our young people as they gather for weekend retreats. The experience of bonding with peers, letters of love from parents, and positive sharing with others creates a high that sometimes doesn’t last after a few weeks have passed. Granted a good experience has been had and a powerful memory created, but there comes a time when that isn’t enough.

There are times in life when our emotions are painful in a way that may make us question God’s goodness and may be so strong that we feel we can’t pray. It is then that understanding our lives as patterned after the life, death and resurrection of Christ is very important. If our faith is in a God who is to rescue us from every trial, then our faith will die. But if our faith is in a God who suffered himself and over came suffering through faith in his Father, then we have something to hang on to and find hope in the midst of our trials.

At other times we must believe that God is with us and know that when we can’t pray the Spirit prays in us. For most of us time brings the healing we need, as well as wisdom to understand life as a fruitful journey in Christ. Faith doesn’t lessen our struggles, but I do think it comforts us as we trust in a God beyond ourselves, who will shepherd us as we need it.

The gift of faith is that, a gift. Strong faith isn’t dependent on reason alone. If it were, then I would ask why intelligent people who are addicted, cannot overcome their addictions by reason alone. I’ve seen Harvard educated Deans go right back to drinking after treatment. There must be trust in a higher power to succeed and a surrendering to that higher power.

Faith is the gift of understanding the profound meaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, His sharing in our humanity, and his ability to show us our sharing in the divine. To have faith means we believe we are more than accidents of nature, roaming the earth. To have faith means we believe we are spiritual beings, and that the fullness of life for us is finding a balance between body, mind and soul.

The body is good, the mind a most precious gift, but understanding is a work of grace beyond the two. We can make the analogy that the body is like a piece of printed music on a page and the mind the ability to translate it into sound, but understanding is the spirit that moves us when we hear it. A waltz becomes a waltz in the hearing and lifts us up. So too, our faith in the Spirit of God becomes a powerful gift that lifts us up and fills our life with meaning.

Let us pray then for this gift of faith, to know the Spirit in all things. Then God’s wisdom will become a source of deep and profound joy for us all.

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo