Illustration: Healing of the Man Born Blind, painted by El Greco in 1567
Pope Francis’ Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 17. Faith
Paul VI Audience Hall – Wednesday, 1st May 2024
Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 17. Faith
“Lord, increase our faith”.
Gospel John 9:35-385
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of man?”[a] 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him. Dear brothers and sisters,
Today I want to talk about the virtue of faith. Together with charity and hope, this virtue is called theological. There are three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.
Why are they theological? Because they can be lived – only thanks to the gift of God.
The three theological virtues are the great gifts that God gives to our moral faculties.
Without them, we might be prudent, just, strong and temperate, but we would not have eyes that see even in the dark,
We would not have a heart that loves even when it is not loved.
We would not have a hope that dares to hope against all hope.
What is faith? This question: what is faith?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that faith is the act by which the human being freely commits himself to God (1814).
In this faith, Abraham was the great father.
When he agreed to leave the land of his ancestors to head for the land that God would show him, he would probably have been considered mad.
Why leave the known for the unknown, the certain for the uncertain?
But why do this? It is madness, isn’t it?
But Abraham sets out, as if he could see the invisible: this is what the Bible says about Abraham. “He went, not knowing where he was going”.
This is beautiful. And once again it is the invisible that leads him to go up the mountain with his son Isaac, the only son of the promise, who is spared from sacrifice only at the last minute..
In this faith, Abraham becomes the father of a long line of descendants. Faith made him fruitful.
Moses was a man of faith when upon hearing the voice of God, he continued to stand firm and trust in the Lord, and even defending the people who were so often lacked faith.
The Virgin Mary was a woman of faith when, she responded to the angel’s announcement, which many would have dismissed as too demanding and risky, by saying, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). And, with her heart full of faith, with her heart full of trust in God, Mary set out on a journey of which she knew neither the route nor the dangers.
Faith is the virtue that makes a Christian. Because being a Christian is not first and foremost about accepting a culture, with the values that go with it, but being Christian means accepting and cherishing a bond, a bond with God: God and I, myself and the loving face of Jesus. It is this bond that makes us Christians..
On the subject of faith, an episode from the Gospel comes to mind.
Jesus’ disciples were crossing the lake and were surprised by the storm.
They thought they could cope with the strength of their arms, the resources of their experience, but the boat began to fill with water and they panicked (read” Mk 4: 35-41).
They did not realise that the solution was right in front of them: Jesus is with them in the boat, in the midst of the storm, and Jesus “was asleep”, as the Gospel says.
When they finally awaken him, afraid and even angry that he would let them die, Jesus rebukes them: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mk 4:40).
Here, then, is the great enemy of faith: it is not intelligence, nor is it reason, as some unfortunately continue to insist; but the great enemy of fear.
For this reason, faith is the first gift to be received in Christian life: a gift to be welcomed and asked for daily, so that it may be renewed in us.
It is a seemingly small gift, yet it is the essential one.
When we were brought to the baptismal font, our parents, after announcing the name they had chosen for us, were asked by the priest – this happened in our baptism: “What do you ask of the Church of God?” And the parents replied: “Faith, baptism!”
For Christian parents, aware of the grace they have been given, this is the gift to ask to be given to their child. With this gift of faith, the parents will know that, even in the midst of the the trials of life their child will not drown in fear.
You see, the enemy is fear. They also know that when the child no longer has a parent on this earth, it still has a God the Father in heaven who will never abandon it.
Our love is so fragile, and only God’s love conquers death.
Certainly, as the Apostle says, faith is not for everyone (read – 2 Thess 3:2 – pray for us, .. that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not all have faith), and even we, who are believers, often realize that we have only a short supply.
Often Jesus may rebuke us, as He did with his disciples, for being “men of little faith”.
But it is the happiest gift, the only virtue we can envy.
For those who have faith are animated by a power that is not merely human..
In fact faith “triggers” grace in us and opens the mind to the mystery of God.
As Jesus once said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted up, and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you” (Lk 17:6).
Let us then repeat, like the disciples, Lord, increase our faith! (Lk 17:5).
It is a beautiful prayer! Shall we say it all together? “Lord, increase our faith”. Thank you.
Footnote (John chapter 9 – in full)
9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.[a] 4 We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” 10 They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was a division among them. 17 So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of man?”[b] 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him. 39
Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.