Christian faith is not just a set of opinions or doctrines that we have come to espouse because they were originally taught – or at least implied – by Jesus Himself. Faith is a new power of the soul that we receive at Baptism. Having faith is one thing – using our faith is another thing altogether. We use our faith the same way we use our mind to think or use our heart to love. Putting faith in Christ unites us with Him – it unites us with the Truth. That unity sanctifies us as it inspires our heart to prayer and works of Charity. The Word of God – the Word of the Father – is Truth, and it is the second person of the Trinity: Jesus. When we use our faith on the Word and in the Word we are released from the slavery of this world and the enemy of our souls. When we band together as a community of believers with our sights set on Christ beyond this present life, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to liberate the world from evil.
Saint Mary Magdalene
Love is the strongest force that exists. Anyone who is not sure of that has not loved much. But love is not only powerful when it is being experienced in its unitive dimension: it is even more powerful in separation. Longing is produced in the heart whose love is unrequited. When this longing is mere passion, it will eventually fade – but when it is rooted in something deeper and more spiritual it will never be destroyed.
Jesus comes to us in the flesh and kindles in our hearts a deep longing. He does not come to satisfy some passing craving of our heart, instead, after uniting with us He separates Himself. “It is good for you that I go.” “Do not touch me.” The heart that has experienced the flicker of divine love will be constantly reminded of their longing and dissatisfaction with this present world. All attempts to ignore the deeper longing and replace it with something passing result in frustration and anxiety. Perhaps this is Jesus’ meaning for Mary Magdalene: the part of your heart that is drawn, that loves and longs for Me, aim it beyond the dark veil of earth – My Spirit will be in you to guide your heart to the other side.
Saint Thomas, Apostle
We say that Saint Thomas doubted, and that is half true. He believed firmly the others who described Jesus’ death. He believed that the Body of Christ had been wounded by a spear, even though he had not seen it happen himself. Saint Thomas believed the truth of the gratuitous violence that the Body of Christ suffered, but he did not believe the glorious truth of that same body’s resurrection. We are perhaps even more like St. Thomas than we give ourselves credit for if we are prepared to believe the truth of extraordinarily horrible things but not prepared to believe extraordinarily wonderful things.