Why is faith a virtue?

[DebCWil]

I’m going to come back to my earlier post, focusing on the idea of faith as a gift. I think that often we try too hard to separate faith, hope, and charity (love). Each comes from God.
The Gospel of John starts, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Christ Jesus, the Word of God, became flesh and lived among men. He is the visible image of the invisible God.
It is because God first loved us, that we can love in return. He died for our sins on the cross at Calvary. His three year ministry was one of healing.

The Gospel for May 17 is John 17:20-26 which I hope will help. It is Christ’s prayer for unity, his final prayer before the crucifixion. In it he prays not only for the apostles, but also for all who believe through their word.

This coming Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. The apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit, as each of us is by virtue of the Sacraments, to spread the gospel through the whole world. We were not left abandoned.
Yes, the apostles did feel abandoned when Christ was arrested. Everybody, except John, fled. We can ask the Holy Spirit to “help our unbelief” as the simple prayer of a person who may have doubts goes.
St. Thomas, who initially asked to put his hands in the piercings of Christ preached all the way to India.
A small child learns love being held and cradled in the arms of his mother. In time, the child lets goes, crawls, walks, and returns that love to the parent who showed tenderness.
Our individual ministry may not be as “miraculous” in the small ways that we show love. Faith is not necessarily demonstrated in great works. St. Theresa of Lisieux speaks of the little way. These are all examples of faith, of trusting in the love of God on a daily basis.
A statue of Christ uncovered after WWII with its arms missing had a sign that read, “He has no hands but yours.”
In His prayer to Father, Christ prayed, “Father, they are your gift to me…I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

 

[DebCWil]

The Didache Bible directly answers the question. What are the theological virtues? This answer is verbatim.
The theological virtues–faith,hope, and charity (love)–form the very basis for all Christian moral virtues. These are given to us at Baptism but must be nurtured and developed through practice, prayer, and the Sacraments.
They are called theological because their object is union with God. Growth in the virtues comes through prayer, reception of the Sacraments, and the practice of the virtues; thereby, growth in holiness means becoming more imbued with the life of Christ. As St. Gregory of Nyssa taught, “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” (CCC 1812-1813, 2089)
+Faith elevates our natural intellect and moves our will so we can assent to the truths revealed supernaturally by God and put those truths into practice. (CCC1814-1816)

All three theological virtues are vital to living a true Christian life.
See The Catechism 1803 and 1813.

In other words, what we are seeking is intimacy with God. As with any relationship, this relationship needs to nourished. It begins with our response to the gifts received. We love because God first loved us.

 

[seeker33]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I’m very sorry but somehow there must be a misunderstanding because so far I don’t really feel there was an answer to the point of my question?
So I’ll try to ask again: Why does God want us to believe in him with so little evidence? Why is it important for him to hide so that our faith is “tested”? How does his hiding correspond with the idea of a loving Father, when he makes faith difficult for us and judges us for lack of faith? How can a loving father do that?
If God isn’t hiding, what concrete, tangible, real clues do we have in our everyday life that he is here and cares? How can we know it is Christian God and not nature, psychology or another God? Why did God make it so difficult to find him? What’s the point of not giving us clear signs? He created us as rational beings that allowed us to develop science and then he would make himself scientifically and rationally difficult to prove in order to test us? And then, when we use the critical thinking which HE gave us he’ll punish us?
Can anyone answer this?

One of the answers that gave an interesting point was by fhansen. He says that hiding gives us an opportunity to do “good for good’s sake”, without being observed. I agree with that. However, even if we do good and LOve, God will still punish us because we didn’t believe in him.

 

[Mboo]

God is certainly a loving Father, but only nowadays we do not remember too much that God is also a Just Lord. As long as we take God only in one direction, there will be contradictions in our life of Faith, it is my conviction.
First, why Faith is so important?
Faith is the right knowledge of God and we can not love God in truth without knowing Him. If we love outside the Faith we do not love God, we do not have Charity. However this knowledge is not obtained the same way as the knowledge of creatures.
Now why is not Faith given to all? why does not God make himself known to everyone??
God as the Just Lord, wants us to deserve Heaven, Heaven is not free in a way. God, as a loving father, has freely given us certain good, certain virtue, but as just Lord, he wants these virtues to be exercised to deserve to obtain other virtues, or to deserve the increase of the virtues already obtained, and thus Gradually we can deserve Heaven. Thus some have not received the virtue of Faith, God wants them to make efforts to obtain this virtue, but the effort required, is more in the exercise of humility and patience, than in the the exercise of Cartesian reasoning and human experience (be careful, I do not say that exercising reasoning to have Faith is totally useless), because Faith is an infused virtue, which is directly received from God

 

[Tatum]

One of the answers that gave an interesting point was by fhansen. He says that hiding gives us an opportunity to do “good for good’s sake”, without being observed. I agree with that. However, even if we do good and LOve, God will still punish us because we didn’t believe in him.

The problem is you misunderstand faith in the first place.

• faith is not in dogma’s but in the very person, the very friendship of Jesus. Friendship is a gift out of the blue. If you haven’t experienced that yet then you have nothing to fear if you are doing your loving best to follow the natural lights you have been given - ie truth, beauty, goodness, unity and the other “transcendentals”. By putting yourself “at this bus-stop” then one hour the bus will come.
• No faith, in terms of intellectual components alone, is not really a “virtue”. Aquinas calls this “formless faith”. Truly virtuous faith must be “informed” with love and hope before it is salvific.
• Not having supernatural faith does not deserve punishment as you seem to think. In fact seeking the above transcendentals will in fact likely be enough to deserve reward.

 

[Mboo]

faith is not in dogma’s but in the very person, the very friendship of Jesus

I think there is an error, faith is not a friendship, it is charity that is one. Faith is the knowledge of God and the knowledge of his revelation

No faith, in terms of intellectual components alone, is not really a “virtue”. Aquinas calls this “formless faith”.

Even “formless” faith is a virtue. Certainly all virtues must be “informed” by charity to be meritorious, but a virtue retains its quality of virtue even when it is not informed by charity. What makes the substance of a virtue is its conformity with reason, and not its conformity with charity.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, whom you quote, said that faith formed and formless faith have the same habitus.

 

[Roguish]

faith is not in dogma’s but in the very person, the very friendship of Jesus. Friendship is a gift out of the blue. If you haven’t experienced that yet then you have nothing to fear if you are doing your loving best to follow the natural lights you have been given - ie truth, beauty, goodness, unity and the other “transcendentals”. By putting yourself “at this bus-stop” then one hour the bus will come.

This is the best possible advice I have EVER seen for someone who is earnestly looking for faith, but has not found it yet. The bus will come. Thanks @Tatum, for showing me that this forum is in good hands after all, and thanks @seeker33 for raising such an earnest question.

 

[Mboo]

Not having supernatural faith does not deserve punishment as you seem to think.

He who, without reason, refuses the essential truths of the Faith will not be saved, even if he is kind.

 

[Tatum]

Tatum:

faith is not in dogma’s but in the very person, the very friendship of Jesus

I think there is an error, faith is not a friendship, it is charity that is one. Faith is the knowledge of God and the knowledge of his revelation

Mere knowledge of revelation is imperfect faith. True knowledge of God is both an intellectual and a moral virtue, hence “formed (perfect) faith” always requires love of God.

This is quibbling. I am clearly speaking of formed faith.
Any virtue that is salvific is friendship with God.

No, faith (in terms of intellectual components alone) is not really a “virtue”.

Even “formless” faith is a virtue. Certainly all virtues must be “informed” by charity to be meritorious, but a virtue retains its quality of virtue even when it is not informed by charity. What makes the substance of a virtue is its conformity with reason, and not its conformity with charity.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, whom you quote, said that faith formed and formless faith have the same habitus.

This is again a little petty. I am speaking in the language of our non scholastic posters. I am sure they understand what I mean - namely that intellectual assent alone is not salvific. Its fairly clear our OP understands “virtue” to be an analogue for “grace”. I am being consistent with his use of the word, even though Aquinas would define it differently.

 

[drz888]

If someone speaks about someone, you could choose to accept or reject what they say until you connect with that person to make your own discernment. If someone speaks about God, you could choose to accept or reject what they say until you connect with God to make your own discernment. All souls are created in the image of God, connecting with God and others connects us with God.

If someone wants to find bad in someone, they may find bad.

If someone wants to find good in someone, they may find good.

If someone wants to find God in someone, they may find God.

That someone could be anyone.

That someone could be you.

Faith.

 

[seeker33]

Thank you Tatum, that’s a good strategy. What I meant this thread to be is discussion in a simple language. I think it’s God’s will to be understood by everyone and doesn’t require years of philosophical studies. In fact I think it’s very often possible to use fancy words and hide the lack of real meaning, or just express something extremely trivial. I’m not saying posters here have done that, but it’s definitely something I’d like to avoid.

 

[Aulef]

All your answers contain nice words. But my question is: how do I, practically, in reality, in my daily life know that God is present and I can have a relationship with him? When I pray HOW EXACTLY do I know he’s there with me and it’s not just my imagination? Or that it’s not some other god or abstract “universe”?

I have had the same questions my friend. I have often wondered if a relationship with God is so important why does the all powerful creator act exactly as he would if he didn’t exist. Good question.

God is acting at this very moment by allowing you two to live. Even some pagans were able to know this by realizing there is a First Cause, not caused, that created and keeps the world we live in. And you can’t feel Him neither see Him because He is spirit. Only the “eye of the mind” can “see” spirits.

Thus, to say there is a god that acts like he doesn’t exist is unreasonable (reason not being used)

Second: to say that “you want to believe but you can’t” is a proof you don’t have enough disposition, which is a pre-requisite to be a faithful person. In this case, pray so you can have more faith.

Actually, to have a good glimpse of God in the form of the Holy Trinity, faith, hope and charity are needed. Hope requires faith and charity requires faith and hope.

May God give you a first push so you have enough disposition to understand He IS.

The most important here is that you pray as much as you can. Prayers are the key. What you pray defines what you believe.

 

[Tatum]

Thanks, glad I was able to hit the spot for you even if I tried to “translate” Aquinas into your terms…making theological purists rightly wince .

 

[seeker33]

Thanks, drz888. I get the point and I also read and understood a poster above who wrote about a person who saw a miracle but still didn’t believe.
What these kinds of answers suggest is that the person who asks isn’t genuine. But what if they are?
What if they just weren’t lucky enough to be born in a Christian family? What if they suffer from a diagnosed complex trauma including civil war, long term bullying, alcoholic father, my own chronic health issues and serious illness in the family? Yes I’m talking about myself, it’s not a hypothetical person.
What if I told you I’ve spent years trying to find the Truth? That I’ve prayed, read the Bible every night for 2 years, went to Medjugorje, I even joined the Catholic Church at the age of 25 against the will of my family and laughter of some of my friends. Another trauma happened and I simply don’t know what to do! God isn’t there for me. I do believe for a while, then I can’t believe, then I’m literally scared and anxious because I’m incredibly afraid of him and I seriously start believing the only reason he created me was to torture me.
I simply have no more energy for this. I want to believe but the struggle and energy I’m investing in this is just so huge I don’t know if it’s worth it.
(for those who might be concerned, yes, I am in therapy in the professional care and doing fine)

 

[DebCWil]

I mentioned St. Thomas in an earlier post. He wanted to see Christ before being able to believe. We have in the apostles an example of doubt. What was Christ’s response? He showed up.
It is difficult for individuals from dysfunctional backgrounds to comprehend what they have not experienced in their own lives, a loving father. Scripture tells us that Christ appeared after the resurrection to many witnesses. Can you believe what is written in the New Testament? Don’t answer here, just in your heart.
I also mentioned a prayer. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” I don’t remember where I first heard this prayer for those who struggle with doubt, with questions of faith. There are those who are closer to God than they realize, who are going through what is called a dark night when they cannot feel God’s presence even when they have felt it in the past.
Our Lord said that the Father would not deny the Holy Spirit to anybody who asked. Indeed each of us has received of this Spirit, by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation. There are many who have never opened this gift, or felt the power of the Holy Spirit working within their lives. An earlier poster said something about waiting at the bus stop. It is not always easy to trust when there has no reason to trust anything in life. Now God says, “Trust me. I am here and I love you.”
The scriptures tell us “He who abides in Love abides in God and God in Him.”
There is a reason I am starting to go off-track from where I began. I will leave with part of the prayer that Thomas Merton was known for. You can look it up. “I may not know your will, Lord, but I trust that my desire to follow your will is indeed your will.”
Love casts out all fear. As long as you see God in terms of punishment, as Someone to fear, it will continue to be difficult to trust, to step forward in faith. “Lord, help my unbelief.”

 

[seeker33]

Thank you so much for this. You’re exactly right, it’s difficult for me to imagine someone I can trust. I’m not saying my whole life was terrible, I’ve had many nice moments, too. I’m a positive person. However it’s true my experiences in life were much more complex and difficult in comparison with other people.
I believe I’m going through a dark night, too. I’ve had some mystical experiences in my life however due to dissociation (detachment from reality or certain memories that the brain uses to protect itself) these memories don’t seem real to me anymore. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks in church. When I went there often I couldn’t even enter where the pews are, I had to stay in the entrance because I was so sick and afraid I would faint. I wasn’t able to focus on the mass at all. I was just using all my willpower to stay and not run away.
I’m trying to see him as loving but since last experience I’m not able to even when I want. I’m afraid of life so I’m terribly afraid of God. I don’t think I’m such a great sinner, I just feel he hates me for no reason and will punish me every time I dare to be happy. I know rationally this doesn’t make any sense but I can’t control it.

I feel I need to heal on the spiritual level, too, not just physically and mentally but I don’t know how. I’m not able to pray to God or Jesus (fear), only sometimes I can pray the rosary but then. I start questioning if it’s even worth it, if Christianity is even true etc.
I’ve done my research in the past and to me it seems the chance of it being true is about 50:50. I’m not sure I want to do more academic research. I’ve done that for years and it just makes me anxious.
I’m sorry everyone, I know no one can help me.

 

[DebCWil]

The natural response to the cross is to be repulsed. To look upon the crucifix and see the suffering Christ and know the reality of the suffering, and then enter in. Only then can we embrace the living God. That is Faith.
That is the gift to seek.
This comes to a question my separated brothers and sisters often ask me. If we are a resurrected people, why do Catholics have crucifixes in their churches? They are a reminder of what Christ suffered on our account. “Pick up your cross and follow after me if you would my disciple be.” Disciple means student. A student learns from the teacher, or master. Instead of thinking of master in the servant (slave) sense, think of it in the student-teacher sense. Rabbi means teacher. Christ was called rabbi, “rabbini” by Mary Magedeline.
Continue to read scripture, not so much for information, but for transformation. Ask the Holy Spirit to come more fully into your life. You only need to set aside 15 minutes a day to read 3 chapters a day of scripture in order to read the Bible cover to cover.
Most of us don’t have the luxury of attending Mass daily. You may want to subscribe to a magazine like Word Among Us with Mass supplement. It provides a daily meditation. Read the daily Mass readings.
The Magnificat or Our Daily Bread are more expensive. They give an abbreviated form of the Liturgy of the Hours, along with the daily Mass readings. Any of these would be helpful.
During Lent, I learned about Mass books. A Mass book is a small notebook. I purchased a few nice looking Peter Pauper Press notebooks through Amazon that would work. As you listen to the homily at Mass, summarize or write down one thing that the priest said. One Mass equals one sentence per page. For example, on 18 March I wrote the following. “God’s covenant is for all people, and it is God who makes the first step in saying, ‘I will be their God and they will be my people.’”
Notice that at no point am I talking about intellectual research. You may indeed choose to read biographies of various saints. Treat spiritual growth the same way you would physical development. Begin slowly. Then what may be the hardest part for many us, let go and let God take the lead.

 

[seeker33]

Thank you