Do We Truly Believe?

9 May

The disciples said to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”  (Jn 16:29-33)

“Do you believe now?”

Those are rather chilling words.

I can see Jesus turning to face His apostles and cocking His head a bit almost in disbelief.

He knew His followers well.

He knew that, although they claimed to believe, they were weak in faith and that their faith would be sorely tested.  In the process, He knew that they would abandon Him.  He knew that Peter would deny Him.

That must have been incredibly hard to bear.

Yet, Jesus continued to teach His followers knowing that, sooner or later, they would come around.

He also knew that they would be powerless until they had received the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that was operative in all of His works.

Yes, He knew His followers well back then.

He knows His followers well today.

He knows that we, too, are weak and that we, too, often run in fear, abandoning Him.

The beautiful truth about all of that, though, is that He does not — will not — abandon us.

FAITH ACTION:  Thinking about how God has revealed Himself to you, pray the Act of Faith:

ACT OF FAITH

O my God, I firmly believe that you are
one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I believe that your divine Son became man
and died for our sins, and that he will
come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe these and all the truths which
the holy Catholic Church teaches, because
you have revealed them, who can neither
deceive nor be deceived.

Amen.